--- title: The Dumb Book — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · full text with trees description: The Dumb Book, «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: In the high-road which led through a wood stood a solitary farm-house; the road, in fact, ran right through its yard. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/) [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 Dumb Book # The Dumb Book The Dumb Book of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen: the whole text, 29 sentences and 716 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/1/) — In the high-road which led through a wood stood a solitary farm-house; the road, in fact, ran right through its yard. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/2/) — The sun was shining and all the windows were open; within the house people were very busy. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/3/) — In the yard, in an arbour formed by lilac bushes in full bloom, stood an open coffin; thither they had carried a dead man, who was to be buried that very afternoon. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/4/) — Nobody shed a tear over him; his face was covered over with a white cloth, under his head they had placed a large thick book, the leaves of which consisted of folded sheets of blotting-paper, and withered flowers lay between them; it was the herbarium which he had gathered in various places and was to be buried with him, according to his own wish. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/5/) — Every one of the flowers in it was connected with some chapter of his life. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/6/) — "Who is the dead man?" we asked. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/7/) — "The old student," was the reply. " - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/8/) — They say that he was once an energetic young man, that he studied the dead languages, and sang and even composed many songs; then something had happened to him, and in consequence of this he gave himself up to drink, body and mind. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/9/) — When at last he had ruined his health, they brought him into the country, where someone paid for his board and residence. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/10/) — He was gentle as a child as long as the sullen mood did not come over him; but when it came he was fierce, became as strong as a giant, and ran about in the wood like a chased deer. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/11/) — But when we succeeded in bringing him home, and prevailed upon him to open the book with the dried-up plants in it, he would sometimes sit for a whole day looking at this or that plant, while frequently the tears rolled over his cheeks. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/12/) — God knows what was in his mind; but he requested us to put the book into his coffin, and now he lies there. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/13/) — In a little while the lid will be placed upon the coffin, and he will have sweet rest in the grave!" - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/14/) — The cloth which covered his face was lifted up; the dead man's face expressed peace--a sunbeam fell upon it. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/15/) — A swallow flew with the swiftness of an arrow into the arbour, turning in its flight, and twittered over the dead man's head. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/16/) — What a strange feeling it is--surely we all know it--to look through old letters of our young days; a different life rises up out of the past, as it were, with all its hopes and sorrows. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/17/) — How many of the people with whom in those days we used to be on intimate terms appear to us as if dead, and yet they are still alive--only we have not thought of them for such a long time, whom we imagined we should retain in our memories for ever, and share every joy and sorrow with them. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/18/) — The withered oak leaf in the book here recalled the friend, the schoolfellow, who was to be his friend for life. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/19/) — He fixed the leaf to the student's cap in the green wood, when they vowed eternal friendship. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/20/) — Where does he dwell now? - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/21/) — The leaf is kept, but the friendship does no longer exist. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/22/) — Here is a foreign hothouse plant, too tender for the gardens of the North. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/23/) — It is almost as if its leaves still smelt sweet! - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/24/) — She gave it to him out of her own garden--a nobleman's daughter. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/25/) — Here is a water-lily that he had plucked himself, and watered with salt tears--a lily of sweet water. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/26/) — And here is a nettle: what may its leaves tell us? - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/27/) — What might he have thought when he plucked and kept it? - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/28/) — Here is a little snowdrop out of the solitary wood; here is an evergreen from the flower-pot at the tavern; and here is a simple blade of grass. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/29/29/) — The lilac bends its fresh fragrant flowers over the dead man's head; the swallow passes again--"twit, twit;" now the men come with hammer and nails, the lid is placed over the dead man, while his head rests on the dumb book--so long cherished, now closed for ever! - ← previous: [An Old Story Told Anew](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/28/) - next →: [The Elf of the Rose](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/30/) - ↑ back to [Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/)