---
title: A sailor boy had flung his large cap over the bird, and a hand came… — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · tree and pragmatics
description: A sailor boy had flung his large cap over the bird, and a hand came underneath and caught the clerk by the back and wings so roughly, that he squeaked, and then cried out in his alarm, "You impudent rascal, I am a clerk in the police-office!" but it only sounded to the boy like "tweet, tweet;" so he
---

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# Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, The Clerk's Transformation, sentence 93

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A sailor boy had flung his large cap over the bird, and a hand came underneath and caught the clerk by the back and wings so roughly, that he squeaked, and then cried out in his alarm, "You impudent rascal, I am a clerk in the police-office!" but it only sounded to the boy like "tweet, tweet;" so he tapped the bird on the beak, and walked away with him.

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**Who acts:** hand, You, cap, boy · **What happens:** fling, come, catch, squeak, cry out, rascal · **To what, where:** sailor boy, clerk, alarm, police, bird · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is a sentence of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, The Clerk's Transformation. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (hand, You, cap, boy), 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:pg27200:44:93
# text = A sailor boy had flung his large cap over the bird, and a hand came underneath and caught the clerk by the back and wings so roughly, that he squeaked, and then cried out in his alarm, "You impudent rascal, I am a clerk in the police-office!" but it only sounded to the boy like "tweet, tweet;" so he tapped the bird on the beak, and walked away with him.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	sailor	sailor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	flung	fling	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	large	large	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	cap	cap	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	over	over	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
16	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
17	underneath	underneath	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	caught	catch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	conj	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	clerk	clerk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	_
22	by	by	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	24	det	_	_
24	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obl	_	_
25	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	26	cc	_	_
26	wings	wing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	24	conj	_	_
27	so	so	ADV	RB	_	28	advmod	_	_
28	roughly	roughly	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	32	punct	_	_
30	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	32	mark	_	_
31	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	32	nsubj	_	_
32	squeaked	squeak	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	19	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	36	punct	_	_
34	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	36	cc	_	_
35	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	36	advmod	_	_
36	cried	cry	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	32	conj	_	_
37	out	out	ADP	RP	_	36	compound:prt	_	_
38	in	in	ADP	IN	_	40	case	_	_
39	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	40	nmod:poss	_	_
40	alarm	alarm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
41	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	45	punct	_	_
42	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	45	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
43	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	45	nsubj	_	_
44	impudent	impudent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	45	amod	_	_
45	rascal	rascal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
46	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	50	punct	_	_
47	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	50	nsubj	_	_
48	am	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	50	cop	_	_
49	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	50	det	_	_
50	clerk	clerk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	_
51	in	in	ADP	IN	_	53	case	_	_
52	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	53	det	_	_
53	police	police	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	50	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
54	-	-	PUNCT	,	_	55	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
55	office	office	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	50	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
56	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	55	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
57	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	55	punct	_	_
58	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	61	cc	_	_
59	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	61	nsubj	_	_
60	only	only	ADV	RB	_	61	advmod	_	_
61	sounded	sound	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	conj	_	_
62	to	to	ADP	IN	_	64	case	_	_
63	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	64	det	_	_
64	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	61	obl	_	_
65	like	like	ADP	IN	_	67	case	_	_
66	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	67	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
67	tweet	tweet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	61	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
68	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	69	punct	_	_
69	tweet	tweet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	67	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
70	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	74	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
71	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	74	punct	_	_
72	so	so	ADV	RB	_	74	advmod	_	_
73	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	74	nsubj	_	_
74	tapped	tap	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
75	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	76	det	_	_
76	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	74	obj	_	_
77	on	on	ADP	IN	_	79	case	_	_
78	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	79	det	_	_
79	beak	beak	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	74	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
80	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	82	punct	_	_
81	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	82	cc	_	_
82	walked	walk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	74	conj	_	_
83	away	away	ADV	RB	_	82	advmod	_	_
84	with	with	ADP	IN	_	85	case	_	_
85	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	82	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fling** | past · perfect · passive |  | a sailor boy |  |  |  | over the bird | vn throw-17.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: subject=Destination cap=Theme |
| 2 | **come** | past | a hand |  |  |  |  | underneath *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **catch** | past | a hand *not said here* | the clerk |  |  |  | by the back and wings; roughly *property* | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent clerk=Theme |
| 4 | **squeak** | past | hand |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **cry out** *speech: express* | past | hand *not said here* |  |  | boy's alarm | then |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in alarm=Location |
| 6 | **rascal** *in a quote* |  | You |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 7 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | hand | a clerk |  | the police |  |  | tree rules |
| 8 | **sound** | past | cap |  |  |  |  | to the boy; like tweet and tweet | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ PP.experiencer»: agent=Stimulus to boy=Experiencer |
| 9 | **tap** | past | hand | the bird |  |  |  | on the beak | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent bird=Instrument on beak=Patient |
| 10 | **walk away** | past | hand *not said here* |  |  |  |  | with boy; away *property* | vn resign-10.11-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 11 | **alarm** |  | boy |  |  |  |  |  | nom alarm «feeling 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:** «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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