I'm not certain as it depends on the story. But it might be a pair of friends, like a female character, let's say Mary, who is in trouble, and her male friend, David, who comes to her rescue. There could also be other characters involved in the background that add to the context of the story.
Since I don't know the specific story, it could be two friends, perhaps named John and Tom. John could be the one in need and Tom could be the helper.
In the 'a friend in need short story', it's hard to say exactly who the main characters are without more information. It could be friends from different backgrounds. For instance, one could be a struggling artist, named Alex, who is in need of money for art supplies. And the other friend, Leo, who is a successful businessman and decides to sponsor Alex's art career. There could also be side characters like their mutual friends who influence their relationship in some way.
Since I don't have access to the 'an old friend short story', I can't say for certain. But usually in such a story, the main characters would be the old friends themselves. There could also be secondary characters like family members or mutual friends who play a role in their relationship, either supporting or causing some sort of friction between the two main friends.
Since we have no information about the 'a little friend short story' other than its title, we can only make assumptions. The main character is likely to be the 'little friend'. This could be a young child, perhaps a boy or a girl. There may be other characters like a wise old man or woman in the neighborhood who gives advice to the little friend. Or there could be a group of children who are friends with the main character and they all go on adventures together, sharing joys and sorrows.
In the 'false friend short story', the main character is often the victim of the false friend's actions. This character is usually trusting and naive at the start. The false friend is the key antagonist. They may seem friendly and charming on the surface but are hiding their true selves. Additionally, there may be a sidekick or confidant of the main character who might notice something strange about the false friend earlier on and try to warn the main character, adding an extra layer of drama to the story.
I would assume that the main characters are the two friends. One is the protagonist, the person whose perspective we are seeing the story from, and the other is the friend who is no longer in their life as closely. There might also be some secondary characters who play a role in the events that led to the friendship changing, like other mutual friends or family members who influenced the situation.
In the 'Friend of My Youth' short story, perhaps the main characters are friends who grew up in the same neighborhood. One might be the leader type, always coming up with ideas for things to do, like exploring an old abandoned house. The other could be the more cautious one, but still goes along because of their strong bond. As they grow older, these traits might change, and the story could show how their friendship adapts to these changes.
Since it's a story about friendship in youth, the main characters might be adventurous. They could be exploring the world around them, learning new things, and sharing those experiences with each other. Maybe one is more outgoing and the other more reserved, but their differences complement each other in the friendship.
I don't know for sure since I haven't read it. But likely there is the foolish friend, and probably another friend or friends who are in some way connected to the foolish one. There might also be some other characters like people they meet during their adventures or misadventures.
I don't know as I haven't read 'the friend story'. It could be two people named John and Mary, or it could be a group of friends with different personalities.
I'm not sure as I haven't read the specific 'be a friend story'. It could be two kids who become friends at school.
I don't know the 'the friend short story', so I can't say for sure what the main theme is.