A. Simon could not buy the sheepskin.

Simon could not by the sheepskin because when he called on his neighbour, Trifonof the latter expressed his inability to repay his debt to Simon acid didn't have any money. In fact, Trifonof hardly had enough bread for his wife and children and so Simon not force him to pay up.

Explanation:

“way of writing” should be replaced with “writing style"

“idea” should be replaced with “purpose.”

maybe   “people from a long time ago” should be replaced with “elizabethans.”