---
title: Listening in the dark to the bundle of noises which make a noise he… — Irish Fairy Tales · tree and pragmatics
description: Listening in the dark to the bundle of noises which make a noise he could disentangle them and assign a place and a reason to each gradation of sound that formed the chorus: there was the patter of a rabbit, and there the scurrying of a hare; a bush rustled yonder, but that brief rustle was a bird; 
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2892/26/9/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[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/) / [Irish Fairy Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2892/) / [Chapter XIII](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2892/26/) / 9

# Irish Fairy Tales, Chapter XIII, sentence 9

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Listening in the dark to the bundle of noises which make a noise he could disentangle them and assign a place and a reason to each gradation of sound that formed the chorus: there was the patter of a rabbit, and there the scurrying of a hare; a bush rustled yonder, but that brief rustle was a bird; that pressure was a wolf, and this hesitation a fox; the scraping yonder was but a rough leaf against bark, and the scratching beyond it was a ferret’s claw.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** noises, Listening, sound, patter, bush, brief rustle · **What happens:** listen, make, disentangle, assign, form, be · **To what, where:** noise, ear, place, chorus, bird, wolf

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Irish Fairy Tales» by James Stephens, Chapter XIII. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (noises, Listening, sound, patter), 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:pg2892:26:9
# text = Listening in the dark to the bundle of noises which make a noise he could disentangle them and assign a place and a reason to each gradation of sound that formed the chorus: there was the patter of a rabbit, and there the scurrying of a hare; a bush rustled yonder, but that brief rustle was a bird; that pressure was a wolf, and this hesitation a fox; the scraping yonder was but a rough leaf against bark, and the scratching beyond it was a ferret’s claw.
1	Listening	listen	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	16	csubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	dark	dark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	bundle	bundle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	noises	noise	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	noise	noise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	xcomp	_	_
15	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
16	disentangle	disentangle	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
17	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	obj	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	assign	assign	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	conj	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	_
22	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	24	cc	_	_
23	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	24	det	_	_
24	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	conj	_	_
25	to	to	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
26	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	27	det	_	_
27	gradation	gradation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	nmod	_	_
28	of	of	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
29	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	27	nmod	_	_
30	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	31	nsubj	_	_
31	formed	form	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	29	acl:relcl	_	_
32	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	33	det	_	_
33	chorus	chorus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	31	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	36	punct	_	_
35	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	36	expl	_	_
36	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	16	parataxis	_	_
37	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	38	det	_	_
38	patter	patter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	nsubj	_	_
39	of	of	ADP	IN	_	41	case	_	_
40	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	41	det	_	_
41	rabbit	rabbit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	38	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
42	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	96	punct	_	_
43	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	96	cc	_	_
44	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	96	expl	_	_
45	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	96	det	_	_
46	scurrying	scurry	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	96	csubj	_	_
47	of	of	ADP	IN	_	49	case	_	_
48	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	49	det	_	_
49	hare	hare	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	46	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
50	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	53	punct	_	_
51	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	52	det	_	_
52	bush	bush	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	53	nsubj	_	_
53	rustled	rustle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	96	advcl	_	_
54	yonder	yonder	ADV	RB	_	53	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
55	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	62	punct	_	_
56	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	62	cc	_	_
57	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	59	det	_	_
58	brief	brief	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	59	amod	_	_
59	rustle	rustle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	nsubj	_	_
60	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	62	cop	_	_
61	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	62	det	_	_
62	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	96	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
63	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	68	punct	_	_
64	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	65	det	_	_
65	pressure	pressure	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	nsubj	_	_
66	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	68	cop	_	_
67	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	68	det	_	_
68	wolf	wolf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	96	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
69	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	74	punct	_	_
70	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	74	cc	_	_
71	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	72	det	_	_
72	hesitation	hesitation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	74	nsubj	_	_
73	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	74	det	_	_
74	fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
75	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	77	punct	_	_
76	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	77	det	_	_
77	scraping	scraping	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	conj	_	_
78	yonder	yonder	ADV	RB	_	77	advmod	_	_
79	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	78	cop	_	_
80	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	83	cc	_	_
81	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	83	det	_	_
82	rough	rough	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	83	amod	_	_
83	leaf	leaf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	77	conj	_	_
84	against	against	ADP	IN	_	85	case	_	_
85	bark	bark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	83	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	89	punct	_	_
87	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	89	cc	_	_
88	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	89	det	_	_
89	scratching	scratching	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	77	conj	_	_
90	beyond	beyond	ADP	IN	_	91	case	_	_
91	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	89	nmod	_	_
92	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	96	cop	_	_
93	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	94	det	_	_
94	ferret	ferret	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	96	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
95	’s	's	PART	POS	_	94	case	_	_
96	claw	claw	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
97	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **listen** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | to the bundle of noises; in the dark | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent in dark=Theme |
| 2 | **make** | present | noises | a noise |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset noise=Product |
| 3 | **disentangle** | could | Listening | ear |  |  |  |  | vn separate-23.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Patient |
| 4 | **assign** | infinitive | Listening *not said here* | a place and a reason to each gradation of sound |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent place=Theme |
| 5 | **form** | past | sound | the chorus |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location chorus=Theme |
| 6 | **be** | past | the patter of a rabbit |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 7 | **scurry** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | of a hare | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme of hare=Trajectory |
| 8 | **rustle** | participle | a bush |  |  |  |  | yonder *property* | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 9 | **is a** | past | that brief rustle | a bird |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 10 | **is a** | past | that pressure | a wolf and a fox and the scraping but a rough leaf against bark and the scratching beyond hesitation |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 11 | **fox** |  | this hesitation |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 12 | **is** | past |  |  |  |  |  | yonder *property* | tree rules |
| 13 | **is a** | past | a bird | a ferret's claw |  | there |  |  | tree rules |
| 14 | **gradate** |  |  | sound |  |  |  |  | nom gradation «state transitive»: of=patient |
| 15 | **patter** |  | a rabbit |  |  |  |  |  | nom patter «communication intransitive»: of=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.

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** «Irish Fairy Tales» by James Stephens, Project Gutenberg book 2892 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [sentence 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2892/26/8/)
- next →: [sentence 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2892/26/10/)
- ↑ back to [Chapter XIII](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2892/26/)