Direction : Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer...

Direction : Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to the question out of the alternatives.Certain word(s) are given in bold to help you locate them while answering the question.

Once, an ant who had come to drink at a stream fell into the water and was carried away by the swift current. He was in great danger of drowning. A dove, perched on a nearly tree, saw the ant's danger and dropped a leaf into the water. The ant climbed on to this, and was carried to safety.Sometime after this a hunter, creeping through the bushes, saw the dove asleep, and took careful aim with his gun. He was about to fire when the ant, who was nearby, crawled forward and bit him sharply in the ankle. The hunter missed his& aim, and the loud noise of the gun awakened the dove from her sleep. She saw her danger and flew swiftly away to safety. Thus the ant repaid the dove for having saved his life in the foaming current of the stream.

The ant repaid the dove by —