---
title: It would be easy to multiply examples of this style of humor--to fin… — Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Musc… · tree and pragmatics
description: It would be easy to multiply examples of this style of humor--to find in the folk-tales current all over Russia the equivalents of our own facetious narratives about the wise men of Gotham, the old woman whose petticoats were cut short by the pedlar whose name was Stout, and a number of other inhabi
---

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# Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore, Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 7, sentence 38

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It would be easy to multiply examples of this style of humor--to find in the folk-tales current all over Russia the equivalents of our own facetious narratives about the wise men of Gotham, the old woman whose petticoats were cut short by the pedlar whose name was Stout, and a number of other inhabitants of Fool-land, to whom the heart of childhood is still closely attached, and also of the exaggeration-stories, the German \_Luegenmaehrchen\_, on which was founded the narrative of Baron Munchausen's surprising adventures.

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**Who acts:** pedlar, name, Stout, Baron Munchausen · **What happens:** be, multiply, find, cut, attach, found · **To what, where:** examples, equivalents, folk tales, petticoats, Stout, heart

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This is a sentence of «Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore», Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 7. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (pedlar, name, Stout, Baron Munchausen), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree.

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**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:pg22373:17:38
# text = It would be easy to multiply examples of this style of humor--to find in the folk-tales current all over Russia the equivalents of our own facetious narratives about the wise men of Gotham, the old woman whose petticoats were cut short by the pedlar whose name was Stout, and a number of other inhabitants of Fool-land, to whom the heart of childhood is still closely attached, and also of the exaggeration-stories, the German _Luegenmaehrchen_, on which was founded the narrative of Baron Munchausen's surprising adventures.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	expl	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	cop	_	_
4	easy	easy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	multiply	multiply	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	csubj	_	_
7	examples	example	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	10	det	_	_
10	style	style	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	humor	humor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	to	to	PART	TO	_	15	mark	_	_
15	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
18	folk	folk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	tales	tale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	_
21	current	current	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
22	all	all	ADV	RB	_	26	advmod	_	_
23	over	over	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
24	Russia	Russia	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	22	obl	_	_
25	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	26	det	_	_
26	equivalents	equivalent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	_
27	of	of	ADP	IN	_	31	case	_	_
28	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	31	nmod:poss	_	_
29	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	31	amod	_	_
30	facetious	facetious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	31	amod	_	_
31	narratives	narrative	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	26	nmod	_	_
32	about	about	ADP	IN	_	35	case	_	_
33	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	35	det	_	_
34	wise	wise	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	35	amod	_	_
35	men	man	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	31	nmod	_	_
36	of	of	ADP	IN	_	37	case	_	_
37	Gotham	Gotham	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	35	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
38	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	41	punct	_	_
39	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	41	det	_	_
40	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	41	amod	_	_
41	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	37	appos	_	_
42	whose	whose	PRON	WP$	Poss=Yes|PronType=Rel	43	nmod:poss	_	_
43	petticoats	petticoat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	45	nsubj:pass	_	_
44	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	45	aux:pass	_	_
45	cut	cut	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	41	acl:relcl	_	_
46	short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	45	xcomp	_	_
47	by	by	ADP	IN	_	49	case	_	_
48	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	49	det	_	_
49	pedlar	pedlar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	45	obl	_	_
50	whose	whose	PRON	WP$	Poss=Yes|PronType=Rel	51	nmod:poss	_	_
51	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	53	nsubj	_	_
52	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	53	cop	_	_
53	Stout	Stout	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	49	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
54	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	57	punct	_	_
55	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	57	cc	_	_
56	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	57	det	_	_
57	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
58	of	of	ADP	IN	_	60	case	_	_
59	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	60	amod	_	_
60	inhabitants	inhabitant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	57	nmod	_	_
61	of	of	ADP	IN	_	64	case	_	_
62	Fool	fool	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	64	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
63	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	62	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
64	land	land	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	60	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
65	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	67	punct	_	_
66	to	to	ADP	IN	_	67	case	_	_
67	whom	whom	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	4	obl	_	_
68	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	69	det	_	_
69	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	75	nsubj:pass	_	_
70	of	of	ADP	IN	_	71	case	_	_
71	childhood	childhood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	69	nmod	_	_
72	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	75	aux:pass	_	_
73	still	still	ADV	RB	_	75	advmod	_	_
74	closely	closely	ADV	RB	_	75	advmod	_	_
75	attached	attach	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	67	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
76	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	83	punct	_	_
77	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	83	cc	_	_
78	also	also	ADV	RB	_	83	advmod	_	_
79	of	of	ADP	IN	_	83	case	_	_
80	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	83	det	_	_
81	exaggeration	exaggeration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	83	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
82	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	81	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
83	stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
84	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	86	punct	_	_
85	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	86	det	_	_
86	German	German	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	83	conj	_	_
87	_	_	PUNCT	NFP	_	88	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
88	Luegenmaehrchen	Luegenmaehrchen	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	86	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
89	_	_	PUNCT	NFP	_	86	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
90	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	94	punct	_	_
91	on	on	ADP	IN	_	92	case	_	_
92	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	94	obl	_	_
93	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	94	aux:pass	_	_
94	founded	found	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
95	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	96	det	_	_
96	narrative	narrative	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	94	obj	_	_
97	of	of	ADP	IN	_	102	case	_	_
98	Baron	Baron	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	99	compound	_	_
99	Munchausen	Munchausen	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	102	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
100	's	's	PART	POS	_	99	case	_	_
101	surprising	surprising	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	102	amod	_	_
102	adventures	adventure	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	96	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
103	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | would |  |  |  |  |  | easy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **multiply** | to-infinitive |  | examples of this style of humor |  |  |  |  | vn multiply-108-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent example=Theme |
| 3 | **find** | to-infinitive |  | the equivalents of our own facetious narratives about the wise men of Gotham |  | the folk tales |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **cut** | past · passive | the pedlar | petticoats |  |  |  | short *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset subject=Product |
| 5 | **is a** | past | Stout's name | Stout |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 6 | **attach** | present · passive |  | the heart of childhood |  |  | still | closely *property* | vn shake-22.3-2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 7 | **found** | past · passive |  | the narrative of Baron Munchausen's surprising adventures |  |  |  |  | vn base-97.1 «NP V NP PP.source»: narrative=Theme on which=Source |
| 8 | **exemplify** |  |  | this style of humor |  |  |  |  | nom example «cognition transitive»: of=patient |
| 9 | **name** |  | Stout |  |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: poss=agent |
| 10 | **adventure** |  | Baron Munchausen |  |  |  |  |  | nom adventure «act transitive»: poss=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:** «Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore», Project Gutenberg book 22373 (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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