Household Tales, The Youth and the Witch-maiden, part 4: the birds lead him to the moonlit spring
Tests: 4 of 15 right · Exam: 0 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 13 of 19 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72
Lesson 1680 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, why wasn't the youth lonely on his walks?
- 1. Cos he had his dog. — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Cos he could understand what birds were saying. — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Cos he could talk to people he met. — no support
- 4. Cos he had a horse to ride. — 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 was he actually hunting for?
- 1. A lost ring belonging to King Solomon, innit, that he'd heard about. — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. The witch's silver ring, innit. — no support
- 3. King Solomon's lost ring, innit. — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. A hidden well, innit. — 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 3 · ★ · wrong ✗
Lowkey, which birds were talking about him?
- 1. Two finches near the stream. — ← Mova's choice · score -2
- 2. Two gaily-plumaged ones who were perched up a tree near the river bank. — no support
- 3. Two gaily-plumaged birds sitting up a tall tree over the path. — no support
- 4. Two gaily-plumaged ones up a tree. — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score -2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1584, line 12: «The Woodpeckers are the birds that talk, and Sigurd hears them after he touches the hot heart and sucks his finger.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. Against it: the same doer «birds» (-2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗
Wait, where did the birds say she washes her face?
- 1. At a spring, when the sun's up. — ← Mova's choice · score 4
- 2. At a spring, when the moon's full, down in the valley. — score 4
- 3. At a spring, when the moon's full. — ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 4. At a pond, on a dark night. — score 4
Why: It took the question to ask where. 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 1680, line 10: «The birds say the Witch-maiden "has no settled dwelling", so finding her is like trying "to catch the wind."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «birds» (+4). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 5 · ★ · right ✓
No cap, why does she wash her face?
- 1. So she never gets sick or tired. — no support
- 2. So she never gets old or wrinkly. — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
- 3. To look nice. — no support
- 4. So she gets rid of her spots. — no support
Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 2 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1122, line 2: «He sees she has grown old from her long search, so he gives her fine clothes, and she washes her face and grows young again.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same property (+6). Against it: the same doer «wife» (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗
Was he scared of nodding off?
- 1. Nah, he was dead chill about it. — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Nah, he wasn't bothered at all, he reckoned he'd stay awake the whole way. — no support
- 3. Yeah, he was dead worried about it, cos he didn't want to miss them. — no support
- 4. Yeah, he was dead worried about it. — ✓ 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 7 · ★ · wrong ✗
How did the birds get to the spring?
- 1. They flew south, then perched on trees every so often to rest and wait. — score 5
- 2. They flew south and perched on trees. — ✓ the right answer · score 5
- 3. They flew south over the hills and perched on tall trees near the spring. — ← Mova's choice · score 6
- 4. They flew west and landed on roofs. — score 5
Why: It took the question to ask what something is like. It chose option 3 with score 6, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 743, line 16: «The birds: "the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «birds» (+3); the same action «fly» (+2); the same place «woods» (+1). The right option, 2, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗
How many times did she dunk her face?
- 1. Eight times, mate. — ← Mova's choice · no support
- 2. Nine times, proper. — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. Twice, proper. — no support
- 4. Seven times, proper. — 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 ✗
What was she singing at the spring?
- 1. A song about love that never ends. — no support
- 2. A lullaby. — ← Mova's choice · score -2
- 3. A sad song. — score -2
- 4. A song about beauty that never fades. — ✓ the right answer · no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. 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 345, line 15: «She sings "Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye" to her child, a soft lullaby.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. Against it: the same doer «woman» (-2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 10 · ★ · right ✓
Why did she let him off the hook?
- 1. Cos he was a stranger who didn't know better. — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Cos he was a guest who was tired. — no support
- 3. Cos he was a stranger from far away. — no support
- 4. Cos he was sorry. — 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 did the birds warn him not to do?
- 1. Give any word or he'd lose his way. — ← Mova's choice · score 1
- 2. Give any blood or he'd sell his soul. — ✓ the right answer · score -4
- 3. Take any gold or he'd lose his soul. — score 1
- 4. Drink any wine. — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 1, tied with another option at 1 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1584, line 9: «Why: Sigurd wants the gold, and the Dragon's last words warn that the gold "shall be thy ruin".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+1); a different doer (counts against) (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «gold» (-1). The right option, 2, scored -4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 12 · ★ · right ✓
What was her house made of, like?
