Fairy Book, The Nixy of the Mill-Pond, part 1: a poor miller strikes a bargain with a water spirit

Tests: 2 of 12 right · Exam: 0 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 12 of 16 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 1702 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 miller was minted before, yeah? What happened when he got skint?

1. He went broke — ← Mova's choice · score 5
2. He went dead gloomy and wandered about — ✓ the right answer · score 5
3. He took a job at the old church now — score 5
4. He got sad — score 5

Why: It took the question to ask what happens next. 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 214, line 14: «The blind man begs, "Strike me, I beg of you, one blow," because he has sworn an oath to accept chastisement with every alm.», reached through what followed the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «blind man» (+5). The right option, 2, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗

Innit, the nixy came out the pond, right? What did she want for the riches?

1. the newest chicken in the yard — ← Mova's choice · score 0
2. the eldest child in the house — score 0
3. the youngest thing in the house — ✓ the right answer · score 0
4. his youngest son — score 0

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 0, tied with another option at 0 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1151, line 14: «Why: the stepmother shouts "Give me the money" because she wants the riches for herself.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «want» (+2); a different doer (counts against) (+2). Against it: the same circumstance (-1); a different thing acted on (counts against) (-3). The right option, 3, scored 0. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗

Proper gutted, the miller thought she meant a puppy. Wot did he actually say yes to?

1. the youngest thing in the house — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. the first thing he saw at dawn — no support
3. the youngest thing in the house, not the puppy his wife wanted — no support
4. whatever the nixy chose to take from the youngest room in his house — ← Mova's choice · score -3

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score -3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1687, line 16: «fact: "Thenceforward" is an old word that means "from then on", and "wineglass" is an old word for the glass a person drinks wine from.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-4). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★ · right ✓

Bare dodgy deal, yeah? When did the miller realise he was in trouble?

1. when the wife had the baby — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. at the wedding — no support
3. when the nixy first appeared — no support
4. 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

Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗

Gobsmacked, the Prince turned into a parrot! Wot did the Princess do then?

1. she stroked the parrot and chatted — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. she stroked the parrot gently and chatted to it about the wedding feast — no support
3. she kissed him and sang softly — score -1
4. she stroked the parrot, then called for her servants to bring a cage — ← Mova's choice · score 0

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 0, against -1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 841, line 5: «In a fine room the lady puts him in a cage beside a parrot named Polly and a canary, who talk about being men and birds.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «name» (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «parrot» (-1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗

Mardy Wizard King, innit. How did he react when he got to the wedding?

1. he burst in angrily in his natural form, shouting at all the guests — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. he hid behind a painted screen — no support
3. he went in his natural form — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. he came in disguise — 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 ✓

Chuffed the Princess got her parrot back, yeah? Wot shape did the Prince take after the feather?

1. a prince of surpassing beauty, dressed in gold and silver robes — score -1
2. a prince of surpassing beauty — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 1
3. a knight of noble birth — no support
4. a prince of surpassing beauty and a great warrior of the land — score 1

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 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 1623, line 4: «The little man lifts him back in and tells him to lie beside the chest; he lies stiff as a rock while the princess passes over him.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «pass» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗

Dead spooky the nixy was, right? Where did she come up from?

1. the waves of the mill-pond — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. the pond — ← Mova's choice · score 1
3. the bottom of the dark well — score 1
4. the cold depths of the river — score 1

Why: It took the question to ask where. It chose option 2 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 446, line 19: «Today we would say a terem was a women's room on the top floor, and the word comes from the Greek "teremnon," a closed room.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «word» (+1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗

Bruv, the miller went all sad at night. Why couldn't he get any kip?

1. the baby kept crying and nobody could sleep in the mill house — no support
2. he was worried — no support
3. his wife snored loudly beside him — ← Mova's choice · score 1
4. he lay awake thinking sad thoughts — ✓ the right answer · score 1

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 3 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 860, line 9: «Why: Rudy wants to win Babette, and the miller said, "You must get her first," so the eaglet is the price of his promise.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «you» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗

Wicked, the Fairy made the Wizard King's black liquid spill. Who got hit by it?

1. the Magician himself — ✓ the right answer · score 2
2. the Prince's loyal guard — score 2
3. the bride's old nurse — score 2
4. the Fairy — ← Mova's choice · score 5

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score 5, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1643, line 2: «First a man drinks a whole stream nearly dry, then a man shoots at a quail, then a man takes giant steps.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «shoot» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+2). The right option, 1, scored 2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗

Minging day for the miller, innit. What did the servant bring the miller at the door?

1. word of a funeral — no support
2. a bird — ← Mova's choice · score 2
3. a letter — no support
4. news of a baby boy — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1651, line 3: «He hides inside the lion, which the old woman carries to the king, who takes it through seven locked doors to the hall where the princess and her friends are p…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

Mad that the Fairy built a massive palace, yeah? What did she bring into it?

1. her gold — ← Mova's choice · score -2
2. her servants and horses — score -2
3. her books, her spells and all the fairy secrets she had gathered — score -4
4. her books and fairy secrets — ✓ the right answer · score -2

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 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 1023, line 3: «A huntsman's horn finds her in the cave, and the king takes her to his castle and marries her.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «take» (+2); the same place «castle» (+1). Against it: the same doer «king» (-2); a different thing acted on (counts against) (-3). The right option, 4, scored -2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which of the following best describes the outcome of the miller's bargain with the nixy, as recounted in this part of the tale?

1. He grew rich and happy, with no regrets at all about it. — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. He acquired great wealth, but his newborn son's safety was now in constant danger from the nixy at the pond, and he could never rest. — no support
3. He acquired wealth but feared for his newborn son's safety — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. He became rich but lost his peace of mind over his son. — 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 ✗

Identify the figure who rises from the mill-pond and proposes the arrangement to the miller in the course of this passage.

1. a spirit of the local woods — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. the nixy of the mill-pond — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. the wizard of the old pond — no support
4. the miller — 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 ✗

State the precise condition under which the nixy undertook to restore the miller's prosperity, as set out in the narrative.

1. that he hand over the eldest thing in his home — no support
2. that he give her the youngest thing in his house and keep silent about the bargain with his wife and family — ← Mova's choice · score 1
3. that he give her the youngest thing in his house — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. that he give her the youngest thing in his house, whatever it might be, and she would restore all his riches and lands forever — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 757, line 15: «old word: "to stipulate" means to insist on a condition before agreeing, so Hans makes cleverness the price of his promise.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+3). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-2). 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 ✗

Explain why the miller, upon learning the nature of his bargain, could find no remedy beyond keeping his child from the pond.

1. because the nixy had already claimed the child and no one in the village had any power to undo the bargain — score -2
2. because the nixy had cursed the whole house — ← Mova's choice · score -1
3. no one knew why — no support
4. because no one could devise any other advice — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score -1, against -2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1086, line 19: «Old words: "cloaths" is the old spelling of clothes, and "a brat" was then a rude word for a child.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. Against it: the same thing acted on «rude word» (-1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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