---
title: "Your rope is too short," said the farmer by way of a joke; but the… — More English Fairy Tales · tree and pragmatics
description: "Your rope is too short," said the farmer by way of a joke; but the joke was on Tom's side, for when he had made up his load there was some twenty hundred-weight of straw, and though they called him a fool for thinking he could carry the tithe of it, he flung it over his shoulder as if it had been a
---

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# More English Fairy Tales, More English Fairy Tales, part 5, sentence 8

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"Your rope is too short," said the farmer by way of a joke; but the joke was on Tom's side, for when he had made up his load there was some twenty hundred-weight of straw, and though they called him a fool for thinking he could carry the tithe of it, he flung it over his shoulder as if it had been a hundred-weight, to the great admiration of master and men.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** rope, farmer, joke, Tom, hundred weight, they · **What happens:** be, say, make up, call, think, carry · **To what, where:** side, load, Tom, tithe, rope, shoulder · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «More English Fairy Tales» by Joseph Jacobs, More English Fairy Tales, part 5. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (rope, farmer, joke, Tom), 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:pg14241:19:8
# text = "Your rope is too short," said the farmer by way of a joke; but the joke was on Tom's side, for when he had made up his load there was some twenty hundred-weight of straw, and though they called him a fool for thinking he could carry the tithe of it, he flung it over his shoulder as if it had been a hundred-weight, to the great admiration of master and men.
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	rope	rope	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	too	too	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
9	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	farmer	farmer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	25	punct	_	_
18	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	25	cc	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	nsubj	_	_
21	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	25	cop	_	_
22	on	on	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
23	Tom	Tom	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	25	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	's	's	PART	POS	_	23	case	_	_
25	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	31	punct	_	_
27	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	31	mark	_	_
28	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	31	mark	_	_
29	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	31	nsubj	_	_
30	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	31	aux	_	_
31	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	9	ccomp	_	_
32	up	up	ADP	RP	_	31	compound:prt	_	_
33	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	34	nmod:poss	_	_
34	load	load	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	31	obj	_	_
35	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	36	expl	_	_
36	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	31	parataxis	_	_
37	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	41	det	_	_
38	twenty	twenty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	39	compound	_	_
39	hundred	hundred	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	41	nummod	_	SpaceAfter=No
40	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	41	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
41	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	nsubj	_	_
42	of	of	ADP	IN	_	43	case	_	_
43	straw	straw	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	41	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
44	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	48	punct	_	_
45	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	48	cc	_	_
46	though	though	SCONJ	IN	_	48	mark	_	_
47	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	48	nsubj	_	_
48	called	call	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
49	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	48	obj	_	_
50	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	51	det	_	_
51	fool	fool	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	48	xcomp	_	_
52	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	53	mark	_	_
53	thinking	think	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	48	advcl	_	_
54	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	56	nsubj	_	_
55	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	56	aux	_	_
56	carry	carry	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	53	ccomp	_	_
57	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	58	det	_	_
58	tithe	tithe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	56	obj	_	_
59	of	of	ADP	IN	_	60	case	_	_
60	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	58	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
61	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	63	punct	_	_
62	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	63	nsubj	_	_
63	flung	fling	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
64	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	63	obj	_	_
65	over	over	ADP	IN	_	67	case	_	_
66	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	67	nmod:poss	_	_
67	shoulder	shoulder	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	63	obl	_	_
68	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	76	mark	_	_
69	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	76	mark	_	_
70	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	76	nsubj	_	_
71	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	76	aux	_	_
72	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	76	cop	_	_
73	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	76	det	_	_
74	hundred	hundred	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	76	nummod	_	SpaceAfter=No
75	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	74	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
76	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	63	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
77	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	81	punct	_	_
78	to	to	ADP	IN	_	81	case	_	_
79	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	81	det	_	_
80	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	81	amod	_	_
81	admiration	admiration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	63	parataxis	_	_
82	of	of	ADP	IN	_	83	case	_	_
83	master	master	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	81	nmod	_	_
84	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	85	cc	_	_
85	men	man	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	83	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | Your rope |  |  |  |  | short *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | the farmer by way of a joke |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **is** | past | the joke |  |  | Tom's side |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **make up** | past · perfect | Tom | Tom's load |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme load=Pivot |
| 5 | **be** | past | some hundred weight of straw |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 6 | **call** | past | they |  | Tom |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent he=Recipient |
| 7 | **think** *speech: other* | gerund | they *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 8 | **carry** | could | Tom | the tithe of rope |  |  |  |  | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tithe=Theme |
| 9 | **fling** | past | Tom | rope |  | Tom's shoulder |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: agent=Agent it=Theme over shoulder=Destination |
| 10 | **is a** | past · perfect | rope | a hundred weight |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 11 | **admire** |  |  | master and men |  |  |  |  | nom admiration «feeling transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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:** «More English Fairy Tales» by Joseph Jacobs, Project Gutenberg book 14241 (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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