--- title: One morning as I watched the coming of the elephants I was surprised… — The Arabian Nights Entertainments · tree and pragmatics description: One morning as I watched the coming of the elephants I was surprised to see that, instead of passing the tree I was in, as they usually did, they paused, and completely surrounded it, trumpeting horribly, and shaking the very ground with their heavy tread, and when I saw that their eyes were fixed u --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/18/81/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The Arabian Nights Entertainments](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/) / [Opening, part 18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/18/) / 81 # The Arabian Nights Entertainments, Opening, part 18, sentence 81 One morning as I watched the coming of the elephants I was surprised to see that, instead of passing the tree I was in, as they usually did, they paused, and completely surrounded it, trumpeting horribly, and shaking the very ground with their heavy tread, and when I saw that their eyes were fixed upon me I was terrified, and my arrows dropped from my trembling hand. **Who acts:** I, trees, arrows · **What happens:** watch, come, be, see, pass, do · **To what, where:** elephants, that, tree, station, ground, eyes · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «The Arabian Nights Entertainments» by Andrew Lang, Opening, part 18. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (I, trees, arrows), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree. **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:pg128:18:81 # text = One morning as I watched the coming of the elephants I was surprised to see that, instead of passing the tree I was in, as they usually did, they paused, and completely surrounded it, trumpeting horribly, and shaking the very ground with their heavy tread, and when I saw that their eyes were fixed upon me I was terrified, and my arrows dropped from my trembling hand. 1 One one NUM CD NumForm=Word|NumType=Card 2 nummod _ _ 2 morning morning NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 obl:unmarked _ _ 3 as as SCONJ IN _ 5 mark _ _ 4 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 5 nsubj _ _ 5 watched watch VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 6 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 7 det _ _ 7 coming come VERB VBG VerbForm=Ger 5 xcomp _ _ 8 of of ADP IN _ 10 case _ _ 9 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 10 det _ _ 10 elephants elephant NOUN NNS Number=Plur 7 obl _ _ 11 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 13 nsubj _ _ 12 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 13 cop _ _ 13 surprised surprised ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 10 acl:relcl _ _ 14 to to PART TO _ 15 mark _ _ 15 see see VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 13 xcomp _ _ 16 that that PRON DT Number=Sing|PronType=Dem 15 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 17 , , PUNCT , _ 20 punct _ _ 18 instead instead ADV RB ExtPos=SCONJ 20 mark _ _ 19 of of ADP IN _ 18 fixed _ _ 20 passing pass VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 5 advcl _ _ 21 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 22 det _ _ 22 tree tree NOUN NN Number=Sing 20 obj _ _ 23 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 25 nsubj _ _ 24 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 25 cop _ _ 25 in in ADV RB _ 22 acl:relcl _ SpaceAfter=No 26 , , PUNCT , _ 30 punct _ _ 27 as as SCONJ IN _ 30 mark _ _ 28 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 30 nsubj _ _ 29 usually usually ADV RB _ 30 advmod _ _ 30 did do VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 31 , , PUNCT , _ 33 punct _ _ 32 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 33 nsubj _ _ 33 paused pause VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 34 , , PUNCT , _ 37 punct _ _ 35 and and CCONJ CC _ 37 cc _ _ 36 completely completely ADV RB _ 37 advmod _ _ 37 surrounded surround VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 5 conj _ _ 38 it it PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 37 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 39 , , PUNCT , _ 40 punct _ _ 40 trumpeting trumpet VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 37 advcl _ _ 41 horribly horribly ADV RB _ 40 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 42 , , PUNCT , _ 44 punct _ _ 43 and and CCONJ CC _ 44 cc _ _ 44 shaking shake VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 5 advcl _ _ 45 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 47 det _ _ 46 very very ADV RB _ 47 advmod _ _ 47 ground ground NOUN NN Number=Sing 44 obj _ _ 48 with with ADP IN _ 51 case _ _ 49 their their PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 51 nmod:poss _ _ 50 heavy heavy ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 51 amod _ _ 51 tread tread NOUN NN Number=Sing 44 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 52 , , PUNCT , _ 56 punct _ _ 53 and and CCONJ CC _ 56 cc _ _ 54 when when ADV WRB PronType=Int 56 advmod _ _ 55 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 56 nsubj _ _ 56 saw see VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 conj _ _ 57 that that SCONJ IN _ 61 mark _ _ 58 their their PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 59 nmod:poss _ _ 59 eyes eye NOUN NNS Number=Plur 61 nsubj:pass _ _ 60 were be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 61 aux:pass _ _ 61 fixed fix VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 56 ccomp _ _ 62 upon upon ADP IN _ 63 case _ _ 63 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 61 obl _ _ 64 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 66 nsubj _ _ 65 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 66 cop _ _ 66 terrified terrified ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 61 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 67 , , PUNCT , _ 71 punct _ _ 68 and and CCONJ CC _ 71 cc _ _ 69 my my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 70 nmod:poss _ _ 70 arrows arrow NOUN NNS Number=Plur 71 nsubj _ _ 71 dropped drop VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 conj _ _ 72 from from ADP IN _ 75 case _ _ 73 my my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 75 nmod:poss _ _ 74 trembling trembling NOUN NN Number=Sing 75 compound _ _ 75 hand hand NOUN NN Number=Sing 71 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 76 . . PUNCT . _ 5 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **watch** | past | I | | | | morning | | tree rules | | 2 | **come** | gerund | I *not said here* | | | | | of the elephants | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme of elephant=Initial\_Location | | 3 | **is** | past | I | the elephants *not said here* | | | | surprised *property* | tree rules | | 4 | **see** | to-infinitive | I *not said here* | that | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer that=Stimulus | | 5 | **pass** | gerund | I *not said here* | the tree | | | | | vn escape-51.1-1-3 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme tree=Trajectory | | 6 | **is** | past | I | the tree *not said here* | | | | in *property* | tree rules | | 7 | **do** | past | trees *= tree* | | | | | usually *property* | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 8 | **pause** | past | trees *= tree* | | | | | | vn linger-53.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent | | 9 | **surround** | participle | I *not said here* | station | | | | completely *property* | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme it=Co-Theme | | 10 | **trumpet** | gerund | I *not said here* | | | | | horribly *property* | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 11 | **shake** | gerund | I *not said here* | the ground | | | | with trees's heavy tread | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent ground=Patient with tread=Co-Patient | | 12 | **see** | past | I | | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus | | 13 | **fix** | past · passive | | trees's eyes | | | | upon me | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: subject=Patient | | 14 | **is** | past | I | | | | | terrified *property* | tree rules | | 15 | **drop** | past | my arrows | | | my trembling hand | | | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme from hand=Trajectory | | 16 | **tread** | | trees *= tree* | | | | | | nom tread «act intransitive»: poss=agent | 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. **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. - ← previous: [sentence 80](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/18/80/) - next →: [sentence 82](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/18/82/) - ↑ back to [Opening, part 18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/18/)