English Language · English

Read the following passage and answer the question: In a distant kingdom, there once stood a great bell in the courtyard of the royal palace. It was not adorned with gold or jewels, but its fame spread far and wide. For the king had decreed that this bell would serve as the voice of the voiceless: any subject who felt wronged could strike it, and the king himself would hear their plea without the interference of ministers or guards. For years, the bell rang often—sometimes for disputes between farmers, sometimes for the cries of widows cheated of their inheritance, sometimes for merchants deceived in trade. Each time, the king dispensed justice with fairness, and the bell became the symbol of accountability. As time passed, however, prosperity dulled vigilance. The king grew older, his ministers more powerful, and the bell rusted in disuse. Subjects feared the court had become a place for the rich, not the righteous. The bell stood there, silent, gathering dust and vines, until one summer day a startling event occurred. A feeble horse, abandoned by its master after years of service, wandered into the courtyard. Hungry, it stretched its neck to nibble at the vine that had entwined itself around the bell's rope. By chance, the bell gave a hollow, broken chime. Startled, the king came out. When he saw the emaciated horse, he understood: if the bell was meant for the voiceless, then this creature's suffering was a petition as valid as any human's. The ministers scoffed—arguing that beasts had no place in law—but the king rebuked them. He declared that cruelty to animals was also injustice, for justice that excludes the weak is no justice at all. He ordered the master of the horse to be punished and decreed that the animal would live its remaining days in comfort at the royal stables. This incident revived the faith of the people. They realized that justice is not preserved by institutions alone, but by the spirit in which rules are applied. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?