Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows:

If that voice sounds true, don't thank me. Thank that great horned owl. (Or perhaps it was not an owl after all?) And thank the children, my own and others, who have never forgotten that a good story can be true. For they understand that the power of imagination is truly the power of creation.

Which of the following thoughts is expressed implicitly in the paragraph? (10 points)

1)The author does not think that stories are real.

2)The author wants to thank his children for Merlin's voice.

3)The author does not believe he thought of Merlin's voice on his own.

4)The author wants the reader to listen to horned owls.

I believe the correct answer is 3) The author does not believe he thought of Merlin's voice on his own.
1 is definitely correct because the author says the opposite in the text - he states that good stories can in fact be true. 2 is also incorrect because he isn't thanking only his children, but also all children in general. 4 is incorrect because that is not implicit - he is stating this thought quite explicitly. This leaves us with 3 as the correct answer - he is not the only one who created Merlin, but also all children around the world as well as all those people who enjoy stories.