---
title: There is a birch-tree there, niece, which would hit you in the eye--… — Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Musc… · tree and pragmatics
description: There is a birch-tree there, niece, which would hit you in the eye--you must tie a ribbon round it; there are doors which would creak and bang--you must pour oil on their hinges; there are dogs which would tear you in pieces--you must throw them these rolls; there is a cat which would scratch your e
---

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# Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore, Chapter II. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 10, sentence 98

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There is a birch-tree there, niece, which would hit you in the eye--you must tie a ribbon round it; there are doors which would creak and bang--you must pour oil on their hinges; there are dogs which would tear you in pieces--you must throw them these rolls; there is a cat which would scratch your eyes out--you must give it a piece of bacon."

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**Who acts:** birch tree, niece, you, doors, dogs, cat · **What happens:** be, hit, tie, creak, bang, pour · **To what, where:** you, eye, ribbon, oil, hinges, pieces

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This is a sentence of «Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore», Chapter II. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 10. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (birch tree, niece, you, doors), 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:pg22373:28:98
# text = There is a birch-tree there, niece, which would hit you in the eye--you must tie a ribbon round it; there are doors which would creak and bang--you must pour oil on their hinges; there are dogs which would tear you in pieces--you must throw them these rolls; there is a cat which would scratch your eyes out--you must give it a piece of bacon."
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	birch	birch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
7	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	niece	niece	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
12	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	hit	hit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	parataxis	_	_
14	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	eye	eye	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	21	nsubj	_	_
20	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	21	aux	_	_
21	tie	tie	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	conj	_	_
22	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	ribbon	ribbon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obj	_	_
24	round	round	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
25	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	21	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	28	punct	_	_
27	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	28	expl	_	_
28	are	be	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
29	doors	door	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	28	nsubj	_	_
30	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	32	nsubj	_	_
31	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	32	aux	_	_
32	creak	creak	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	29	acl:relcl	_	_
33	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	34	cc	_	_
34	bang	bang	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	32	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	38	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
36	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	38	nsubj	_	_
37	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	38	aux	_	_
38	pour	pour	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	32	conj	_	_
39	oil	oil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	38	obj	_	_
40	on	on	ADP	IN	_	42	case	_	_
41	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	42	nmod:poss	_	_
42	hinges	hinge	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	38	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
43	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	45	punct	_	_
44	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	45	expl	_	_
45	are	be	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	64	advcl	_	_
46	dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	45	nsubj	_	_
47	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	49	nsubj	_	_
48	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	49	aux	_	_
49	tear	tear	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	46	acl:relcl	_	_
50	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	49	obj	_	_
51	in	in	ADP	IN	_	52	case	_	_
52	pieces	piece	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	49	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
53	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	56	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
54	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	56	nsubj	_	_
55	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	56	aux	_	_
56	throw	throw	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	45	conj	_	_
57	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	56	obj	_	_
58	these	this	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	59	det	_	_
59	rolls	roll	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	56	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
60	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	62	punct	_	_
61	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	62	expl	_	_
62	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	64	cop	_	_
63	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	64	det	_	_
64	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
65	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	67	nsubj	_	_
66	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	67	aux	_	_
67	scratch	scratch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	64	acl:relcl	_	_
68	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	69	nmod:poss	_	_
69	eyes	eye	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	67	obj	_	_
70	out	out	ADV	RB	_	67	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
71	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	74	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
72	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	74	nsubj	_	_
73	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	74	aux	_	_
74	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	67	conj	_	_
75	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	74	obj	_	_
76	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	77	det	_	_
77	piece	piece	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	74	obj	_	_
78	of	of	ADP	IN	_	79	case	_	_
79	bacon	bacon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	77	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
80	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
81	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | present | a birch tree |  |  | there; there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **hit** | would | niece | you |  | the eye |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: agent=Agent you=Theme in eye=Destination |
| 3 | **tie** | must | you | a ribbon |  |  |  | round tree | vn mix-22.1-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ribbon=Patient |
| 4 | **does** | present | doors |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 5 | **creak** | would | doors |  |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 6 | **bang** | infinitive | doors *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 7 | **pour** | must | you | oil |  | doors's hinges |  |  | vn preparing-26.3-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent oil=Patient |
| 8 | **does** | present | dogs |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 9 | **tear** | would | dogs | you |  | pieces |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Initial\_Location you=Theme |
| 10 | **throw** | must | you | doors *= door* |  |  |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent they=Destination roll=Theme |
| 11 | **is a** | present |  | a cat |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 12 | **scratch out** | would | a cat | your eyes |  |  |  | out *property* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent eye=Theme |
| 13 | **give** | must | you | cat |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent it=Recipient piece=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:** «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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