- 1. Looked like gold and silver, mate. — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
- 2. Looked like pure gold and silver all shining together, mate. — no support
- 3. Like wood, mate. — no support
- 4. Looked like silver and glass, mate. — 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 ✗
What did she offer him, bro?
- 1. To marry her and live like kings. — score -1
- 2. To marry her and live like princes in her shining house, bro. — ← Mova's choice · score 1
- 3. To serve her and live like slaves. — score -1
- 4. To marry her and live like princes. — ✓ the right answer · score -1
Why: It took the question to ask a circumstance (with what, when, how). It chose option 2 with score 1, against -1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 708, line 9: «Why: the wife offers her baby to the ogre because she is "trembling all over" and afraid of being killed.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: its «because» matches the remembered cause (+4); a different action (counts against) (+1). Against it: it fills the role the question asks for (-1); the same circumstance (-3). The right option, 4, scored -1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 14 · ★ · wrong ✗
How did he reply to her big offer?
- 1. He asked for time to sleep on it. — no support
- 2. He asked for a little time to think it over before he gave her any answer. — ← Mova's choice · score 1
- 3. He asked for time to think it over. — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. He asked her for a night to think it over and talk to the birds. — no support
Why: It took the question to ask what something is like. It chose option 2 with score 1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1653, line 2: «An old woman in a dough-trough offers to save them if they promise her the next son born to their mother.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «next son» (+2); the same receiver «woman» (+2). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-3). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Test 15 · ★ · right ✓
Why did her treasures disappear in the end?
- 1. They melted away, cos it was gold. — score -2
- 2. They turned to dust, cos it was magic. — no support
- 3. They vanished like wind, cos it was magic and never meant to last long. — score 1
- 4. They vanished like wind, cos it was magic. — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 1
Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 4 with score 1, tied with another option at 1 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1680, line 5: «In her house she offers marriage, he asks for time, and her treasures vanish like wind.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «vanish» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗
Which faculty enabled the youth to comprehend the avian discourse overheard in the forest?
- 1. His understanding of the language of birds. — ✓ the right answer · score -1
- 2. His knowledge of the old forest paths. — ← Mova's choice · score 5
- 3. His sharp understanding of the language of birds, which he had learned from his old teacher. — score -1
- 4. His natural understanding and quiet knowledge of the language that all birds speak. — score -2
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 5, against -1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 520, line 10: «Why did Dionysus spread wine? He saw that wine "used in moderation, would enable man to enjoy a happier, and more sociable existence".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «enable» (+3); the same thing acted on «man» (+3). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). The right option, 1, scored -1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗
By what means, according to the second bird, did the Witch-maiden preserve her youthful appearance?
- 1. By bathing her face in the cold spring water at each full moon, as the birds had said. — ← Mova's choice · score 0
- 2. By bathing her hands at the river each new moon. — no support
- 3. By bathing her face at the spring at each full moon. — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 4. By bathing her face in the spring at every full moon, nine times over. — no support
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 0, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 801, line 5: «The Bell tells old tales of a monk, of King Canute's death in church, and of the birds that screamed, while the schoolmaster doubts it all.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «old tales» (+1). Against it: the same action «tell» (-1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗
What admonition did the birds deliver to the youth regarding the maiden's hospitality?
- 1. He must shed no blood at all in her house, lest he forfeit his immortal soul forever. — no support
- 2. He must shed no blood, lest he forfeit his soul. — ✓ the right answer · no support
- 3. He must drink no wine, lest he lose his way. — no support
- 4. He must speak no word, lest he be trapped. — ← Mova's choice · score 0
Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score 0, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1440, line 3: «Beauty wanders the garden, finds a room full of sewing things and talking birds, and learns a room with eight windows shows her pantomimes.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «birds» (+1). Against it: the same action «talk» (-1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗
What was the ultimate fate of the enchanted treasures displayed to the youth?
- 1. They rusted away. — ← Mova's choice · score -1
- 2. They dissolved like mist, leaving no sign. — score -1
- 3. They faded like smoke, leaving only ash. — score -1
- 4. They dissipated like the wind, leaving no trace. — ✓ the right answer · score -1
Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score -1, tied with another option at -1 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1680, line 21: «Her treasures "passed away like the wind", because they were made by enchantment and left no trace behind.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «treasures» (+1). Against it: the same property (-2). The right option, 4, scored -1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics
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