Answer:
The little mole and his friend, the spotted toad gasped in the safe shade of the picket fence so grateful that they had escaped the vicious teeth of the loud, smoking lawnmower.
Step-by-step explanation:
The little mole and his friend, the spotted toad gasped in the safe shade of the picket fence so grateful that they had escaped the vicious teeth of the loud, smoking lawnmower.
The pronoun for the blank space will be "they" for it is talking about the little mole and the friend the toad. Since they are more than one, the pronoun will be plural, thus the only correct answer is "they". The other options are invalid for they either are singular (he, she) and option C is wrong for it cannot be "there'. Thus, the right answer is option D) they.