---
title: By the road she meant the river, for she could not travel any other… — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · tree and pragmatics
description: By the road she meant the river, for she could not travel any other way; but I knew the winding of the river, and how it bends, sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left, and it seemed a long way, so I chose a shorter one; and, by coming up to the land, and then driving across the fields back
---

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# Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Little Claus and Big Claus, sentence 197

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
By the road she meant the river, for she could not travel any other way; but I knew the winding of the river, and how it bends, sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left, and it seemed a long way, so I chose a shorter one; and, by coming up to the land, and then driving across the fields back again to the river, I shall save half a mile, and get all my cattle more quickly."

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** wind, I, river, it · **What happens:** mean, not travel, know, bend, seem, choose · **To what, where:** river, other way, winding, right, long way, shorter one · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, Little Claus and Big Claus. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (wind, I, river, it), 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:pg27200:71:197
# text = By the road she meant the river, for she could not travel any other way; but I knew the winding of the river, and how it bends, sometimes to the right and sometimes to the left, and it seemed a long way, so I chose a shorter one; and, by coming up to the land, and then driving across the fields back again to the river, I shall save half a mile, and get all my cattle more quickly."
1	By	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	road	road	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
4	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	meant	mean	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
9	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
10	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
11	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
12	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
13	travel	travel	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
14	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	16	det	_	_
15	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	20	punct	_	_
18	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
19	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	_
20	knew	know	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	winding	winding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obj	_	_
23	of	of	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
24	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
25	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	30	punct	_	_
27	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	30	cc	_	_
28	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	30	advmod	_	_
29	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	30	nsubj	_	_
30	bends	bend	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	20	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	35	punct	_	_
32	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	35	advmod	_	_
33	to	to	ADP	IN	_	35	case	_	_
34	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	35	det	_	_
35	right	right	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	30	obl	_	_
36	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	40	cc	_	_
37	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	40	advmod	_	_
38	to	to	ADP	IN	_	40	case	_	_
39	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	40	det	_	_
40	left	left	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	35	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
41	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	44	punct	_	_
42	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	44	cc	_	_
43	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	44	nsubj	_	_
44	seemed	seem	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	30	parataxis	_	_
45	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	47	det	_	_
46	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	47	amod	_	_
47	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	44	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
48	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	51	punct	_	_
49	so	so	ADV	RB	_	51	advmod	_	_
50	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	51	nsubj	_	_
51	chose	choose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	44	conj	_	_
52	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	54	det	_	_
53	shorter	short	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	54	amod	_	_
54	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	51	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
55	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	59	punct	_	_
56	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	59	cc	_	SpaceAfter=No
57	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	56	punct	_	_
58	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	59	mark	_	_
59	coming	come	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
60	up	up	ADP	RP	_	59	compound:prt	_	_
61	to	to	ADP	IN	_	63	case	_	_
62	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	63	det	_	_
63	land	land	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	59	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
64	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	67	punct	_	_
65	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	67	cc	_	_
66	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	67	advmod	_	_
67	driving	drive	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
68	across	across	ADP	IN	_	70	case	_	_
69	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	70	det	_	_
70	fields	field	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	67	obl	_	_
71	back	back	ADV	RB	_	72	advmod	_	_
72	again	again	ADV	RB	_	67	advmod	_	_
73	to	to	ADP	IN	_	75	case	_	_
74	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	75	det	_	_
75	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	67	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
76	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	79	punct	_	_
77	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	79	nsubj	_	_
78	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	79	aux	_	_
79	save	save	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	ccomp	_	_
80	half	half	DET	PDT	NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac|PronType=Ind	82	det:predet	_	_
81	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	82	det	_	_
82	mile	mile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	79	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
83	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	85	punct	_	_
84	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	85	cc	_	_
85	get	get	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	79	conj	_	_
86	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	88	det:predet	_	_
87	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	88	nmod:poss	_	_
88	cattle	cattle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	85	obj	_	_
89	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	90	advmod	_	_
90	quickly	quickly	ADV	RB	_	85	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
91	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	79	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
92	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	79	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | past | wind | the river |  |  |  | by the road | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **travel** | could | wind | any other way |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **know** | past | I | the winding of the river |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer winding=Stimulus |
| 4 | **bend** | present | river |  |  | the right and the left |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme to right=Location |
| 5 | **seem** | past | it | a long way |  |  |  |  | vn seem-109-1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme way=Attribute |
| 6 | **choose** | past | I | a shorter one |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent one=Theme |
| 7 | **come up** | gerund | wind *not said here* |  |  | the land |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to land=Initial\_Location |
| 8 | **drive** | gerund | wind *not said here* |  |  | the fields | then; again | to the river | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent across field=Trajectory |
| 9 | **save** | shall | I | half mile |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mile=Theme |
| 10 | **get** | infinitive | I *not said here* | my cattle |  |  |  | quickly *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer cattle=Stimulus |

<!-- .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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