D) Around him, mothers strived to hush crying babies and fathers invented stories to entertain exhausted children is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Based on the tone of the passage, the phrase marked with the number three has a different tone from the others. In this phrase, the language seems to be less solemn and formal than in the others; due to the situation narrated in the story (which is related to a farewell and the solemnity it involves) a more formal language is required; the other phrases do have it, so letter D is the correct answer because it provides this language and adjusts the phrase to the others.
