---
title: The most haunting time at which to see them is at the turn of the mo… — Peter Pan · tree and pragmatics
description: The most haunting time at which to see them is at the turn of the moon, when they utter strange wailing cries; but the lagoon is dangerous for mortals then, and until the evening of which we have now to tell, Wendy had never seen the lagoon by moonlight, less from fear, for of course Peter would hav
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg16/9/9/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[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/) / [Peter Pan](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg16/) / [Chapter VIII. THE MERMAIDS’ LAGOON](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg16/9/) / 9

# Peter Pan, Chapter VIII. THE MERMAIDS’ LAGOON, sentence 9

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The most haunting time at which to see them is at the turn of the moon, when they utter strange wailing cries; but the lagoon is dangerous for mortals then, and until the evening of which we have now to tell, Wendy had never seen the lagoon by moonlight, less from fear, for of course Peter would have accompanied her, than because she had strict rules about every one being in bed by seven.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** haunting time, mermaids, strange wailing, lagoon, we, Wendy · **What happens:** see, be, utter, cry, have, tell · **To what, where:** mermaids, turn, lagoon, Peter, bed · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
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 (haunting time, mermaids, strange wailing, lagoon), 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:pg16:9:9
# text = The most haunting time at which to see them is at the turn of the moon, when they utter strange wailing cries; but the lagoon is dangerous for mortals then, and until the evening of which we have now to tell, Wendy had never seen the lagoon by moonlight, less from fear, for of course Peter would have accompanied her, than because she had strict rules about every one being in bed by seven.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	4	advmod	_	_
3	haunting	haunting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	obl	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
9	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
11	at	at	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	turn	turn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	moon	moon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
18	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	20	advmod	_	_
19	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	_
20	utter	utter	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	parataxis	_	_
21	strange	strange	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	wailing	wailing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nsubj	_	_
23	cries	cry	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	29	punct	_	_
25	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	29	cc	_	_
26	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
27	lagoon	lagoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	29	nsubj	_	_
28	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	29	cop	_	_
29	dangerous	dangerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	parataxis	_	_
30	for	for	ADP	IN	_	31	case	_	_
31	mortals	mortal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	29	obl	_	_
32	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	29	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	37	punct	_	_
34	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	37	cc	_	_
35	until	until	ADP	IN	_	37	case	_	_
36	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	37	det	_	_
37	evening	evening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	_
38	of	of	ADP	IN	_	39	case	_	_
39	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	41	obl	_	_
40	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	41	nsubj	_	_
41	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	37	acl:relcl	_	_
42	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	41	advmod	_	_
43	to	to	PART	TO	_	44	mark	_	_
44	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	41	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
45	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	49	punct	_	_
46	Wendy	Wendy	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	49	nsubj	_	_
47	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	49	aux	_	_
48	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	49	advmod	_	_
49	seen	see	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	13	parataxis	_	_
50	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	51	det	_	_
51	lagoon	lagoon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	49	obj	_	_
52	by	by	ADP	IN	_	53	case	_	_
53	moonlight	moonlight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	49	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
54	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	55	punct	_	_
55	less	less	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	53	amod	_	_
56	from	from	ADP	IN	_	57	case	_	_
57	fear	fear	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	55	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
58	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	65	punct	_	_
59	for	for	ADP	IN	_	61	case	_	_
60	of	of	ADP	IN	_	59	fixed	_	_
61	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	65	obl	_	_
62	Peter	Peter	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	65	nsubj:pass	_	_
63	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	65	aux	_	_
64	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	65	aux	_	_
65	accompanied	accompany	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	49	conj	_	_
66	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	65	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
67	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	71	punct	_	_
68	than	than	SCONJ	IN	_	71	mark	_	_
69	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	71	mark	_	_
70	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	71	nsubj	_	_
71	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	65	advcl	_	_
72	strict	strict	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	73	amod	_	_
73	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	79	nsubj	_	_
74	about	about	ADP	IN	_	76	case	_	_
75	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	76	det	_	_
76	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	73	nmod	_	_
77	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	79	cop	_	_
78	in	in	ADP	IN	_	79	case	_	_
79	bed	bed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	71	parataxis	_	_
80	by	by	ADP	IN	_	81	case	_	_
81	seven	seven	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	71	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
82	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	13	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **see** | to-infinitive | the haunting time *not said here* | mermaids *= mermaid* |  |  | at the haunting time |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer they=Stimulus |
| 2 | **is** | present | the haunting time |  |  | the turn and the evening |  | of the moon | tree rules |
| 3 | **utter** *speech: other* | present | mermaids *= mermaid* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **cry** *speech: express* | present | strange wailing |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | present | the lagoon |  |  |  | then | for mortals; dangerous *property* | tree rules |
| 6 | **have** | present | we |  |  |  | of the evening; now |  | tree rules |
| 7 | **tell** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive | we *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 8 | **not** **see** | past · perfect | Wendy | the lagoon |  |  |  | by moonlight | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer lagoon=Stimulus |
| 9 | **accompany** | would · perfect · passive |  | Peter |  |  |  | for course | tree rules |
| 10 | **have** | past | Wendy |  |  |  |  | by seven | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 11 | **is** | gerund | strict rules about every one |  |  | bed |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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.

<!-- div src -->

**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.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [sentence 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg16/9/8/)
- next →: [sentence 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg16/9/10/)
- ↑ back to [Chapter VIII. THE MERMAIDS’ LAGOON](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg16/9/)