---
title: What reply did the Crane make to the Peacock's taunts about its plum… — Aesop's Fables, The Image of Mercury a… · tree and pragmatics
description: What reply did the Crane make to the Peacock's taunts about its plumage? Exam question 3 of lesson 395 «Aesop's Fables, The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter: a poor carpenter smashes his idol and gets gold» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of th
---

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# Exam question 3 · Aesop's Fables, The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter: a…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What reply did the Crane make to the Peacock's taunts about its plumage?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Crane, Peacock · **What happens:** make, taunt

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 395 «Aesop's Fables, The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter: a poor carpenter smashes his idol and gets gold» of the books course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/books/395-pg21-part16/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:395-pg21-part16:e3:1
# text = What reply did the Crane make to the Peacock's taunts about its plumage?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	6	obj	_	_
2	reply	reply	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	Crane	Crane	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	Peacock	Peacock	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	taunts	taunt	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
12	about	about	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	14	nmod:poss	_	_
14	plumage	plumage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present · do-support | the Crane |  |  |  |  | to the Peacock's taunts about Crane's plumage | vn build-26.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Product |
| 2 | **taunt** |  | the Peacock |  |  |  |  | about Crane's plumage | nom taunt «act transitive»: poss=agent about=obl |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
that it was proud of its feathers

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:395-pg21-part16:e3:o1:1
# text = that it was proud of its feathers
1	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	proud	proud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	feathers	feather	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | it |  |  |  |  | of its feathers; proud *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
that it soared up to heaven and sang to the stars, where none of the others could go

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:395-pg21-part16:e3:o2:1
# text = that it soared up to heaven and sang to the stars, where none of the others could go
1	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	3	mark	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	soared	soar	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	up	up	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	heaven	heaven	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	sang	sing	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	stars	star	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
13	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	19	advmod	_	_
14	none	none	PRON	NN	PronType=Neg	19	nsubj	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	others	other	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nmod	_	_
18	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
19	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	parataxis	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **soar up** | past | it |  |  | heaven |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme to heaven=Trajectory |
| 2 | **sing** *speech: express* | past |  |  | the stars |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient»: agent=Agent to star=Recipient |
| 3 | **go** | could | none |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
that it soared to heaven and sang to the stars

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:395-pg21-part16:e3:o3:1
# text = that it soared to heaven and sang to the stars
1	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	3	mark	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	soared	soar	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	heaven	heaven	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	sang	sing	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	stars	star	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **soar** | past | it |  |  | heaven |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme to heaven=Trajectory |
| 2 | **sing** *speech: express* | past |  |  | the stars |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V PP.recipient»: agent=Agent to star=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
that its ashen feathers were better than the peacock's gaudy tail, and it did not care what anyone thought

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:395-pg21-part16:e3:o4:1
# text = that its ashen feathers were better than the peacock's gaudy tail, and it did not care what anyone thought
1	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
2	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
3	ashen	ashen	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	feathers	feather	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
5	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	better	good	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
7	than	than	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	peacock	peacock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	gaudy	gaudy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	tail	tail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
15	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
16	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	_
17	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	18	advmod	_	_
18	care	care	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	parataxis	_	_
19	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	21	obj	_	_
20	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	21	nsubj	_	_
21	thought	think	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	18	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | its ashen feathers |  |  |  |  | than the peacock's gaudy tail; good *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **care** | past · do-support | tail |  |  |  |  |  | vn care-88.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **think** *speech: other* | past | anyone |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot what=Theme |

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**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Aesop's Fables, The Image of Mercury a…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/395-pg21-part16/e2/)
- next →: [Aesop's Fables, The Image of Mercury a…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/395-pg21-part16/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Aesop's Fables, The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter: a poor carpenter smashes his idol and gets gold](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/395-pg21-part16/)