---
title: His grandmother had told him when he was quite a little boy, just ol… — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · tree and pragmatics
description: His grandmother had told him when he was quite a little boy, just old enough to go to school, that each flower in the garden of paradise was a sweet cake, that the pistils were full of rich wine, that on one flower history was written, on another geography or tables; so those who wished to learn the
---

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# Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, The Garden of Paradise, sentence 3

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His grandmother had told him when he was quite a little boy, just old enough to go to school, that each flower in the garden of paradise was a sweet cake, that the pistils were full of rich wine, that on one flower history was written, on another geography or tables; so those who wished to learn their lessons had only to eat some of the cakes, and the more they ate, the more history, geography, or tables they knew.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** little boy, son, flower, pistils, those, tables · **What happens:** tell, be, go, write, wish, learn · **To what, where:** grandmother, son, little boy, school, sweet cake, that · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, The Garden of Paradise. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (little boy, son, flower, pistils), 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:pg27200:140:3
# text = His grandmother had told him when he was quite a little boy, just old enough to go to school, that each flower in the garden of paradise was a sweet cake, that the pistils were full of rich wine, that on one flower history was written, on another geography or tables; so those who wished to learn their lessons had only to eat some of the cakes, and the more they ate, the more history, geography, or tables they knew.
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	grandmother	grandmother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	told	tell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	iobj	_	_
6	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	12	mark	_	_
7	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
9	quite	quite	DET	PDT	PronType=Ind	12	det:predet	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:agent	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
14	just	just	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
16	enough	enough	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	advcl	_	_
19	to	to	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	33	punct	_	_
22	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	33	mark	_	_
23	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	24	det	_	_
24	flower	flower	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	33	nsubj	_	_
25	in	in	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
26	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
27	garden	garden	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	nmod	_	_
28	of	of	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
29	paradise	paradise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	27	nmod	_	_
30	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	33	cop	_	_
31	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	33	det	_	_
32	sweet	sweet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	33	amod	_	_
33	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	39	punct	_	_
35	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	39	mark	_	_
36	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	37	det	_	_
37	pistils	pistil	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	39	nsubj	_	_
38	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	39	cop	_	_
39	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	parataxis	_	_
40	of	of	ADP	IN	_	42	case	_	_
41	rich	rich	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	42	amod	_	_
42	wine	wine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	39	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
43	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	50	punct	_	_
44	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	50	nsubj:pass	_	_
45	on	on	ADP	IN	_	48	case	_	_
46	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	48	nummod	_	_
47	flower	flower	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	48	compound	_	_
48	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	44	nmod	_	_
49	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	50	aux:pass	_	_
50	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	39	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
51	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	54	punct	_	_
52	on	on	ADP	IN	_	54	case	_	_
53	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	54	det	_	_
54	geography	geography	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	50	obl	_	_
55	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	56	cc	_	_
56	tables	table	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	54	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
57	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	66	punct	_	_
58	so	so	ADV	RB	_	66	advmod	_	_
59	those	that	PRON	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	66	nsubj	_	_
60	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	61	nsubj	_	_
61	wished	wish	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	59	acl:relcl	_	_
62	to	to	PART	TO	_	63	mark	_	_
63	learn	learn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	61	advcl	_	_
64	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	65	nmod:poss	_	_
65	lessons	lesson	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	63	obj	_	_
66	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
67	only	only	ADV	RB	_	69	advmod	_	_
68	to	to	PART	TO	_	69	mark	_	_
69	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	66	xcomp	_	_
70	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	69	obj	_	_
71	of	of	ADP	IN	_	73	case	_	_
72	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	73	det	_	_
73	cakes	cake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	70	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
74	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	79	punct	_	_
75	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	79	cc	_	_
76	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	77	det	_	_
77	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	79	advmod	_	_
78	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	79	nsubj	_	_
79	ate	eat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
80	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	83	punct	_	_
81	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	83	det	_	_
82	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	83	amod	_	_
83	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	79	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
84	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	85	punct	_	_
85	geography	geography	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	83	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	90	punct	_	_
87	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	90	cc	_	_
88	tables	table	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	90	nsubj	_	_
89	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	90	nsubj	_	_
90	knew	know	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	79	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
91	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | past · perfect · passive | quite little boy | son's grandmother | son |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent subject=Recipient he=Topic |
| 2 | **is a** | past | son | quite little boy |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **go** | to-infinitive | son *not said here* |  |  | school |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to school=Initial\_Location |
| 4 | **is a** | past | each flower in the garden of paradise | a sweet cake |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **is** | past | the pistils |  |  |  |  | of rich wine; full *property* | tree rules |
| 6 | **write** | past · passive |  | that |  | another geography or tables |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme on geography=Destination |
| 7 | **wish** | past |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot |
| 8 | **learn** | to-infinitive |  | pistils's lessons |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lesson=Topic |
| 9 | **have** | past | those |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 10 | **eat** | to-infinitive | those *not said here* | some |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent some=Patient |
| 11 | **eat** | past | pistils *= pistil* | the more history and geography |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent history=Patient |
| 12 | **know** | past | tables |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .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:** «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, Project Gutenberg book 27200 (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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