Russian Folk-Tales, Little Tsar Novishny, part 8: the Tsar promises Satan what awaits him at home, and the children are hidden in a ditch

Tests: 3 of 14 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 10 of 18 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 1102 of the books course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose.

Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.

Test 1 · ★ · right ✓

bro, why was the Tsar being such a cheapskate at the bazaar?

1. He always did his own shopping — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. He hated paying the sellers — no support
3. He always bargained hard with every seller in the market — no support
4. He didn't trust any merchant — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗

lol so what did the dude actually buy?

1. Some sour cabbage and a salty fish — ← Mova's choice · score 7
2. Salty fish — ✓ the right answer · score 7
3. Dried fish — no support
4. A little salted herring from the market — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 7, tied with another option at 7 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1102, line 2: «Next a new tale begins: a Tsar buys salt fish at the bazaar and, on his way home, is caught by the Accursed One at a spring.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: a different doer (counts against) (+4); the same action «buy» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «salt fish» (-1). The right option, 2, scored 7. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗

wait, why'd he even go up the mountain to the spring?

1. He had heard it cured every illness in the land — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. He was thirsty — no support
3. He was tired of walking — no support
4. He was dying of thirst — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗

he forgot to cross himself, didn't he? so what happened?

1. The devil came out — no support
2. Satan could grab him — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. The serpent bit him — no support
4. The Accursed One grabbed him by the beard and held him — ← Mova's choice · score 4

Why: It took the question to ask what happens next. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1097, line 8: «Where does the story happen? On the borders of a forest, on the plain, and at a little town holding a fair.», reached through what followed the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «hold» (+3); a different doer (counts against) (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · right ✓

nah, what did he offer the devil first?

1. His seven oxen — no support
2. His eight horses — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3
3. His eight finest horses and his silver saddle — score 3
4. His eight horses and all his grain — score 3

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 3, tied with another option at 3 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1069, line 5: «A tall, laughing stranger called Mananna'n offers a dog to kill the sheep in exchange for the king's rights for one day.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «offer» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «dog» (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗

so what did the devil finally get the Tsar to promise?

1. The gold he had buried — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Whatever was waiting at home — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Whatever was waiting for him at home, and all his gold — no support
4. Whatever he owned at home — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗

his wife's kinda hot, right, like the fairest in the world?

1. Yeah, the Tsar said so — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Yeah, the Tsar said she was the fairest in the whole world — score 2
3. No, the stove said she was ugly and the Tsar agreed with it — ← Mova's choice · score 3
4. Nope, the Tsar lied — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 3, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 780, line 1: «The huntsman fills his bag with gold and sets off to see the world.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «huntsman» (+1); the same circumstance (+1); a different action (counts against) (+1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · right ✓

wait, twins? how many babies did they get while he was out?

1. Two, a boy and a girl — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
2. One boy and one girl — score 4
3. Two, a prince and princess — no support
4. Two boys — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 4, tied with another option at 4 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1085, line 6: «Who: Cinderilla, a girl who has to do the dirty work at home, is sent out to find the rats and lizards.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: a different doer (counts against) (+4); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «girl» (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗

why'd he start crying when he saw them, lol?

1. Cause he was crying because the wine had made him sentimental — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Cause he was happy and scared — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Cause he was overjoyed and also terrified of the serpent's threat — no support
4. He was scared of the serpent — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗

where'd they hide the kids, under the bed?

1. Hidden in a dark ditch behind the house by the gables — ← Mova's choice · score 5
2. In a deep ditch dug by the old gables near the barn — no support
3. In the cellar by the stove — no support
4. In a ditch by the gables — ✓ the right answer · score 5

Why: It took the question to ask where. It chose option 1 with score 5, tied with another option at 5 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1102, line 5: «His wife hides the children in a ditch under the gables, but the serpent Satan comes looking and questions the stove, the broom, the hatchet and the gimlet.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «hide» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+2). The right option, 4, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗

did the stove snitch on them?

1. Yes — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Nope, it stayed loyal — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. It lied — no support
4. Yes, it told the devil — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

what about the hearth-broom, did it blab?

1. Yes — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. No, it likes the Tsar — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. No — no support
4. Yes, it blabbed fast — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 13 · ★ · wrong ✗

so the devil asked the hatchet and the gimlet too, what did they say?

1. No answer — no support
2. They talked — no support
3. They wouldn't tell him — ✓ the right answer · score -3
4. They refused to speak — ← Mova's choice · score 2

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 2, against -3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1102, line 14: «Why: the hatchet also refuses, because the Tsar "chops his wood with me, and gives me a place to lie down in."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «refuse» (+1); the same doer «hatchet» (+1). The right option, 3, scored -3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 14 · ★ · wrong ✗

the Tsar's wife was dope, right, she thought of the ditch?

1. Nope, the Tsar thought of it and told her to hide them — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. Yeah, she hid the kids — no support
3. Yes, she thought of it — score 4
4. Yeah, she said hide them — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 4, tied with another option at 4 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1, line 23: «Old words in today's English: "presently" = soon after, "fancy" = just imagine, "to-night" = tonight, "I should think" = I expect.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+4); the same action «imagine» (+3). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-3). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓

Specify the object which the Tsar promised to the Accursed One in exchange for his release.

1. His children — no support
2. His horses — no support
3. The offspring awaiting him at home — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 13
4. The gold awaiting him at home — score 13

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 13, tied with another option at 13 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1102, line 8: «What: the Accursed One refuses eight horses, eight oxen and the Tsar's wife, saying "No!" each time, until the Tsar promises what awaits him at home.», reached through what was said in the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «await» (+5); the same thing acted on «tsar» (+4); the same place «home» (+4). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗

Identify the place in which the children were concealed from the Accursed One.

1. A trench under the old roof — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. A deep ditch dug beneath the gables of the house — no support
3. A long narrow trench dug beneath the gables and roof — no support
4. A ditch dug beneath the gables — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

Ascertain the reply of the stove when interrogated by the serpent concerning the children.

1. It swore loyalty to the king — no support
2. It declared complete loyalty to the Tsar and told the serpent a lie — ← Mova's choice · score 2
3. It declared loyalty to the Tsar — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. It declared loyalty to the Tsar and refused to reveal the children — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 2, tied with another option at 2 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 425, line 19: «Old word: A basilisk was a legendary serpent whose glance was said to kill, and people still tell such stories.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «say» (+2); the same doer «legendary serpent» (+1). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

State the location to which the Tsar repaired for the purpose of procuring provisions.

1. The market — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Shop — no support
3. Town — no support
4. The bazaar — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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