What happens to the merchants' speech in the marketplace after the accident?

• A. Their words become jumbled and nonsensical, but they eventually restore the words.
• B. They gain the power to speak in perfect rhymes.
• C. They are unable to speak for a year.
• D. They begin shouting random letters that have no meaning.

Answer: (A)

In this scene, language is treated like something that can be damaged and repaired. After the accident in the marketplace, the merchants’ speech loses coherence—words come out jumbled and nonsensical. It’s a temporary breakdown of communication, and the story shows that once the disturbance passes, the words are restored to normal. This choice captures both the disruption and the eventual restoration of speech. The other imagined outcomes—speaking in perfect rhymes, a full year of silence, or shouting meaningless letters—don’t fit what actually happens in this moment.