Arabian Nights, The Young King of the Black Isles, part 8: the talking fish and the Sultan's night journey
Tests: 5 of 15 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 13 of 19 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 168 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 ✗
Yo, who's the one cooking them fish in the Sultan's room, innit?
- 1. The black slave and the fish — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The fisherman's wife and the grand-vizir in the kitchen — no support
- 3. The Sultan and the grand-vizir — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. The Sultan and the grand-vizir and the black slave both — 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 ✗
Bruv, what did the black slave hold, proper big?
- 1. A big green stick — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. A tall wooden spear — no support
- 3. A massive golden sword that the Sultan gave him — score 2
- 4. A small silver bowl — ← Mova's choice · score 3
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score 3, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 113, line 19: «Old word: "a basinful" means as much as a bowl can hold, a word that is rarely used now.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «hold» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: the same doer «bowl» (-1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 3 · ★ · right ✓
Wait, what did the fish actually say they did?
- 1. "We reckon nothing, we're just fish in a river, bruv." — score 1
- 2. "If you reckon, we reckon." — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 3. "If you reckon we're cooked, then we're cooked for real, innit." — no support
- 4. "As you reckon, we swim." — score 1
Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 2 with score 4, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 19, line 19: ««No wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise» — porpoise (a sea animal like a small dolphin) sounds like purpose (a reason); «I mean what I say,» says th…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same action «think» (+1). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 4 · ★ · right ✓
Lowkey sus, what happened to the fish in the end?
- 1. They swam off — no support
- 2. They got turned to cinders — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
- 3. They got eaten — no support
- 4. They got thrown in the lake — no support
Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 167, line 5: «In the palace kitchen a damsel steps out of the wall, scolds the fish, and turns them to cinders, so the cook cries and the fisherman must fish again.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «turn» (+2); the same place «cinders» (+1). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗
Where did the fisherman say the lake was, mate?
- 1. In the middle of four hills, past the big palace and the river — score 4
- 2. In the middle of four hills — ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 3. Beyond the dusty desert sand — score 4
- 4. Under the old stone bridge — ← Mova's choice · score 5
Why: It took the question to ask where. It chose option 4 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 164, line 14: «The fisherman: he is "so old and so poor that he could scarcely manage to support his wife and three children."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «fisherman» (+3); the same property (+2). The right option, 2, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 6 · ★ · right ✓
How long was the journey to the lake, then?
- 1. Three hours' journey away — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. A full day's ride across the plain beyond the city walls — no support
- 3. Three days away — no support
- 4. Quite close — 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 · ★ · right ✓
Who did the Sultan leave back in the tent, bruv?
- 1. The fisherman who guards the gate of the palace — no support
- 2. The grand-vizir — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 1
- 3. The fisherman — no support
- 4. The grand-vizir and the cook, both sitting by the fire — no support
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 161, line 7: «fact: What: the sultan's wife was found to have deceived him, so he ordered "the grand-vizir to put her to death".», 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 doer «sultan» (+1); the same property (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗
What did the Sultan take off before he went out?
- 1. His hat — ← Mova's choice · score 8
- 2. His rich jewels — score 8
- 3. His state robe — ✓ the right answer · score 8
- 4. His cloak — score 8
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 8, tied with another option at 8 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 162, line 2: «The Sultan is amazed that a father would hand over his own daughter, and he warns that the vizir must take her life himself.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «take» (+4); the same doer «vizir» (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). The right option, 3, scored 8. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗
What did he put on instead, innit?
- 1. His dagger — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. His sword — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. A plain cloak of dark grey wool — no support
- 4. His old rusty sword from the armoury wall — 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 ✗
What was the palace made of, wicked?
- 1. Plain wood — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Green glass tiles — no support
- 3. Black polished marble — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. White carved stone — 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 11 · ★ · wrong ✗
What was the fountain held up by, proper?
- 1. Lions — ← Mova's choice · score 5
- 2. Stone — no support
- 3. Iron columns — no support
- 4. Golden lions — ✓ the right answer · score 5
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. 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 43, line 4: «Just as the Rat gets the sardine tin open, there are scuffling feet and tiny voices outside: «Now, all in a line — hold the lantern up a bit, Tommy». It's the…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «field mice» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗
What came out of the lions' mouths, mate?
- 1. Gold and jewels — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Wine — no support
- 3. Diamonds and pearls — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. Water — 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 ✗
Why couldn't the young man get up, though?
- 1. He was half marble and his legs had turned to stone — score 3
- 2. He was too weak — no support
- 3. He was beaten again — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 4. He was half marble — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 3 with score 4, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 168, line 12: «The young man cannot rise because "from the waist downwards, he was a block of black marble."», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «block» (+3); the same doer «man» (+1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 14 · ★ · wrong ✗
Who gets beaten every single day in this story?
- 1. The fisherman, by the Sultan — ← Mova's choice · score 6
- 2. The slave — score 6
- 3. The young king, by the enchantress — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. The black slave, by his master — score 6
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1, line 1: «Alice is sitting on a grassy bank next to her big sister on a hot, sleepy day, bored stiff, because her sister's book has no pictures and no talking in it.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+6); the same property (+2). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1); a different doer (counts against) (-1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 15 · ★ · right ✓
What did the Sultan vow to do for the young king?
- 1. Take revenge on the enchantress and burn her palace to the ground — score 2
- 2. Punish the grand-vizir fully — no support
- 3. Take revenge on the enchantress — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
- 4. Marry the enchantress soon — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 3 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 168, line 5: «The young man tells his sad story of a wicked enchantress, and the Sultan promises to take revenge on her.», 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 (+3); the same action «take» (+2). Against it: one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (-1); the same thing acted on «revenge» (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓
In what manner did the Sultan proceed in order to investigate the lake upon the mountain?
- 1. He went out alone at night — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. He rode out with his army — no support
- 3. He went out alone at night, dressed as a poor fisherman — no support
- 4. He walked out at dawn — 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 2 · formal language · wrong ✗
What was the nature of the enchantment that had transformed the young king?
- 1. He was cursed by a wicked witch — score -2
- 2. He became a slave of the lake — score 3
- 3. He became half man and half marble — ✓ the right answer · score 2
- 4. He turned to stone — ← Mova's choice · score 6
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 4 with score 6, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 168, line 14: «The young king says his wife is "an enchantress," and she turned him to stone after he hurt her favourite slave.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «turn» (+4); the same circumstance (+2). The right option, 3, scored 2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
Which words did the black slave address to the fish?
- 1. "Fish, fish, are you keeping your word?" — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 2. "Fish, are you ready?" — score 0
- 3. "Fish, obey me now!" — score -1
- 4. "Fish, fish, are you doing your duty?" — ✓ the right answer · score 0
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 4, against 0 for the next best. Its support: lesson 19, line 17: ««It does the boots and shoes»: whiting is also an old word for a white chalk powder used for cleaning; shoes on land are «done with blacking», black polish.», 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 doer «whiting» (+1); the same thing acted on «old word» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 0. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗
What did the Sultan resolve to do upon learning the young king's history?
- 1. To avenge the young king on the enchantress and free him from marble — score 0
- 2. To marry the young king — ← Mova's choice · score 6
- 3. To punish the grand-vizir — score 0
- 4. To avenge the young king — ✓ the right answer · score 0
Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 2 with score 6, against 0 for the next best. Its support: lesson 161, line 3: «explain: Each evening he married a new bride, and each morning he had her strangled, while his grand-vizir wept and had to find the next girl.», 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 (+3); the same action «marry» (+2); the same doer «sultan» (+2). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-1). The right option, 4, scored 0. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
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