---
title: Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Driver: a bolting ass is hauled back… — how Mova does on the tests · Books
description: Lesson 404 of the books course of Mova's primary school: 6 of 12 tests right, exam 1 of 4, every question with the options, the student's choice, the right answer and why it chose.
---

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# Aesop's Fables, The Ass and His Driver: a bolting ass is hauled back by the tail, and the fables that follow each end with a small lesson.

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**Tests:** 6 of 12 right · **Exam:** 1 of 4 right · **Kind:** ★ · **Understood:** 13 of 16 · **Run:** 2026-10-18, commit `f3c23ea72`

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Lesson 404 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.

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Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: [the lesson's questions in the corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/).

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### Test 1 · ★ · right ✓ {#t1}

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yo did the ass actually go off the cliff, or nah?

- **1.** yeah, he went off the cliff and landed in the river below, lol — no support
- **2.** nah, he almost did, the owner grabbed his tail — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 4
- **3.** yeah, he fell right off — no support
- **4.** nah, he stopped just short — no support

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**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 404, line 1: «An ass bolts toward a cliff, and his owner grabs his tail and hauls back until the stubborn ass goes over and the man lets go.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «tail» (+2); the same action «grab» (+1); the same doer «owner» (+1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t1/)

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### Test 2 · ★ · right ✓ {#t2}

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bro why did the thrush just keep sitting on that myrtle?

- **1.** cause its mate was nesting in the branches and it wanted to guard the eggs all day — no support
- **2.** cause the berries were mad tasty — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 6
- **3.** cause it was nesting there, fam — no support
- **4.** cause a fowler was hiding under the tree waiting for it to leave, lol, so it stayed — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 2 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 404, line 12: «Next: a thrush does not move from a myrtle-tree because its berries "were so delicious."», reached through the cause of the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «berries» (+5); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t2/)

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### Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t3}

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so the wolf waited all day for a kid, innit?

- **1.** yeah, right outside the cottage — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** nah, he waited in the forest — **← Mova's choice** · score 6
- **3.** nah, he left after an hour and went off to hunt a sheep in the woods — score 6
- **4.** yeah, down by the river bank — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 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 404, line 3: «A famished wolf waits all day at a cottage door because a mother promised he could have her child, and he goes home with nothing.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «wait» (+5); the same doer «famished wolf» (+1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t3/)

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### Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t4}

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the mum said she'd chuck her kid out the window, right?

- **1.** nah, she said she'd call help — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** nah, she said she'd just scream at the wolf to scare him off, lol — no support
- **3.** yeah, she said she'd feed him — no support
- **4.** yeah, that's what she said, lol — **✓ the right answer** · no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t4/)

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### Test 5 · ★ · right ✓ {#t5}

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was the hen being a total numpty with those eggs?

- **1.** yeah, they were vipers, she should've known — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** nah, she was clever, lol — no support
- **3.** yeah, she was dumb — no support
- **4.** yeah, she sat on them all winter — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t5/)

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### Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t6}

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did the swallow give her a proper telling off?

- **1.** nah, she said nothing at all but just sat on the branch and stared at her for ages — **← Mova's choice** · score 7
- **2.** yeah, she called her a silly creature and then flew off to tell the farmer, bruv — score 7
- **3.** yeah, she called her a silly creature — **✓ the right answer** · score 2
- **4.** nah, she just flew off quietly, lol — score 6

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**Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. 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 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 «tell» (+5); the same doer «wise woman» (+2). The right option, 3, scored 2. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t6/)

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### Test 7 · ★ · right ✓ {#t7}

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the rose and the amaranth, who lasts longer, fam?

- **1.** the amaranth, cause it never fades — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5
- **2.** the amaranth, cause the rose dies in a day and gets thrown away, lol — score 5
- **3.** the rose, cause it's red, innit — score 5
- **4.** the rose, cause it smells nice — score 5

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. 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 404, line 4: «A hen warms a viper's eggs, a swallow warns her, and a rose and an amaranth argue about which flower lasts longer.», 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 «rose» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t7/)

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### Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t8}

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the travellers were mad hot, weren't they?

- **1.** yeah, the summer sun was wrecking them — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** nah, they were cold because the winter wind was blowing hard across the valley — no support
- **3.** yeah, the summer sun was wrecking them and they had no water left to drink, bruv — **← Mova's choice** · score 1
- **4.** nah, the breeze was cooling them — no support

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**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 397, line 4: «Then come short tales: one frog stays in a dry gully and a heavy wagon crushes him, while a crow drops stones into a pitcher to reach the water.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «crow» (+1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t8/)

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### Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t9}

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so the plane-tree went off at them, didn't it?

