Arabian Nights, The Monkey Who Could Write, part 16: the monkey's handwriting wins the Sultan's favour, and the princess reveals his secret

Tests: 4 of 12 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 10 of 16 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 176 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 ✓

Mate, what was the grand-vizir famous for, innit?

1. his mad neat handwriting — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. his mad neat handwriting and his silver pen — no support
3. his quick scribbles — no support
4. his crooked lettering — 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 · ★ · right ✓

Did the captain just let the monkey write, or what?

1. He said go on, let him — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
2. He said go on, let him, and then ran off — score 4
3. He told him to stop — score 4
4. He made him wait outside — no support

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 153, line 8: «What: the monkey says he is "an Athenian" and that he "came of a very distinguished family".», 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 «monkey» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗

How many writing styles did the monkey pull off?

1. five, mate — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. six — no support
3. four, honest — no support
4. six, proper — ✓ 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 ✗

Why did the princess veil up in a huff?

1. She thought the Sultan's guard had seen her face — ← Mova's choice · score 5
2. She reckoned a strange man had come in with the captain — score 5
3. She reckoned a man was there — ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. She heard a noise outside — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). 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 176, line 5: «The princess says the monkey is an enchanted prince, and she sets up a magic circle with a Hebrew-marked knife to break the spell.», reached through the cause of the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «princess» (+5). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗

Did the Sultan get beaten at chess?

1. He lost the first game — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. He lost the first game and then the whole match — no support
3. He won the first game — no support
4. He lost the first game to a monkey on the ship — ← Mova's choice · score 4

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 176, line 4: «The Sultan is amazed, plays chess and feasts with the monkey, then calls his daughter, Queen of Beauty, to see his tricks.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «sultan» (+4). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★ · right ✓

So the monkey's really what, according to her?

1. just a monkey — no support
2. a prince turned into a monkey — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
3. a cursed monkey — no support
4. a merchant turned into a bird — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 175, line 5: «Later the dervish becomes Sultan, forgives the envious man, and the genius turns the narrator into a monkey who lands on a ship.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «narrator» (+4); the same action «turn» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗

Who was the old lady who taught the princess?

1. a powerful magician from the far mountains — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. a magician who lived in the palace gardens — no support
3. a magician, no joke — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. a travelling trader — 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 8 · ★ · wrong ✗

What did the monkey do when he got the horse?

1. bowed once — no support
2. clapped his paws twice — no support
3. bowed to the Sultan then ran up the mast — ← Mova's choice · score 4
4. bowed three times — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 3 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 116, line 3: «He shoots the fox-red horse before the King can ride it, then burns the bridal shirt with his gloves on.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+5). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗

What did the captain say about his lost son?

1. He had a fine voice — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. He had much less sense and was lost at sea — no support
3. He had much less sense than the monkey — no support
4. He had much less sense — ✓ 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 ✗

What did the Sultan do when he saw the peach?

1. He laughed — no support
2. He called for the monkey to write again at once — ← Mova's choice · score 11
3. He wept — score 7
4. He went speechless — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 2 with score 11, against 7 for the next best. Its support: lesson 116, line 10: «The King cries, "Ah, how wickedly have I rewarded his great fidelity!" because he realises he treated John unjustly.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same doer «king» (+4); the same circumstance (+2); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); its «because» matches the remembered cause (+2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★ · right ✓

Where did the princess make everyone stand?

1. in a secret court, under gallery — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
2. in an open hall near the sea — score 4
3. in the garden — score 4
4. in a hidden yard by the stairs — 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 176, line 18: «What does she prepare? A secret court, a circle, and a knife "with some Hebrew words engraven on the blade".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «prepare» (+2); the same doer «princess» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

What does the monkey do to show he's ready?

1. he places both paws on his head and kneels — ← Mova's choice · score 3
2. hand on his head — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. paw on his chest — no support
4. he lays his hand on his head and bows — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 176, line 1: «A monkey who can speak, and who tells his own story, has just been saved from an arrow by the captain of the ship.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «own story» (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓

Which action did the narrator take to secure the captain's protection?

1. He grasped the captain's garment firmly — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. He pulled the captain's sleeve gently — no support
3. He clutched the captain's robe and pleaded for a pardon from the Sultan — no support
4. He grasped the captain's garment firmly and begged for mercy — 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 quality did the late grand-vizir possess that the Sultan sought in his successor?

1. Skill in beautiful handwriting and knowledge of many ancient languages — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Skill in beautiful handwriting and sharp wit — no support
3. Skill in beautiful handwriting — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Mastery of fine calligraphy — 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 ✗

In what manner did the princess conceal her face upon entering?

1. She drew her veil over her head and stepped behind the screen — no support
2. She lowered her eyes to the floor — no support
3. She covered her hair with a scarf — ← Mova's choice · score 2
4. She drew her veil over her head — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 3 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 98, line 20: «OLD WORD: The "bosom" was the front of the chest or the part of a dress over the heart, where the princess hid the hair.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «princess» (+2); a different action (counts against) (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «hair» (-1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

What procedure did the princess perform to effect the disenchantment?

1. She lit a fire and spoke a prayer — no support
2. She drew a magic circle on the floor and recited verses from the old book — ← Mova's choice · score 3
3. She inscribed a circle, lit incense and recited the holy verses aloud — score 3
4. She inscribed a circle and recited verses — ✓ the right answer · 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 176, line 18: «What does she prepare? A secret court, a circle, and a knife "with some Hebrew words engraven on the blade".», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same thing acted on «circle» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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