Question

read the passage from a story in the arabian nights entertainments.
the fisherman was very unhappy. \what an unlucky man i am to have freed you! i implore you to spare my life.\
\i have told you,\ said the genius, \that it is impossible. choose quickly; you are wasting time.\
the fisherman began to devise a plot.
\since i must die,\ he said, \before i choose the manner of my death, i conjure you on your honour to tell me if you really were in that vase?\
\yes, i was,\ answered the genius.
\i really cannot believe it,\ said the fisherman. \that vase could not contain one of your feet even, and how could your whole body go in? i cannot believe it unless
what is the fishermans motivation for asking the genius (genie) if he really was in the vase?
○ to make the genius (genie) grant him three wishes
○ to try to find a way to stay alive
○ to see if the genius (genie) was lying
○ to have more time before the genius (genie) kills him

Explanation:

The fisherman is in a life - threatening situation as the genie intends to kill him. He asks the genie if he was really in the vase to buy more time. He doesn't ask to get three wishes (the genie was going to kill him, not grant wishes), it's not just to check if the genie was lying (his main concern is survival and buying time), and while staying alive is the end goal, the immediate motivation for the question is to delay the genie from killing him.

Answer:

D. to have more time before the genius (genie) kills him