Andrew Lang's fairy book, The Prince and the Mermaid, part 29: the prince runs from the mermaid and becomes a lion and a bear
Tests: 1 of 12 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 12 of 16 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 1228 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 · ★ · wrong ✗
Mate, the mermaid just wants some kid off the king, innit?
- 1. Yeah, the king's gold — no support
- 2. Yeah, his first kid, the eldest — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 3. Nah, she wants his crown, innit — score 4
- 4. Yeah, the first child born to him — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 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 362, line 3: «The Kid begs the Wolf to pipe him a tune first, so he can dance and be merry before he is eaten.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «kid» (+2); the same property (+2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 2 · ★ · right ✓
Wait, so the prince just bolts off with a knapsack, proper?
- 1. Yeah, his mum's the one who sends him out — score 2
- 2. Nah, he's kicked out — no support
- 3. Nah, his mum just waves him off to school — no support
- 4. Yeah, his dad sends him off on his own — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 3, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1228, line 3: «His father sends him off alone, and the prince swaps his velvet coat for green cloth and a knapsack.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same action «send off» (+2); the same thing acted on «king» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗
Bruv, what's the lion's deal, like, is he dead keen on snacks?
- 1. He's after some sweet honey cakes, innit — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. He's just a bit peckish — no support
- 3. Nah, he's stuffed — no support
- 4. He's dead hungry, past his supper time — ✓ 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 ✗
Did the boy just wish himself a lion, like, for real?
- 1. Nah, he never wished anything at all, he just stood there looking daft for ages — score 4
- 2. Yeah, he rubbed the ear and wished it — ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 3. Nah, he touched the paw and thought it — score 4
- 4. Yeah, he rubbed the ear and wished it hard, and then he turned into a lion — ← Mova's choice · score 5
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 742, line 5: «The king gives in and marries him to his daughter, but when the queen overhears him talking in his sleep, the men sent to kill him run away in fear.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+3); the same doer «men» (+2). The right option, 2, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗
Mental, so the bear's a bit rude, yeah?
- 1. Nah, he's just a bit grumpy, innit — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Yeah, he's just a bit of a pest — no support
- 3. Yeah, he never got taught manners, so he just talks like that to everyone he meets — no support
- 4. Yeah, he never got taught manners — ✓ 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 6 · ★ · wrong ✗
Gutted, so the boy's tail is, like, tiny now?
- 1. Nah, it's still a proper long tail — score 4
- 2. Nah, it's huge, mate — no support
- 3. Yeah, it's a bit of a stubby one — ← Mova's choice · score 5
- 4. Yeah, it's hardly worth calling a tail — ✓ the right answer · score 2
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1122, line 5: «The younger prince beats the witch until she brings his brother and the other stone people back to life, and then the Dragon's Princess story begins.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+4); the same doer «tale» (+3). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). The right option, 4, scored 2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗
Did the boy get annoyed when the bear got cheeky?
- 1. Yeah, he was well indignant — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Yeah, he was cross — no support
- 3. Yeah, he was well chuffed — ← Mova's choice · score 0
- 4. Nah, he just shrugged it off — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 0, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1227, line 2: «When the juice blinds her, the bear springs up roaring, but the wolverine stabs her to the heart, skins her, and steals fire to roast her.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «bear» (+2). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗
So who's the bee, like, is it a wasp in disguise?
- 1. Yeah, a wasp sat on a bramble — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Nah, a bumble-bee on honeysuckle — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Nah, just a wasp — no support
- 4. Nah, a hornet on a hedgerow — 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 9 · ★ · wrong ✗
Wicked, so the bee tells him he should be safe at home?
- 1. Yeah, he should be off to school — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Yeah, at his age he should be home with his mum and dad, safe and sound — no support
- 3. Nah, at his age he should be out — no support
- 4. Yeah, at his age he should be home — ✓ 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 10 · ★ · wrong ✗
Sick, so the boy's dad just gives up and lets him go?
- 1. Yeah, he reckons it's the best call — no support
- 2. Yeah, he thinks it's the wisest plan — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Nah, he's furious and locks the boy in his room so he can't go at all — ← Mova's choice · score -4
- 4. Nah, he thinks it's a daft idea now — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score -4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 223, line 6: «Who: the princess's attendants wake up, listen, and then lead the prince to a room where they prepare his bed.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. Against it: a different action (counts against) (-2); a different doer (counts against) (-2). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗
Dead funny, so the boy just sleeps on the mossy bank, yeah?
- 1. Yeah, he sleeps in bed — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 2. Nah, he curls up with the bear — score 1
- 3. Nah, he sleeps in a tree — score 4
- 4. Yeah, he lies down with the lion — ✓ the right answer · score 3
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 1006, line 3: «John packs his bundle, says farewell to the ringer, and sleeps on a haystack on his first night in the wide world.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «john» (+3); the same action «sleep» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗
Bro, is the mermaid, like, a proper villain then?
- 1. Nah, she's not a villain, she's just a sad mermaid who wants a playmate, innit — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 2. Yeah, she wants his youngest son back — score 0
- 3. Yeah, she wants the king's first child — ✓ the right answer · score 0
- 4. Yeah, she wants the king's first child, and she'll drown the whole ship if he refuses — score 0
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 4, against 0 for the next best. Its support: lesson 881, line 14: «The prince says "It was you who saved my life", but he does not know the mermaid is the one who rescued him.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «mermaid» (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2). The right option, 3, scored 0. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓
Which item did the prince select from the queen's offerings to carry his provisions during his journey?
- 1. A woven straw basket — no support
- 2. A velvet silk purse — score 1
- 3. A large embroidered leather satchel with silver buckles — no support
- 4. A leather knapsack — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 7
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 7, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1228, line 14: «He refuses the queen's "beautiful bag" and wears a leather knapsack like other travellers.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «prince» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «leather knapsack» (+1); a different action (counts against) (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗
Which promise did the king make to the mermaid in return for the release of his vessel from the rock?
- 1. To give up his eldest son — ← Mova's choice · score 7
- 2. To deliver his first child — ✓ the right answer · score 7
- 3. To surrender his kingdom's wealth of gold and silver to the mermaid — score 3
- 4. To deliver his first child to her once he came of age and was grown — score 7
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 1228, line 3: «His father sends him off alone, and the prince swaps his velvet coat for green cloth and a knapsack.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «father» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «king» (+1); a different action (counts against) (+1). The right option, 2, scored 7. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
In which manner did the lion instruct the prince to summon transformation upon need?
- 1. By rubbing the lion's ear and wishing hard for the change to happen — no support
- 2. By wishing himself a lion, the lion said, whenever danger came near him — ← Mova's choice · score 7
- 3. By rubbing the lion's paw — no support
- 4. By wishing himself a lion — ✓ the right answer · score -7
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 7, against -7 for the next best. Its support: lesson 776, line 13: «The spinning-wheels test: the maidens "never once looked at the spinning-wheels", so the king again refuses to believe the lion.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «king» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «lion» (+1); a different action (counts against) (+1). The right option, 4, scored -7. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗
What, according to the bumble-bee, was the proper place of a boy of the prince's years at that hour?
- 1. In the village — ← Mova's choice · score 3
- 2. Abroad — score 0
- 3. At school — score 3
- 4. Safe at home — ✓ the right answer · score 3
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 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 1042, line 9: «fact: Why: Finegas leaves so that Fionn may eat the fish "if you felt you had to", to test whether the boy will keep his word.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «word» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
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