I'm working through the about_classes.rb file in the Ruby Koans, and have hit a brick wall with the "inside_a_method_self_refers_to_the_containing_object" test. Here's the code: class Dog7 attr_reader :name def initialize(initial_name) @name = initial_name end def get_self self end def to_s __ end def inspect "<Dog named '#{name}'>" end end def test_inside_a_method_self_refers_to_the_containing_object fido = Dog7.new("Fido") fidos_self = fido.get_self assert_equal <Dog named 'Fido'>, fidos_self end So, I'm trying to make the first half of the assert_equal evaluate to the second half (fidos_self). When I work it out in irb, fidos_self returns <Dog named 'Fido'>, but I keep receiving a syntax error for that answer. I've seen this similar post: Ruby Koans: Where are the quotes in this return value?, but his solution (putting fido instead of <Dog named 'Fido'>) causes my rake to abort, saying the stack level is too deep. This is driving me nuts. What am I missing here?