--- title: How the Alphabet Was Made — Just so stories · full text with trees description: How the Alphabet Was Made, «Just so stories» by Rudyard Kipling: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: THE week after Taffimai Metallumai (we will still call her Taffy, Best Beloved) made that little mistake about her Daddy’s spear and the Stranger-man --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/) [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/) / [Just so stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/) / How the Alphabet Was Made # How the Alphabet Was Made How the Alphabet Was Made of «Just so stories» by Rudyard Kipling: the whole text, 303 sentences and 3486 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself; 1 of them are in the tales treebank and were checked by a teacher model. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/page/3/) [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/page/4/) - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/1/) — THE week after Taffimai Metallumai (we will still call her Taffy, Best Beloved) made that little mistake about her Daddy’s spear and the Stranger-man and the picture-letter and all, she went carp-fishing again with her Daddy. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/2/) — Her Mummy wanted her to stay at home and help hang up hides to dry on the big drying-poles outside their Neolithic Cave, but Taffy slipped away down to her Daddy quite early, and they fished. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/3/) — Presently she began to giggle, and her Daddy said, ‘Don’t be silly, child.’ - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/4/) — ‘But wasn’t it inciting!’ said Taffy. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/5/) — ‘Don’t you remember how the Head Chief puffed out his cheeks, and how funny the nice Stranger-man looked with the mud in his hair?’ - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/6/) — ‘Well do I,’ said Tegumai. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/7/) — ‘I had to pay two deerskins--soft ones with fringes--to the Stranger-man for the things we did to him.’ - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/8/) — ‘We didn’t do anything,’ said Taffy. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/9/) — ‘It was Mummy and the other Neolithic ladies--and the mud.’ - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/10/) — ‘We won’t talk about that,’ said her Daddy, ‘Let’s have lunch.’ - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/11/) — Taffy took a marrow-bone and sat mousy-quiet for ten whole minutes, while her Daddy scratched on pieces of birch-bark with a shark’s tooth. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/12/) — Then she said, ‘Daddy, I’ve thinked of a secret surprise. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/13/) — You make a noise--any sort of noise.’ - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/14/) — ‘Ah!’ said Tegumai. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/15/) — ‘Will that do to begin with?’ - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/16/) — ‘Yes,’ said Taffy. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/17/) — ‘You look just like a carp-fish with its mouth open. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/18/) — Say it again, please.’ - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/19/) — ‘Ah! ah! ah!’ said her Daddy. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/20/) — ‘Don’t be rude, my daughter.’ - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/21/) — ‘I’m not meaning rude, really and truly,’ said Taffy. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/22/) — ‘It’s part of my secret-surprise-think. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/23/) — Do say ah, Daddy, and keep your mouth open at the end, and lend me that tooth. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/24/) — I’m going to draw a carp-fish’s mouth wide-open.’ - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/25/) — ‘What for?’ said her Daddy. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/26/) — ‘Don’t you see?’ said Taffy, scratching away on the bark. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/27/) — ‘That will be our little secret s’prise. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/28/) — When I draw a carp-fish with his mouth open in the smoke at the back of our Cave--if Mummy doesn’t mind--it will remind you of that ah-noise. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/29/) — Then we can play that it was me jumped out of the dark and s’prised you with that noise--same as I did in the beaver-swamp last winter.’ - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/30/) — ‘Really?’ said her Daddy, in the voice that grown-ups use when they are truly attending. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/31/) — ‘Go on, Taffy.’ - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/32/) — ‘Oh bother!’ she said. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/33/) — ‘I can’t draw all of a carp-fish, but I can draw something that means a carp-fish’s mouth. — checked by a teacher - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/34/) — Don’t you know how they stand on their heads rooting in the mud? - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/35/) — Well, here’s a pretence carp-fish (we can play that the rest of him is drawn). - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/36/) — Here’s just his mouth, and that means ah.’ - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/37/) — And she drew this. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/38/) — (1.) - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/39/) — ‘That’s not bad,’ said Tegumai, and scratched on his own piece of bark for himself; but you’ve forgotten the feeler that hangs across his mouth.’ - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/40/) — ‘But I can’t draw, Daddy.’ - [41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/41/) — ‘You needn’t draw anything of him except just the opening of his mouth and the feeler across. - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/42/) — Then we’ll know he’s a carp-fish, ‘cause the perches and trouts haven’t got feelers. - [43](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/43/) — Look here, Taffy.’ - [44](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/44/) — And he drew this. - [45](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/45/) — (2.) - [46](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/46/) — ‘Now I’ll copy it.’ said Taffy. - [47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/47/) — ‘Will you understand this when you see it?’ - [48](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/48/) — ‘Perfectly,’ said her Daddy. - [49](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/49/) — And she drew this. - [50](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/50/) — (3.) - [51](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/51/) — ‘And I’ll be quite as s’prised when I see it anywhere, as if you had jumped out from behind a tree and said ‘“Ah!”’ - [52](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/52/) — ‘Now, make another noise,’ said Taffy, very proud. - [53](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/53/) — ‘Yah!’ said her Daddy, very loud. - [54](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/54/) — ‘H’m,’ said Taffy. - [55](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/55/) — ‘That’s a mixy noise. - [56](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/56/) — The end part is ah-carp-fish-mouth; but what can we do about the front part? - [57](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/57/) — Yer-yer-yer and ah! - [58](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/58/) — Ya!’ - [59](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/59/) — ‘It’s very like the carp-fish-mouth noise. - [60](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/60/) — Let’s draw another bit of the carp-fish and join ‘em,’ said her Daddy. - [61](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/61/) — He was quite incited too. - [62](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/62/) — ‘No. If they’re joined, I’ll forget. - [63](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/63/) — Draw it separate. - [64](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/64/) — Draw his tail. - [65](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/65/) — If he’s standing on his head the tail will come first. - [66](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/66/) — ‘Sides, I think I can draw tails easiest,’ said Taffy. - [67](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/67/) — ‘A good notion,’ said Tegumai. - [68](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/68/) — ‘Here’s a carp-fish tail for the yer-noise.’ - [69](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/69/) — And he drew this. - [70](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/70/) — (4.) - [71](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/71/) — ‘I’ll try now,’ said Taffy. - [72](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/72/) — ‘’Member I can’t draw like you, Daddy. - [73](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/73/) — Will it do if I just draw the split part of the tail, and the sticky-down line for where it joins?’ - [74](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/74/) — And she drew this. - [75](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/75/) — (5.) - [76](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/76/) — Her Daddy nodded, and his eyes were shiny bright with ‘citement. - [77](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/77/) — ‘That’s beautiful,’ she said. - [78](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/78/) — ‘Now make another noise, Daddy.’ - [79](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/79/) — ‘Oh!’ said her Daddy, very loud. - [80](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/80/) — ‘That’s quite easy,’ said Taffy. - [81](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/81/) — ‘You make your mouth all around like an egg or a stone. - [82](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/82/) — So an egg or a stone will do for that.’ - [83](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/83/) — ‘You can’t always find eggs or stones. - [84](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/84/) — We’ll have to scratch a round something like one.’ - [85](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/85/) — And he drew this. - [86](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/86/) — (6.) - [87](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/87/) — ‘My gracious!’ said Taffy, ‘what a lot of noise-pictures we’ve made,--carp-mouth, carp-tail, and egg! - [88](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/88/) — Now, make another noise, Daddy.’ - [89](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/89/) — ‘Ssh!’ said her Daddy, and frowned to himself, but Taffy was too incited to notice. - [90](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/90/) — ‘That’s quite easy,’ she said, scratching on the bark. - [91](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/91/) — ‘Eh, what?’ said her Daddy. - [92](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/92/) — ‘I meant I was thinking, and didn’t want to be disturbed.’ - [93](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/93/) — ‘It’s a noise just the same. - [94](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/94/) — It’s the noise a snake makes, Daddy, when it is thinking and doesn’t want to be disturbed. - [95](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/95/) — Let’s make the ssh-noise a snake. - [96](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/96/) — Will this do?’ - [97](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/97/) — And she drew this. - [98](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/98/) — (7.) - [99](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/99/) — ‘There,’ she said. - [100](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/100/) — ‘That’s another s’prise-secret. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/page/3/) [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/10/page/4/) - ← previous: [How the First Letter Was Written](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/9/) - next →: [The Crab That Played With the Sea](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/11/) - ↑ back to [Just so stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/)