- **1.** nah, it gave them shade for free — **← Mova's choice** · score 10
- **2.** nah, it gave them shade and fruit, and they were rude to it anyway, lol — score 10
- **3.** yeah, it called them ungrateful fellows — **✓ the right answer** · score 6
- **4.** yeah, it called them ungrateful fellows and then dropped a branch on their heads, bruv — score 6

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**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 147, line 10: «The Plane-tree gives cool shade to the Travellers, who "joyfully turned aside" to rest, but then one calls it "useless".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «give» (+5); the same thing acted on «cool shade» (+4); the same doer «plane tree» (+1). The right option, 3, scored 6. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t9/)

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### Test 10 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t10}

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the horse was mean to the ass, innit?

- **1.** yeah, he wouldn't spare a bit of feed — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **2.** yeah, he kicked him out, lol — no support
- **3.** nah, he shared his food — no support
- **4.** nah, he gave him some barley — **← Mova's choice** · score 4

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**Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 398, line 13: «The Horse, the Ox and the Dog, saved from the cold by a kind man, give him his life in three parts: the Horse takes youth, the Ox middle age and the Dog old ag…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «give» (+5); the same doer «horse» (+1). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t10/)

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### Test 11 · ★ · right ✓ {#t11}

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the lion's a massive drama queen, bruv

- **1.** nah, he just roared at the cock — score 3
- **2.** yeah, he moaned at Jupiter loads — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 6
- **3.** yeah, he cried to his mum, lol — no support
- **4.** nah, he was chill — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 6, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 142, line 3: «The Lion and the Bear groan that they have only mauled each other and that the Fox got the prize.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «groan» (+5); the same doer «lion» (+1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t11/)

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### Test 12 · ★ · right ✓ {#t12}

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the gnat's the real boss, though, lol

- **1.** nah, the lion's the real boss, he's the king of all the animals in the jungle, bruv — no support
- **2.** yeah, it's the thing that scared the elephant — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 8
- **3.** yeah, the gnat is a big bully — no support
- **4.** nah, the elephant scared the gnat — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 404, line 5: «Then a man squashes a flea, a lion learns that a gnat can scare an elephant, and the fables end with the mules, the lamb, the partridge, and the flea.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «scare» (+5); the same thing acted on «elephant» (+4). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/t12/)

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### Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e1}

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With reference to the fable of the Ass and His Driver, which action did the owner perform in order to restrain the animal?

- **1.** He grabbed the animal by the tail as it ran toward the cliff edge. — **← Mova's choice** · score 5
- **2.** He tied the animal to a post. — no support
- **3.** He seized the animal by the tail. — **✓ the right answer** · score 2
- **4.** He whipped the animal hard with a stick until it finally stopped moving forward. — score 5

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. 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 60, line 1: «After lunch the Sea Rat leans close, his sea-grey eyes and the red glow of his glass holding the Water Rat «body and soul»; his talk seems to turn into sailors…», 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 «sea rat» (+2). The right option, 3, scored 2. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/e1/)

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### Exam question 2 · formal language · right ✓ {#e2}

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In the fable of the Thrush and the Fowler, by what means was the bird finally captured?

- **1.** By reeds smeared with sticky glue that the fowler had hidden in the marsh all morning. — no support
- **2.** By a cage made of willow wood. — no support
- **3.** By reeds smeared with birdlime. — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 2
- **4.** By a large net thrown from the tall tree over its head. — no support

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**Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 393, line 18: «Old word: "lime-twigs" were twigs smeared with birdlime, a sticky substance that caught birds, a trap few people use now.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «smear» (+4). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/e2/)

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### Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e3}

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According to the fable of the Wolf and the Mother, what conclusion did the Wolf reach regarding the woman's words?

- **1.** That the mother was very clever. — **← Mova's choice** · no support
- **2.** That he should have waited longer outside and eaten the child at once when he had the chance. — no support
- **3.** That he had been foolish to believe them. — **✓ the right answer** · no support
- **4.** That the child was not his to take. — no support

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**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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/e3/)

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### Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e4}

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In the fable of the Man and the Flea, what did the Man resolve to do with the insect?

- **1.** To crush it between two heavy stones in the courtyard and bury the remains under the wall. — **← Mova's choice** · score 6
- **2.** To destroy it with his own hands. — **✓ the right answer** · score 6
- **3.** To release it outside the house. — score 6
- **4.** To destroy it with his own hands once he had caught it in the bed. — score 6

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**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 282, line 13: «The clerk thinks about the ephemera, tiny short-lived insects, which are thrown up "to a height" by a splash.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+4); the same thing acted on «tiny lived insects» (+3). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1). The right option, 2, scored 6. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/404-pg21-part25/e4/)

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