The correct answer is: C. Tried telling
The sentence is about the speaker’s attempt to make the listener smile by telling her a joke. The speaker did not succeed in making the listener smile, even though they tried. This suggests that the joke was not very funny, or that the listener was not in the mood to laugh.
The other options are not as likely to complete the sentence correctly. Option A, “said to”, is not a good choice because it does not convey the idea that the speaker was trying to make the listener smile. Option B, “told to”, is also not a good choice because it suggests that the speaker was giving an order to the listener, which is not the case. Option D, “played”, is not a good choice because it suggests that the speaker was doing something other than telling a joke, such as playing a game.
In conclusion, the correct answer is: C. Tried telling