Option 1 -> The snake-charmer spoke extensively about his power over snakes and demonstrated catching techniques on an imaginary snake, but looked helpless and made excuses when asked to actually catch the real cobra.
Option 2 -> He looked "helplessly about" and quickly departed after making excuses, showing he was not brave when faced with the actual task.
Option 3 -> There is no indication he was hesitant about killing the snake; rather, he couldn't locate it and avoided the task entirely.
Option 4 -> The passage doesn't suggest laziness; he simply couldn't deliver on his claims when put to the test.
Hence, Option 1 -> The snake-charmer talked big about his abilities and power over snakes, but when it came to actually finding and catching the cobra, he became helpless and made excuses before departing. This shows he was boastful but couldn't back up his claims with action -> correct