Question

“get up here, man,” stacey ordered, but little man only gazed at the ragged red bank sparsely covered with scraggly brown briars and kept on walking. “come on, do like i say.”
“but i’ll get my clothes dirty!” protested little man.
“you’re gonna get them a whole lot dirtier you stay down there. look!”
little man turned around and watched saucer - eyed as a bus bore down on him spewing clouds of red dust like a huge yellow dragon breathing fire. little man headed toward the bank, but it was too steep. he ran frantically along the road looking for a foothold and, finding one, hopped onto the bank, but not before the bus had sped past enveloping him in a scarlet haze while laughing white faces pressed against the bus windows.
little man shook a threatening fist into the thick air, then looked dismally down at himself.
“well, ole little man done got his sunday clothes dirty,” t.j. laughed as we jumped down from the bank. angry tears welled in little man’s eyes but he quickly brushed them away before t.j. could see them.
from mildred d. taylor, roll of thunder, hear my cry. copyright 1976 by mildred d. taylor
look at the text in bold. what does this figurative language show about little man’s reaction to the bus?
he is impressed by the bus’s speed and doesn’t think he can catch up to it.
he is terrified of the bus and recognizes the danger it poses to him.
he is angry that the bus did not stop for him even though he was running

Explanation:

The bold figurative language compares the bus to a fire-breathing dragon, a threatening, dangerous creature. Little Man's wide "saucer-eyed" look and frantic attempt to escape the road show he perceives the bus as a deadly threat, not just fast or an annoyance.

Answer:

He is terrified of the bus and recognizes the danger it poses to him.