--- title: Magpies, geese, ponies and swans: animals that are not your friends — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Magpies, geese, ponies and swans: animals that are not your friends», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Every spring a magpie dive-bombs kids on the path by the park. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / Magpies, geese, ponies and swans: anim… # Magpies, geese, ponies and swans: animals that are not your friends Lesson 458 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 32 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/0/) — Every spring a magpie dive-bombs kids on the path by the park. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/2/) — «It's got it in for me!» she shrieks. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/3/) — It has a nest of chicks in the tree, and anyone on that path is a threat. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/4/) — By June, when the chicks have flown, it couldn't care less about her. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/6/) — At the park pond Jake tries to feed the geese. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/7/) — A huge goose hisses, stretches out its neck and charges, wings wide. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/8/) — Jake drops the bread and legs it while everyone films. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/9/) — On the canal a swan rears up at Sam's dog, its wings booming like a door slamming; Sam's dad says a swan guarding cygnets (baby swans) can hurt a small dog badly. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/10/) — Geese and swans are not being mean. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/11/) — They are guarding their babies, and you are the intruder. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/13/) — Please don't feed me.» Connor ignores it and holds out a carrot in his fingers. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/14/) — Toffee takes the carrot and a bit of his finger. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/15/) — «Flat hand, always, or don't feed him at all,» says the farmer. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/16/) — At the seaside a gull snatches a chip out of Chloe's hand. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/18/) — At the zoo Kieran bangs on the monkey glass, and a monkey chucks something disgusting at it; a keeper asks him to stop and he goes bright red. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/19/) — At the petting farm a goat eats the corner of Maddie's map and then her coat toggle. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/20/) — Mia's grandma in Georgia has a cockerel called Colonel who chases anyone in shorts. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/22/) — Mia learns to carry a bucket between her and Colonel and walk calmly. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/23/) — At the rock pool Jake grabs a crab to show off; it clamps his thumb until his sister dips his hand back in the water. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/24/) — Connor finds a hedgehog and wants to keep it in a box. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/25/) — His mum says no — it's wild — so they leave out water and cat food, and it visits every night for a month. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/26/) — Many birds, like magpies, swoop at people near their nest in spring to protect their chicks; it stops when the chicks fly. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/27/) — Magpies can remember human faces, and people who throw things at them often get swooped more. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/28/) — To pass a swooping bird, take another path for a few weeks, wear a hat, and never wave sticks or throw stones. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/29/) — Geese and swans can be fierce near their young; back away calmly and keep dogs on a lead near water. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/30/) — If you are allowed to feed a horse or pony, keep your hand flat with your fingers together; read and obey signs that say not to. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/31/) — Gulls learn that people mean food and will snatch it; don't feed them and eat where they can't grab. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/32/) — Banging on zoo glass frightens animals and can make them throw things or hurt themselves. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/33/) — Some farm animals, like cockerels and geese, guard their patch; stay calm, keep something between you and let an adult deal with them. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/34/) — Goats try to chew almost anything, and you should wash your hands after touching any farm animal. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/35/) — Wild animals like hedgehogs are visitors, not pets: watch, don't catch, and never give hedgehogs milk. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/458-magpies-geese-ponies-and-swans-animals-that-are-not-your-friends/36/) — Crabs and other rock-pool creatures pinch to defend themselves; look and let them be. - ← previous: [The cat that only likes Dad, and other choosy pets](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/457-the-cat-that-only-likes-dad-and-other-choosy-pets/) - next →: [The dog that wags at last, and the one that never does](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)