Grimm's Household Tales, The Fisherman and His Wife, part 1: a greedy wife keeps asking the flounder for more

Tests: 5 of 13 right · Exam: 0 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 15 of 17 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 1937 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, did the fox actually nick the sausages or what?

1. yeah, the fox nicked them early — score -2
2. yeah, the fox had them all along, the greedy git — ← Mova's choice · score 1
3. yeah, the fox had them all along — ✓ the right answer · score 1
4. nah, the cook pinched them — score -4

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. 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 1937, line 2: «Simon is puzzled, but the sly fox carried the sausages off himself, so the fox wins this round.», 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 (+1). The right option, 3, scored 1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗

Wait, why'd the fisherman even bother saving that flounder?

1. cos it could chat and he felt bad about it, like — ← Mova's choice · score 3
2. cos it begged him proper nice — score 3
3. cos it could chat, so it was proper mad — ✓ the right answer · score 3
4. cos it was a fish, innit — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 1 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 1711, line 9: «Why: The Prince must obey the black girl's commands, so he "dared not spare the little creature's life" even when the dove circled his head.», reached through the cause of the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «prince» (+3). The right option, 3, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★ · right ✓

So the wife got a cottage, yeah? What did she do next?

1. she wanted a castle, dead greedy — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
2. she asked for a castle — score 5
3. she wanted more — score 5
4. she wanted a big palace — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. 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 1344, line 7: «WHAT: The old man gets a box of gold and silver, but the wife wants the big box for herself.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «wife» (+2); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same action «want» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗

Hang on, the sea went green then violet then grey, what's that about?

1. it's the sea being moody — score 4
2. it's the sea going mad because the flounder's fed up with her — score 4
3. it's the sea reacting to her wishes — ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. the sea changes with the moon — ← Mova's choice · score 5

Why: It took the question to ask a circumstance (with what, when, how). It chose option 4 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1937, line 5: «Ilsebel then wants to be king, the sea changes colour with each visit, and the palace grows bigger and grander.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «sea» (+4); the same action «change» (+1). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗

Why's the wife always moaning, bruv?

1. cos she never stops wanting more and more stuff, bruv — ← Mova's choice · score -2
2. she's just grumpy — no support
3. cos she always wants more — ✓ the right answer · score -2
4. cos she's never happy, yeah — no support

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). 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 1306, line 5: «The husband takes his brother to a court of law, claiming the houses were only lent, because his wife will not stop complaining.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. Against it: the same action «stop» (-1); the same doer «wife» (-1). The right option, 3, scored -2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗

Did the husband want to be king?

1. nah, he wanted a boat — ← Mova's choice · score 5
2. nah, he didn't, he was well vexed — ✓ the right answer · score 5
3. nah, he didn't want it, he was well vexed with her — score 5
4. yeah, he wanted it too — score 3

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. 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 1930, line 19: «Old word: "pledge his word" meant giving a solemn promise, and a "written promise" was a sign that the King could not easily break his word.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: a different action (counts against) (+3); the same doer «king» (+2). The right option, 2, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · right ✓

What's a sentinel, is it like a bouncer?

1. a guard who checks everyone who comes through the big gate — no support
2. a soldier who stands at the gate and watches out for trouble — no support
3. a guard watching the gate — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 1
4. a horse at the gate — 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 1937, line 17: «Old word: a "sentinel" is a guard who keeps watch at the gate; today we say a sentry.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «watch» (+2). Against it: the same doer «guard» (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · right ✓

Did the palace get bigger after the king wish, or nah?

1. yeah, it got a bit taller — no support
2. nah, it stayed the same size but got loads of gold — score 3
3. yeah, it got huge with towers — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
4. yeah, it got huge and got loads of towers and gardens — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 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 644, line 19: «The "Crystal Palace" was a huge glass building in London, and the sportsman tries to climb uphill toward it.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same property (+4); the same doer «crystal palace» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · right ✓

Ok, what's a league then, like a football team?

1. an old sort of rope — no support
2. an old measure, about three miles — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
3. a kind of old ship — no support
4. a football team — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 1937, line 13: «Old word: a "league" is an old measure of distance, about three miles, so the park is about three miles long.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same property (+4). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗

What were the walls covered with, like posters?

