---
title: I was among the number, but when after strolling about for some time… — The Arabian Nights Entertainments · tree and pragmatics
description: I was among the number, but when after strolling about for some time we lighted a fire and sat down to enjoy the repast which we had brought with us, we were startled by a sudden and violent trembling of the island, while at the same moment those left upon the ship set up an outcry bidding us come o
---

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# The Arabian Nights Entertainments, Opening, part 13, sentence 46

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I was among the number, but when after strolling about for some time we lighted a fire and sat down to enjoy the repast which we had brought with us, we were startled by a sudden and violent trembling of the island, while at the same moment those left upon the ship set up an outcry bidding us come on board for our lives, since what we had taken for an island was nothing but the back of a sleeping whale.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** I, sudden trembling, we, set outcry, island · **What happens:** be, stroll, light, sit down, enjoy, bring · **To what, where:** fire, repast, we, ship, us, board

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This is a sentence of «The Arabian Nights Entertainments» by Andrew Lang, Opening, part 13. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (I, sudden trembling, we, set outcry), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree.

<!-- .note-en -->
**Parsed by Mova, not checked by a teacher.** This tree is Mova's own parse (the `en` model, on the CPU, when the site is built); it may be wrong.

## The tree {#tree}

```conllu
# sent_id = book:pg128:13:46
# text = I was among the number, but when after strolling about for some time we lighted a fire and sat down to enjoy the repast which we had brought with us, we were startled by a sudden and violent trembling of the island, while at the same moment those left upon the ship set up an outcry bidding us come on board for our lives, since what we had taken for an island was nothing but the back of a sleeping whale.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	among	among	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	35	punct	_	_
7	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	35	cc	_	_
8	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	10	advmod	_	_
9	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
10	strolling	stroll	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	35	advcl	_	_
11	about	about	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	14	det	_	_
14	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
15	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
16	lighted	light	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	acl:relcl	_	_
17	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	_
19	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	sat	sit	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	conj	_	_
21	down	down	ADP	RP	_	20	compound:prt	_	_
22	to	to	PART	TO	_	23	mark	_	_
23	enjoy	enjoy	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	20	advcl	_	_
24	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
25	repast	repast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obj	_	_
26	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	29	nsubj:pass	_	_
27	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	29	nsubj	_	_
28	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	29	aux	_	_
29	brought	bring	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	25	acl:relcl	_	_
30	with	with	ADP	IN	_	31	case	_	_
31	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	29	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
32	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
33	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	35	nsubj	_	_
34	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	35	aux:pass	_	_
35	startled	startle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	parataxis	_	_
36	by	by	ADP	IN	_	41	case	_	_
37	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	41	det	_	_
38	sudden	sudden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	41	amod	_	_
39	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	40	cc	_	_
40	violent	violent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	38	conj	_	_
41	trembling	trembling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	35	obl	_	_
42	of	of	ADP	IN	_	44	case	_	_
43	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	44	det	_	_
44	island	island	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	41	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
45	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	62	punct	_	_
46	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	62	mark	_	_
47	at	at	ADP	IN	_	50	case	_	_
48	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	50	det	_	_
49	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	50	amod	_	_
50	moment	moment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	obl	_	_
51	those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	59	det	_	_
52	left	leave	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	51	acl	_	_
53	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	55	case	_	_
54	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	55	det	_	_
55	ship	ship	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	52	obl	_	_
56	set	set	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	59	amod	_	_
57	up	up	ADP	RP	_	56	compound:prt	_	_
58	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	59	det	_	_
59	outcry	outcry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	nsubj	_	_
60	bidding	bid	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	59	acl	_	_
61	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	60	obj	_	_
62	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	35	conj	_	_
63	on	on	ADP	IN	_	64	case	_	_
64	board	board	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	obl	_	_
65	for	for	ADP	IN	_	67	case	_	_
66	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	67	nmod:poss	_	_
67	lives	life	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	62	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
68	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	73	punct	_	_
69	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	73	mark	_	_
70	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	73	obj	_	_
71	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	73	nsubj	_	_
72	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	73	aux	_	_
73	taken	take	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	62	parataxis	_	_
74	for	for	ADP	IN	_	76	case	_	_
75	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	76	det	_	_
76	island	island	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	78	obl	_	_
77	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	78	cop	_	_
78	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	73	conj	_	_
79	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	81	cc	_	_
80	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	81	det	_	_
81	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	78	conj	_	_
82	of	of	ADP	IN	_	85	case	_	_
83	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	85	det	_	_
84	sleeping	sleeping	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	85	compound	_	_
85	whale	whale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	81	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | I |  |  |  |  | among the number | tree rules |
| 2 | **stroll** | gerund | a sudden trembling of the island *not said here* |  |  |  | time | about *property* | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **light** | past | we | a fire |  |  |  |  | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fire=Product |
| 4 | **sit down** | past | we *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **enjoy** | to-infinitive | we *not said here* | the repast |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer repast=Stimulus |
| 6 | **bring** | past · perfect · passive |  | the repast |  |  |  | with us | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP together»: subject=Theme |
| 7 | **startle** | past · passive | a sudden trembling of the island | we |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus subject=Experiencer |
| 8 | **leave** | participle |  |  |  | the ship |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: agent=Agent upon ship=Location |
| 9 | **set up** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 10 | **bid** | gerund | that set outcry *not said here* | us |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 11 | **come** | infinitive | that set outcry |  |  | board | moment | for our lives | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on board=Location |
| 12 | **take** | past · perfect | we |  |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Theme |
| 13 | **is a** | past | we *not said here* | nothing |  |  |  | for a island | tree rules |
| 14 | **tremble** |  | the island |  |  |  |  |  | nom trembling «state intransitive»: of=agent |

<!-- .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.

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**Text:** «The Arabian Nights Entertainments» by Andrew Lang, Project Gutenberg book 128 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order.

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