---
title: When she stole softly to the edge of the lagoon she might see them b… — Peter Pan · tree and pragmatics
description: When she stole softly to the edge of the lagoon she might see them by the score, especially on Marooners’ Rock, where they loved to bask, combing out their hair in a lazy way that quite irritated her; or she might even swim, on tiptoe as it were, to within a yard of them, but then they saw her and d
---

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# Peter Pan, Chapter VIII. THE MERMAIDS’ LAGOON, sentence 6

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When she stole softly to the edge of the lagoon she might see them by the score, especially on Marooners’ Rock, where they loved to bask, combing out their hair in a lazy way that quite irritated her; or she might even swim, on tiptoe as it were, to within a yard of them, but then they saw her and dived, probably splashing her with their tails, not by accident, but intentionally.

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**Who acts:** Wendy, mermaids, hair · **What happens:** steal, see, love, bask, comb out, irritate · **To what, where:** mermaids, hair, lazy way, tiptoe, Wendy

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This is a sentence of «Peter Pan» by J. M. Barrie, Chapter VIII. THE MERMAIDS’ LAGOON. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (Wendy, mermaids, hair), 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:pg16:9:6
# text = When she stole softly to the edge of the lagoon she might see them by the score, especially on Marooners’ Rock, where they loved to bask, combing out their hair in a lazy way that quite irritated her; or she might even swim, on tiptoe as it were, to within a yard of them, but then they saw her and dived, probably splashing her with their tails, not by accident, but intentionally.
1	When	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	3	advmod	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stole	steal	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	softly	softly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	edge	edge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	lagoon	lagoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
11	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
12	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	parataxis	_	_
14	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	_
15	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	score	score	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
19	especially	especially	ADV	RB	_	23	advmod	_	_
20	on	on	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
21	Marooners	Marooner	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	23	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	’	's	PART	POS	_	21	case	_	_
23	Rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	27	punct	_	_
25	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	27	advmod	_	_
26	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	27	nsubj	_	_
27	loved	love	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	23	acl:relcl	_	_
28	to	to	PART	TO	_	29	mark	_	_
29	bask	bask	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	27	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	31	punct	_	_
31	combing	comb	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	29	advcl	_	_
32	out	out	ADP	RP	_	31	compound:prt	_	_
33	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	34	nmod:poss	_	_
34	hair	hair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	31	obj	_	_
35	in	in	ADP	IN	_	38	case	_	_
36	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	38	det	_	_
37	lazy	lazy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	38	amod	_	_
38	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	31	obl	_	_
39	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	41	obj	_	_
40	quite	quite	ADV	RB	_	41	advmod	_	_
41	irritated	irritate	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	38	acl:relcl	_	_
42	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	41	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
43	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	48	punct	_	_
44	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	48	cc	_	_
45	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	48	nsubj	_	_
46	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	48	aux	_	_
47	even	even	ADV	RB	_	48	advmod	_	_
48	swim	swim	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
49	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	51	punct	_	_
50	on	on	ADP	IN	_	51	case	_	_
51	tiptoe	tiptoe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	48	obl	_	_
52	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	54	mark	_	_
53	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	54	nsubj	_	_
54	were	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	48	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
55	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	56	punct	_	_
56	to	to	PART	TO	_	48	obl	_	_
57	within	within	ADP	IN	_	59	case	_	_
58	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	59	det	_	_
59	yard	yard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	56	obl	_	_
60	of	of	ADP	IN	_	61	case	_	_
61	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	59	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
62	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	66	punct	_	_
63	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	66	cc	_	_
64	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	66	advmod	_	_
65	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	66	nsubj	_	_
66	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
67	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	66	obj	_	_
68	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	69	cc	_	_
69	dived	dive	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	66	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
70	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	72	punct	_	_
71	probably	probably	ADV	RB	_	72	advmod	_	_
72	splashing	splash	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	69	advcl	_	_
73	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	72	obj	_	_
74	with	with	ADP	IN	_	76	case	_	_
75	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	76	nmod:poss	_	_
76	tails	tail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	72	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
77	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	80	punct	_	_
78	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	80	advmod	_	_
79	by	by	ADP	IN	_	80	case	_	_
80	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	72	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
81	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	83	punct	_	_
82	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	83	cc	_	_
83	intentionally	intentionally	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
84	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **steal** | past | Wendy |  |  |  |  | to the edge of the lagoon; intentionally, softly *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **see** | might | Wendy | mermaids *= mermaid* |  |  |  | by the score | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer they=Stimulus |
| 3 | **love** | past | mermaids *= mermaid* |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 4 | **bask** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | mermaids *= mermaid* *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn marvel-31.3 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 5 | **comb out** | gerund | mermaids *= mermaid* *not said here* | mermaids's hair |  | a lazy way |  |  | vn braid-41.2.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent hair=Patient |
| 6 | **irritate** | past |  | a lazy way |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Stimulus that=Experiencer she=Result |
| 7 | **swim** | might | Wendy |  |  | tiptoe |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on tiptoe=Trajectory |
| 8 | **be** | past | hair |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 9 | **see** | past | mermaids *= mermaid* | Wendy |  |  | then |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer she=Stimulus |
| 10 | **dive** | past | mermaids *= mermaid* *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |
| 11 | **splash** | gerund | mermaids *= mermaid* *not said here* |  | Wendy |  |  | with mermaids's tails; by accident; probably *property* | vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP.destination PP.theme»: agent=Agent she=Destination with tail=Theme |

<!-- .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:** «Peter Pan» by J. M. Barrie, Project Gutenberg book 16 (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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