1. great red banners — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. fine silk hangings — no support
3. beautiful tapestry hung up on golden hooks — no support
4. beautiful tapestry hung up — ✓ 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 11 · ★ · wrong ✗

So the flounder had the power to grant wishes, yeah?

1. yeah, it could grant them all, cos it was enchanted — score 1
2. yeah, it could grant them — ✓ the right answer · score 0
3. nah, it was just lucky — no support
4. yeah, it was a fish — ← Mova's choice · score 3

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 3, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1937, line 7: «What: the flounder says, "I am not a real flounder, I am an enchanted Prince."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «flounder» (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+1). The right option, 2, scored 0. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

Did the wife ever get happy with what she had?

1. yeah, she was very happy — ← Mova's choice · score 7
2. nah, never, she was always wanting more stuff — score 4
3. nah, she was always sad — score 7
4. nah, never, always wanting more — ✓ the right answer · score 5

Why: It took the question to ask a circumstance (with what, when, how). It chose option 1 with score 7, tied with another option at 7 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 1384, line 17: «His wife is happy because "in her youth she had prided herself on his good looks."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same doer «wife» (+4); the same property (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+1). The right option, 4, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 13 · ★ · right ✓

Who got the sausage prize, the fox or Susan?

1. Susan, she got a prize — no support
2. Susan, she got the prize for the best sausages in town — no support
3. the fox, he kept them all — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 5
4. the fox, he kept them all and ate them at the wall — score 5

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 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 513, line 21: «Old word: "devouring flames" means fire that eats everything, and "trophies" were prizes kept to show a victory.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «keep» (+4); the same thing acted on «prizes» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗

In what manner does the fisherman respond to the flounder's plea for release, and what does the text state as his reason?

1. He lets it go after a long argument with his wife, who begs him to take the flounder home and keep it as a pet fish forever. — ← Mova's choice · score 0
2. He eats it at once, deciding a fish that talks is no danger to him. — no support
3. He keeps it, thinking a flounder that talks would make a fine dinner. — score -1
4. He releases it, reasoning that a flounder able to speak deserves to swim away. — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 0, against -1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1424, line 10: «Why the King flatters her: he "had his own reasons for wishing to keep the old Fairy in a good humor".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗

To what extent does the wife's ambition escalate across the successive wishes, and what is the final dignity she desires?

1. It escalates from a humble cottage to a great stone castle, then to a kingdom, and finally she desires to become king of all the land. — score 3
2. Starting with only a small cottage she wanted, her ambition climbed higher and higher through castles and palaces until she demanded to be made king and ruler of the whole wide sea. — ← Mova's choice · score 5
3. It rises from a small house to a great castle, and last she wants a crown. — score 2
4. It escalates from a cottage to a castle, and finally she desires to become king. — ✓ the right answer · score 3

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 5, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 1874, line 5: «Jenik's wife steals the watch, builds a palace on the sea, and Jenik ends up alone with his dog and cat.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «build» (+4); the same thing acted on «palace» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 3. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

What does the sea's changing colour signify in relation to the flounder's compliance with the wishes, as recorded in the passage?

1. It marks the fisherman's growing fear, as the sea turns grey and the wind rises at each wish. — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The changing colour marks the flounder's response, as the sea turns violet, dark-grey and heaving with each request, while the fisherman stands weeping on the cold wet sand and wonders why. — no support
3. It warns the fisherman that the flounder will soon be angry and wants him to leave the shore. — no support
4. The changing colour marks the flounder's response, as the sea turns violet, dark-grey and heaving with each request. — ✓ 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 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which phrase in the passage best conveys the fisherman's reluctance and the moral unease he feels as he returns to the sea?

1. "It is not right! It is not right," he thought. — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. "Why did I ever go back to the sea and call that flounder up once more, when my wife would never be content with anything at all?" he thought. — ← Mova's choice · score 0
3. "Nothing good can come of this," he thought. — no support
4. "I wish I had never seen it," he sighed. — no support

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 0, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 245, line 16: «Where: the old lord goes back to "his Palace by the sea", where he sits by his window.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «go back» (+4). Against it: the same circumstance (-1); a different doer (counts against) (-3). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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