Read this excerpt from Holes.

Sarah changed the words of the pig lullaby so that they rhymed, and every night she sang it to little Stanley.

“If only, if only,” the woodpecker sighs,
“The bark on the tree was as soft as the skies.”
While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely,
Crying to the moo–oo–oon,
“if only, if only.”
How do the words “if only, if only” parallel Stanley’s predicament?

They parallel the fact that Stanley can go home only after he has completed his time at the camp.
They parallel Stanley’s homesickness and longing to be with his parents.
They parallel how lonely Stanley feels most of the time at school and at the camp.
They parallel Stanley’s wish that things had turned out differently for him.

To determine how the words "if only, if only" parallel Stanley's predicament, we need to analyze the context of the excerpt from Holes. In the provided excerpt, Sarah sings a modified lullaby to little Stanley. The line "if only, if only" is repeated throughout the lullaby, and it is expressed by different characters within the lyrics.

From this information, we can infer that "if only, if only" represents a longing for something different or a wish for things to change. Now let's break down the options to see which one best aligns with Stanley's predicament:

1. They parallel the fact that Stanley can go home only after he has completed his time at the camp.
- This option does not align with the given information since it focuses on Stanley's ability to go home only after completing his time at the camp, rather than a general expression of longing or wishing.

2. They parallel Stanley's homesickness and longing to be with his parents.
- This option aligns with the given information because Stanley is away at camp, and the words "if only, if only" convey homesickness and longing to be with his parents.

3. They parallel how lonely Stanley feels most of the time at school and at the camp.
- This option does not directly align with the given information since the excerpt does not mention Stanley feeling lonely most of the time. Moreover, the focus of the excerpt seems to be on longing or wishing, rather than loneliness.

4. They parallel Stanley's wish that things had turned out differently for him.
- This option aligns with the given information because the words "if only, if only" convey a sense of wishing that things had turned out differently for Stanley.

Considering the analysis, the best option that parallels Stanley's predicament is: They parallel Stanley's wish that things had turned out differently for him.