--- title: The Top and Ball — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · full text with trees description: The Top and Ball, «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: A whipping top and a little ball lay together in a box, among other toys, and the top said to the ball, "Shall we be married, as we live --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/) [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/) / [Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/) / The Top and Ball # The Top and Ball The Top and Ball of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen: the whole text, 49 sentences and 905 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself; 2 of them are in the tales treebank and were checked by a teacher model. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/1/) — A whipping top and a little ball lay together in a box, among other toys, and the top said to the ball, "Shall we be married, as we live in the same box?" - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/2/) — But the ball, which wore a dress of morocco leather, and thought as much of herself as any other young lady, would not even condescend to reply. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/3/) — The next day came the little boy to whom the playthings belonged, and he painted the top red and yellow, and drove a brass-headed nail into the middle, so that while the top was spinning round it looked splendid. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/4/) — "Look at me," said the top to the ball. " - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/5/) — What do you say now? - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/6/) — Shall we be engaged to each other? - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/7/) — We should suit so well; you spring, and I dance. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/8/) — No one could be happier than we should be." - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/9/) — "Indeed! do you think so? - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/10/) — Perhaps you do not know that my father and mother were morocco slippers, and that I have a Spanish cork in my body." - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/11/) — "Yes; but I am made of mahogany," said the top. " - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/12/) — The major himself turned me. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/13/) — He has a turning lathe of his own, and it is a great amusement to him." - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/14/) — "Can I believe it?" asked the ball. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/15/) — "May I never be whipped again," said the top, "if I am not telling you the truth." - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/16/) — "You certainly know how to speak for yourself very well," said the ball; "but I cannot accept your proposal. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/17/) — I am almost engaged to a swallow. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/18/) — Every time I fly up in the air, he puts his head out of the nest, and says, 'Will you?' and I have said, 'Yes,' to myself silently, and that is as good as being half engaged; but I will promise never to forget you." - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/19/) — "Much good that will be to me," said the top; and they spoke to each other no more. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/20/) — Next day the ball was taken out by the boy. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/21/) — The top saw it flying high in the air, like a bird, till it would go quite out of sight. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/22/) — Each time it came back, as it touched the earth, it gave a higher leap than before, either because it longed to fly upwards, or from having a Spanish cork in its body. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/23/) — But the ninth time it rose in the air, it remained away, and did not return. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/24/) — The boy searched everywhere for it, but he searched in vain, for it could not be found; it was gone. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/25/) — "I know very well where she is," sighed the top; "she is in the swallow's nest, and has married the swallow." - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/26/) — The more the top thought of this, the more he longed for the ball. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/27/) — His love increased the more, just because he could not get her; and that she should have been won by another, was the worst of all. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/28/) — The top still twirled about and hummed, but he continued to think of the ball; and the more he thought of her, the more beautiful she seemed to his fancy. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/29/) — Thus several years passed by, and his love became quite old. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/30/) — The top, also, was no longer young; but there came a day when he looked handsomer than ever; for he was gilded all over. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/31/) — He was now a golden top, and whirled and danced about till he hummed quite loud, and was something worth looking at; but one day he leaped too high, and then he, also, was gone. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/32/) — They searched everywhere, even in the cellar, but he was nowhere to be found. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/33/) — Where could he be? - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/34/) — He had jumped into the dust-bin, where all sorts of rubbish were lying: cabbage-stalks, dust, and rain-droppings that had fallen down from the gutter under the roof. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/35/) — "Now I am in a nice place," said he; "my gilding will soon be washed off here. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/36/) — Oh dear, what a set of rabble I have got amongst!" - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/37/) — And then he glanced at a curious round thing like an old apple, which lay near a long, leafless cabbage-stalk. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/38/) — It was, however, not an apple, but an old ball, which had lain for years in the gutter, and was soaked through with water. — checked by a teacher - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/39/) — "Thank goodness, here comes one of my own class, with whom I can talk," said the ball, examining the gilded top. " - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/40/) — I am made of morocco," she said. " - [41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/41/) — I was sewn together by a young lady, and I have a Spanish cork in my body; but no one would think it, to look at me now. - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/42/) — I was once engaged to a swallow; but I fell in here from the gutter under the roof, and I have lain here more than five years, and have been thoroughly drenched. - [43](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/43/) — Believe me, it is a long time for a young maiden." - [44](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/44/) — The top said nothing, but he thought of his old love; and the more she said, the more clear it became to him that this was the same ball. - [45](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/45/) — The servant then came to clean out the dust-bin. - [46](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/46/) — "Ah," she exclaimed, "here is a gilt top." - [47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/47/) — So the top was brought again to notice and honor, but nothing more was heard of the little ball. - [48](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/48/) — He spoke not a word about his old love; for that soon died away. — checked by a teacher - [49](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/195/49/) — When the beloved object has lain for five years in a gutter, and has been drenched through, no one cares to know her again on meeting her in a dust-bin. - ← previous: [The Toad](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/194/) - next →: [The Travelling Companion, part 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/196/) - ↑ back to [Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/)