English Fairy Tales, A Pottle o' Brains, part 20: the Hobyahs are beaten, the fool's mother dies, and a lass offers to help him

Tests: 7 of 14 right · Exam: 0 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 10 of 18 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 253 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's the daft lad after up at the wise woman's?

1. a pottle o' brains — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. a sack o' bread — no support
3. a bag o' gold — no support
4. brains — 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 ✗

Right, what did he have to kill to get his brains?

1. his goat — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. his big brown pig from the farm — no support
3. his pig — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. pig — 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 · ★ · right ✓

Why'd everyone keep laughing at him, bruv?

1. cos he was always a total fool — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. cos he was dead daft — no support
3. cos he tripped over his shoes — no support
4. cos he went and brought his mam up a hill in a sack — 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 · ★ · right ✓

Hang on, what did the wise woman make him fetch first?

1. the heart o' the thing he liked best — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
2. the liver of the pig he liked most — no support
3. the bones o' the cow he fancied — no support
4. his mam's heart — score -2

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 2, against -2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 253, line 11: «He kills his pig and wraps its heart in paper, but the wise woman says, "thou 'st not fetched me the right thing yet".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); a different doer (counts against) (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗

What did the wise woman say when he brought his pig's heart?

1. "Thanks, lad" — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. "Thou art a fool today" — no support
3. "I've no brains for thee to-day" — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. "I've got no time for thee" — 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 · ★ · right ✓

What was he doing when his mam died, like?

1. sobbing and greeting — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3
2. down at the market buying a pig for his mam — no support
3. sitting quietly and reading his book — no support
4. working in field — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 1 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 253, line 12: «While he is away his mother dies, and he sobs because "I liked thee better than everything".», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same action «sob» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · right ✓

Hold up, how's he carrying her up the hill?

1. a sack on his shoulder — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. on a donkey — no support
3. in a cart — no support
4. in his arms like a baby — 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 riddle did she ask him after the sack, innit?

1. what's round but isn't a ball — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. what's yellow and shining but isn't gold — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. what's yellow? — no support
4. what's white but isn't milk — 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 ✗

Where did he sit when she slammed the door, mate?

1. by the road side — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. in the cold mud — no support
3. on a rock — no support
4. sat on the grass beside the long dusty road — ← Mova's choice · score 4

Why: It took the question to ask where. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 253, line 14: «The wise woman shuts the door in his face, and he sits by the road and cries until the tears run into his mouth.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same action «sit» (+2); the same circumstance (+2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗

Who came over and found him, like?

1. a lass who came walking up the path from the village below — no support
2. a young lass who lived in the cottage down the road — no support
3. a lass who lived near at hand — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. a girl who lived down the lane — ← Mova's choice · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 4 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 4, line 15: «The Mouse says nothing to her English, so Alice thinks "Perhaps it doesn't understand English" and guesses it is a French mouse "come over with William the Con…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «alice» (+2); a different action (counts against) (+1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★ · right ✓

What did the lass offer, innit?

1. to look after him — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 7
2. to cook for him — no support
3. to mend his coat — no support
4. to marry him — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 7, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 253, line 5: «He brings his pig, then his dead mother in a sack, but each time the wise woman asks a riddle he cannot answer, until a lass offers to look after him.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «look» (+4); the same doer «lass» (+3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

What did she say she could do, bruv?

1. sew — no support
2. cook and clean — ← Mova's choice · score -1
3. cook, sew and wash his clothes — score -1
4. cook, scrub and mend his clouts — ✓ the right answer · score -1

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. 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 95, line 1: «Very angry now, the Woman makes a Still Magic so that she will never say a third word of praise. The Cave grows so still that a little mouse creeps out. «Ouh!…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). The right option, 4, scored -1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 13 · ★ · wrong ✗

Why'd she fancy him, then?

1. cos folks say fools make bad husbands — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. cos folks say fools make good husbands — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. cos she heard from her mam that fools make very good husbands — no support
4. cos folks say fools make good husbands if they work hard — 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 14 · ★ · right ✓

The Hobyahs got done in at the end, yeah? What finished them?

1. the big dog that jumped out — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
2. the big dog that jumped out of the bag at last — score 6
3. the traveller's big dog that jumped out from the sack — score 6
4. the big cat that came out — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 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 253, line 3: «A man with a big dog hears her crying, takes her home, and the dog jumps out of the bag and eats all the Hobyahs.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «man» (+2); a different action (counts against) (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗

In what manner does the fool's mother die?

1. She dies while son is at work — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. She simply falls asleep — no support
3. She dies while her son is away from home — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. She dies in the field alone — 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 is the principal reason the fool wishes to acquire a pottle of brains?

1. He is repeatedly ridiculed for his foolishness — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. He wants to be wise — ← Mova's choice · score 8
3. He is always teased for being silly — no support
4. He wants to be like his mam — score 8

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 8, tied with another option at 8 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 253, line 4: «A foolish young man wants a pottle o' brains, so the wise woman tells him to bring her the heart of the thing he likes best.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «want» (+5); the same doer «foolish young man» (+3). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which creature is responsible for the final destruction of the Hobyahs?

1. The large dog belonging to the traveller — ✓ the right answer · score 6
2. The enormous dog belonging to the traveller who lived in the village — score 6
3. The large dog that belonged to a passing traveller on the road — ← Mova's choice · score 7
4. The dog belonging to the farmer — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 7, against 6 for the next best. Its support: lesson 253, line 3: «A man with a big dog hears her crying, takes her home, and the dog jumps out of the bag and eats all the Hobyahs.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «man» (+2); a different action (counts against) (+1); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). The right option, 1, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

What does the lass propose to offer the fool in return for his company?

1. Housework and loyal care for him — ← Mova's choice · score 6
2. Domestic care and devoted service as a wife — ✓ the right answer · score 6
3. Loyal service as a faithful wife — score 6
4. Devoted domestic care and loyal service as a faithful wife for life — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 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 253, line 5: «He brings his pig, then his dead mother in a sack, but each time the wise woman asks a riddle he cannot answer, until a lass offers to look after him.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «offer» (+3); the same doer «lass» (+3). The right option, 2, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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