Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Little Mermaid: the mermaid refuses the knife and rises among the daughters of the air

Tests: 2 of 13 right · Exam: 3 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 12 of 17 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 881 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 ✗

yo, did the mermaid actually stab the prince or nah?

1. Nah, she chucked the knife in the sea — ✓ the right answer · score 2
2. Yeah, she stabbed him in the heart — score 2
3. Yeah, she stabbed him in the heart and then fell into the sea — ← Mova's choice · score 6
4. Nah, she chucked the knife in the sea and then jumped in after it — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 6, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 692, line 17: «Old word: a "wager" is a bet, so the queen and Death agree to bet on where the prince falls.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «fall» (+4); the same doer «prince» (+2). The right option, 1, scored 2. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · wrong ✗

bro, why was she dancing so hard if her feet were killing her?

1. Cos she was happy — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Cos she wanted him to love her — no support
3. Cos it was her last night with him — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Cos she was trying to impress him — 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 ✗

so what's the deal with the sisters' hair, mate?

1. They chopped it off for the witch so she could make a potion — score 1
2. They gave it to the old witch — ← Mova's choice · score 7
3. They chopped off all their long hair and gave it to the witch — score 7
4. They chopped it off for the witch — ✓ the right answer · score 1

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 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 881, line 11: «Why: her sisters gave their hair to the witch so she "may not die to-night", which shows how much her family loves her.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same receiver «witch» (+4); the same action «give» (+2); the same doer «sisters» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 1. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★ · right ✓

innit the prince saved the mermaid or what?

1. No, he didn't — no support
2. No, she saved him from the sea — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3
3. Yeah, he saved her — score 3
4. Yeah, he saved her from the sea — 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 878, line 1: «The mermaid has saved the prince, but he never saw her, and she is sad.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «save» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: the same thing acted on «prince» (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗

was the bride proper pretty or what?

1. Nah, not really — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Nah, plain with brown hair — no support
3. Yeah, mad pretty with blue eyes — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Yeah, pretty — no support

Why: Nothing it remembers matched the question, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★ · right ✓

what was the ship like, bruv?

1. Big white sails, a calm sea, and a bright purple tent on deck — score -2
2. Calm sea and purple tent — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 2
3. Bright lanterns and a white tent — no support
4. Tall masts and a gold deck — score -3

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 2, against -2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 881, line 8: «Where: the wedding ship, with "a costly tent of purple and gold" in the centre of the deck, glides over the calm sea.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same property (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗

did she turn into foam straight away?

1. Nah, she swam back to shore — no support
2. Yeah, she turned into foam right on the spot in the sea — ← Mova's choice · score 3
3. Nah, she rose up into the air — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Yeah, she dissolved into the sea — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 100, line 11: «fact: Her daughter is "as ugly as night, and had but one eye", so the witch turns her "upon that side where there was no eye".», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «turn» (+2); the same doer «witch» (+1). The right option, 3, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗

so the daughters of the air are like fairies, yeah?

1. Yeah, they help people to earn souls — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. Yeah, kinda, they cool air and do kind things to earn souls over years — score 4
3. Yeah, they do good deeds to earn souls — ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. Yeah, they do good deeds in warm lands to earn immortal souls — score 4

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 881, line 5: «Instead of turning to foam, she floats up into the air with the daughters of the air, who earn souls through good deeds.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «earn» (+4). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗

what do they get for a good kid, like a proper reward?

1. They get a shiny soul — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Shorter wait — no support
3. Their wait is cut shorter — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. They get wings and gold — 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 ✗

why'd she cry at the sun, though?

1. Cos she felt something strange — no support
2. Cos the sun was so bright it hurt her eyes and she felt something new — ← Mova's choice · score 3
3. Cos she felt something new in her eyes for the first time in her life — no support
4. Cos she felt something new — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 2 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 801, line 9: «WHAT HE SEES: "the sun was standing like a large bright altar", where sea and heaven "melted together in the most glowing colours".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same property (+2); the same doer «sun» (+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 ✗

did the prince even know what she did for him?

1. Nah, he never knew — ← Mova's choice · score 0
2. Nah, he had no clue — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Nah, he had no clue at all what she had done for him — no support
4. Yeah, he knew everything she had done for him on the ship — score 0

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. 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 881, line 14: «The prince says "It was you who saved my life", but he does not know the mermaid is the one who rescued him.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+1). Against it: the same action «know» (-1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · wrong ✗

how come nobody saw her on the ship at the end?

1. Cos she was unseen like the air folk, flying above the ship at night — no support
2. Cos she turned into a spirit of the air and floated off the ship — ← Mova's choice · score 5
3. Cos she was hidden like a ghost — score 1
4. Cos she was unseen like the air folk — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what something is like. It chose option 2 with score 5, against 1 for the next best. Its support: lesson 334, line 4: «Peter swims to the ship, still ticking without knowing it, and silently kills the quartermaster, Ed Teynte.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «swim» (+4); the same place «ship» (+1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 13 · ★ · wrong ✗

what was the bishop doing at the wedding, dude?

1. Praying — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Blessing the couple in front of all the guests on the deck — no support
3. Watching the bride — no support
4. Blessing the couple — ✓ 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 1 · formal language · right ✓

Which of the following accurately describes the action by which the little mermaid resolves her final dilemma?

1. She hides the weapon and gives up her body to the waves — score 2
2. She tosses the blade into the sea and accepts her fate as a spirit — score 2
3. She discards the instrument of murder into the sea and surrenders her earthly life — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. She drops the knife in the sea — score 2

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 4, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 881, line 4: «She looks at the sleeping couple, then flings the knife far into the sea and jumps overboard.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «fling» (+3); the same place «sea» (+2); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+2). Against it: it fills the role the question asks for (-1); the same doer «mermaid» (-2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗

With reference to the text, to what destiny does the little mermaid ultimately ascend upon leaving the vessel?

1. To the company of the daughters of the air, by means of many accumulated good deeds performed over centuries — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. To the company of the daughters of the air, by means of accumulated good deeds — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. To the company of the mermaids, through faithful service to the crown — no support
4. To the heavenly company of the daughters of the air, by means of accumulated good deeds performed in warm lands — 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 ✓

Which of the following statements regarding the prince's knowledge of the mermaid's sacrifice is most consistent with the narrative?

1. He remains wholly ignorant of the sacrifice that the mermaid has made for him — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
2. He remains entirely ignorant of the sacrifice that the mermaid made, though he dreams of her every night — score 2
3. He remains partly aware of the sacrifice made by her — no support
4. He remains wholly ignorant of the sacrifice that the mermaid has made for him throughout the wedding — score 4

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 880, line 3: «The prince is charmed, dresses her in silk, and makes her his "little foundling," though every step hurts her.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «make» (+4). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · right ✓

Which of the following best characterises the function of the daughters of the air as described by their own speech in the text?

1. They strive through benevolent acts to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score -1
2. They strive through many benevolent acts in warm lands to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period of time — score -1
3. They seek through charity to win an eternal soul in due course — score -1
4. They strive through benevolent acts to acquire an immortal soul over a prescribed period of three hundred years — score -1

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. 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 809, line 18: «Old word: "confirmed" meant a church ceremony where a young person affirms their faith; the elder daughter is about to take it.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. Against it: the same doer «elder daughter» (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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