Lang's Fairy Book, The Little Soldier, part 1: a serpent with a woman's head asks for help

Tests: 1 of 13 right · Exam: 0 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 12 of 17 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 1898 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 ✓

Oi, who yanked the bloke out of the lake, like?

1. The grey wolf — score -1
2. The little hare — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
3. Some clever little hare that lives by the lake — score 0
4. The little grey hare from the wood — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. 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 489, line 3: «An old man rises out of the ground, leads him to a lake, and takes him down into a white-stone palace.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «man» (+1); the same place «lake» (+1); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗

Wicked, what was the bird in that cage called, mate?

1. The Silver Thrush — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The Golden Blackbird of the eastern forest — no support
3. The Golden Blackbird — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. The Golden Finch — 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 ✗

Did the little horse, like, kick folk who tried to groom it?

1. Yes, it kicked them to death — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Yes, it kicked them hard — no support
3. Yes, it kicked them to death and bit the ones who ran — ← Mova's choice · score 1
4. Yes, it kicked every single person who ever tried to comb its mane in the stable — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 1, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1512, line 6: «Who: the old folks are Halvor's parents, and the old woman is the one who first knows him "again" by the firelight.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «old folks» (+1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗

Why'd the brothers chuck him in the lake, mate?

1. They were jealous of him — ✓ the right answer · score 1
2. They were jealous of him because he had won the golden cage — score 1
3. They wanted his cage — ← Mova's choice · score 2
4. He had stolen their horse — score 0

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 3 with score 2, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1479, line 12: «The Prince runs away from the lake because he wants to forget "his terrible ugliness," but he falls into "a deep pit which had been made to trap bears."», reached through the cause of the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «want» (+2). The right option, 1, scored 1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗

Yo, what was the soldier's nickname, like?

1. The Kinglet of the Burnt Hearth — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The Brave Lad — no support
3. Boss — no support
4. The Kinglet — ✓ 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 ✗

What went missing from the soldier's pocket, bruv?

1. His match-box and his last penny — score 1
2. His lighter — no support
3. The little match-box that he kept by his heart — ← Mova's choice · score 2
4. His match-box — ✓ the right answer · score 1

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 2, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 463, line 8: «What: Katoma breaks the iron pillar into chunks and keeps "four of the iron chips" in his pocket.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «keep» (+1); the same thing acted on «four» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗

Proper creepy, what sort of head did that serpent have?

1. Scales — no support
2. A bird's head — ← Mova's choice · score -2
3. A woman's head — ✓ the right answer · score -2
4. A woman's head on a long serpent's neck — score -2

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 479, line 17: «Old word: a "starosta" was the village elder, a sort of head of the community who called the peasants together.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. Against it: the same thing acted on «head» (-2). The right option, 3, scored -2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗

Mad, how many hands did he have to dodge in the first room?

1. Eight — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Eight hands reaching out from the walls — ← Mova's choice · score 3
3. Eight, though he counted only six — no support
4. Seven — score -7

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 3, against -7 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1237, line 13: «How: the giants' hands reach for his tail, but he wakes and leaps "with a tremendous bound" out of reach.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «hands» (+2); the same action «reach» (+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 ✗

Wot colour was the tunic, innit?

1. Red — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Orange — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Bright orange velvet from the second closet — no support
4. Orange velvet with silver thread — 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 ✗

Is the Porcelain Maiden well wicked, like, scratching folk?

1. Yes, she scratches and bites everyone who tries to touch her — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. No, she only sings softly — score 4
3. Yes, she scratches people who come near her room — score 3
4. Yes, she scratches people — ✓ the right answer · no support

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 1550, line 3: «The Prince searches for Combland, and every maiden who wants to marry him tries the shoe, but none fits.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «try» (+3); the same doer «maiden» (+1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗

Who told the youth to dress up as a stable-lad, then?

1. The old hare — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. The grey owl — score 4
3. The little hare — ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. The fox — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. 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 1820, line 7: «What: the king orders him to crush "eighty pounds of mustard seed" into oil in one day, or he will be killed.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «order» (+3); the same receiver «prince» (+3). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

What did the soldier use to cut through the arms, mate?

1. His sword and the iron tongs — ← Mova's choice · score 0
2. His dagger — score 0
3. His sword — ✓ the right answer · score 0
4. The bright sword that his father gave him — 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 1737, line 13: «He is also wicked: when the Witch asks for her tinder-box, he says he will cut off her head, and "the Soldier immediately cut off her head."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «soldier» (+2); the same action «cut off» (+1). Against it: 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 13 · ★ · wrong ✗

Ta-da, how fast did her little horse go, like?

1. Slowly — no support
2. Like the sea — no support
3. Like a stone — ← Mova's choice · score 4
4. Like the wind — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what something is like. It chose option 3 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 871, line 2: «explain: He climbs back out, tells Great Claus that the sea is full of beautiful cattle, and talks him into the same sack trick.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «little» (+3); the same circumstance (+1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which object did the youth take from the castle in one hand, according to the narrative?

1. The silver key — ← Mova's choice · score 2
2. A cage — score 2
3. The golden cage — ✓ the right answer · score 2
4. Gold — 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 1498, line 2: «The Sultan decides to ask his son for a tent that a man can carry in his hand, to shelter his whole army.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «man» (+2); the same action «carry» (+1). Against it: the same circumstance (-1). The right option, 3, scored 2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which of the following accurately describes the reason the elder brothers abandoned their younger sibling?

1. Envy of his fortune — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Fear of his power — no support
3. Jealousy — no support
4. Jealousy of his success — ✓ 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

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which garment did Ludovine instruct the soldier to retrieve from the first closet?

1. A tunic of orange velvet with silver buttons — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. A tunic of orange velvet — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. A shirt of green silk — no support
4. A long tunic of orange velvet from the first closet of the tower — 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 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which of the following best describes the outcome of the father's judgement upon the two elder sons?

1. He pardoned them — ← Mova's choice · score -2
2. He forgave them in the end — score -2
3. They were exiled — score -2
4. He caused their execution — ✓ the right answer · no support

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 1884, line 3: «He thinks she is jealous and cold-shoulders her, then leaves the palace for good in a few hours.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. Against it: the same thing acted on «palace» (-2). 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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