Russian Folk-Tales, The Simpleton: the ox sold to the Birch, the gold, and the goat's head

Tests: 6 of 12 right · Exam: 3 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 12 of 16 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 420 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 ✗

Did the Birch seriously take the Simpleton's money, like, for real?

1. Nope, it just made creaky sounds — ← Mova's choice · score 3
2. Nah, it was just creaking, bruh — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Nah, bruh — no support
4. Nope. — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 420, line 12: «On the third day he decides the Birch is only making promises and says, "I'll pay you out well for it!"», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «make» (+4); the same doer «birch» (+1). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · right ✓

Why did the Simpleton keep going back to the tree, fam?

1. He was waiting for his dough, obviously, since the tree owed him twenty roubles and a horse — score 1
2. He wanted his money back, obviously — no support
3. He kept going back because he was lost in the woods and needed the shortcut home obviously — score 1
4. He was waiting for his dough, obviously — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 1

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 4 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 420, line 10: «He is patient for a while: "I'll wait till to-morrow!"», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «wait» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗

What was the vibe when his brothers found out about the ox?

1. They laughed at him so hard — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. They were teasing him hard, bro — no support
3. They were roasting him so hard — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Total roast, bro — 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 ✓

Okay, so what happened to the ox overnight?

1. The wolves got it, bruh — score 6
2. Wolves ate the whole ox and then went home, it was gone for good — score 10
3. Wolves ate it, it was gone — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 10
4. Wolves came — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 10, tied with another option at 10 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 420, line 11: «But the wolves eat the ox in the night, so the Birch has nothing to pay with.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «ox» (+5); the same action «eat» (+4); the same doer «wolves» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗

When the Simpleton chopped the tree, what was the move?

1. He went to sleep — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. He hacked at it like a mad lumberjack bro — no support
3. He went full beast mode with his hatchet — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. He just sat down — 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 ✗

Real talk, what did the robbers stash in that hollow?

1. Some stolen silver, for real bro — no support
2. A pot full of gold and a bunch of old silver rings, straight up — ← Mova's choice · score 5
3. A chest of silver, no cap, fam — no support
4. A pot full of gold, straight up — ✓ the right answer · score 5

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 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 403, line 15: «WHAT: The peasant wants to cut down an apple-tree that gives no fruit, but he finds a "hive full of honey" in its hollow.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same place «hollow» (+3); a different doer (counts against) (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-2). The right option, 4, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · right ✓

When the Diachok showed up, what did he do with the gold?

1. He grabbed handfuls and stuffed them in his pocket — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 10
2. He scooped some up and tucked them into his coat — no support
3. He grabbed big handfuls of gold and stuffed them in his pocket, then ran off into the dark forest — score 10
4. He grabbed handfuls of the gold and shoved them into his pocket and gave the rest to the goat — score 10

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 10, tied with another option at 10 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 420, line 15: «When a Diachok sees the gold, he grabs handfuls, and the Simpleton strikes him dead.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «handfuls» (+5); the same action «grab» (+4); the same doer «diachok» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · right ✓

How did the brothers deal with the dead Diachok?

1. They buried him in the ground, bro — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
2. They dropped him in a pit, no cap, bro — score 6
3. They tossed him in the old well, bro — no support
4. They hid him, bro — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask what something is like. 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 420, line 16: «The brothers bury the Diachok and throw a goat into the cellar instead.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «bury» (+5); the same doer «brothers» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗

Why did the brothers put a goat in the cellar?

1. To fool the searchers into thinking the goat was the dead man, that's the whole play — ← Mova's choice · score 1
2. To make the searchers think it was dinner — score 1
3. So the cops would be confused, bro — no support
4. To fool the searchers, that's the play — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 1 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 256, line 19: «fact: Old phrase: "Ha! ha! ha!" is the laughter of the brothers, showing they think Jubal's claim is silly.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «think» (+1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★ · right ✓

When the searchers came, what did the Simpleton hand them?

1. The Diachok's old hat — score 4
2. A goat's hoof, no cap — score 1
3. The goat's head, straight up — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
4. A goat's ear — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 3 with score 8, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 420, line 17: «When the searchers come, the Simpleton holds up the goat's head and asks, "Was your Diachok dark-haired?"», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «simpleton» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same thing acted on «head» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★ · right ✓

What did the searchers do after that, in the end?

1. They dragged him outside, spat in his face, and then bounced back home slowly — score 3
2. They laughed and walked off, fam — no support
3. They spat in his face, then bounced and told the whole village about it — score 3
4. They spat in his face and bounced — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 4 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 420, line 5: «When the searchers come, the Simpleton hands them a goat's head, and they spit in his face and go home.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same place «face» (+4); the same doer «searchers» (+1). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

Where did the author say these foolish tales can be found?

1. Everywhere the old tales are told, from Siberia to the highlands of Scotland and beyond — ← Mova's choice · score 5
2. In many lands, including Scotland — score 5
3. All over the world, even in Scotland — ✓ the right answer · score 5
4. All over the world, even in Scotland, Ireland, and deep into the Russian steppe — score 5

Why: It took the question to ask where. 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 417, line 15: «The author then says the Russian peasant is "by no means deficient in humor."», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «say» (+4); the same doer «author» (+1). The right option, 3, scored 5. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓

Which object did the Simpleton claim to have sold to the Birch-tree, and for what sum of money?

1. An ox, for twenty roubles — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 8
2. An ox, free — score 8
3. A cow, ten — no support
4. A goat, for twenty roubles — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 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 65, line 7: «Toad boasts: «Been in prison—got out of it, of course! Been thrown into a canal—swam ashore! Stole a horse—sold him for a large sum of money! Humbugged everybo…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same circumstance (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same thing acted on «horse» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗

What was the reason the Simpleton gave for striking the tree with his hatchet?

1. Its repeated promises to pay him back the money, and its rude creaking — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. It had broken all its promises to pay him, and then it creaked at him all day long — no support
3. Its repeated promises to pay — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Its endless empty promises — 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 · right ✓

What object did the brothers place in the cellar in place of the Diachok's body?

1. A goat — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. A sheep — no support
3. The brothers' old milk cow — no support
4. A dog — 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 · right ✓

What was the response of the searchers when the Simpleton produced the goat's head?

1. They spat and walked away — no support
2. They dragged the Simpleton outside, spat in his face, and departed without a word — score 5
3. They spat in his face, then departed in a hurry and never came back again — score 7
4. They spat in his face and departed — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 7

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 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 420, line 5: «When the searchers come, the Simpleton hands them a goat's head, and they spit in his face and go home.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same place «face» (+4); a different action (counts against) (+2); the same doer «searchers» (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/books/420-pg22373-part12/