---
title: After a few minutes--for at first he felt a little frightened at his… — The Lilac Fairy Book · tree and pragmatics
description: After a few minutes--for at first he felt a little frightened at his strange position--the monkey began to enjoy himself vastly, and asked the shark a thousand questions about the fish and the sea-weeds and the oddly-shaped things that floated past them, and as the shark always gave him some sort of
---

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# The Lilac Fairy Book, The Lilac Fairy Book, part 5, sentence 51

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After a few minutes--for at first he felt a little frightened at his strange position--the monkey began to enjoy himself vastly, and asked the shark a thousand questions about the fish and the sea-weeds and the oddly-shaped things that floated past them, and as the shark always gave him some sort of answer, the monkey never guessed that many of the objects they saw were as new to his guide as to himself.

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**Who acts:** friend, monkey, shaped things, sharks, many · **What happens:** feel, frighten, begin, enjoy, ask, shape · **To what, where:** little, strange position, friend, shark, sort, objects

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This is a sentence of «The Lilac Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang, The Lilac Fairy Book, part 5. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (friend, monkey, shaped things, sharks), 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:pg3454:5:51
# text = After a few minutes--for at first he felt a little frightened at his strange position--the monkey began to enjoy himself vastly, and asked the shark a thousand questions about the fish and the sea-weeds and the oddly-shaped things that floated past them, and as the shark always gave him some sort of answer, the monkey never guessed that many of the objects they saw were as new to his guide as to himself.
1	After	after	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	few	few	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	minutes	minute	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	10	obl	_	_
9	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	felt	feel	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	obl:unmarked	_	_
13	frightened	frighten	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	xcomp	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	17	nmod:poss	_	_
16	strange	strange	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	position	position	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	monkey	monkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nsubj	_	_
21	began	begin	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
22	to	to	PART	TO	_	23	mark	_	_
23	enjoy	enjoy	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	21	xcomp	_	_
24	himself	himself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	23	obj	_	_
25	vastly	vastly	ADV	RB	_	23	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	28	punct	_	_
27	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	28	cc	_	_
28	asked	ask	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
29	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	30	det	_	_
30	shark	shark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	28	obj	_	_
31	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	32	det	_	_
32	thousand	thousand	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	33	nummod	_	_
33	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	28	obj	_	_
34	about	about	ADP	IN	_	36	case	_	_
35	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	36	det	_	_
36	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	33	nmod	_	_
37	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	41	cc	_	_
38	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	41	det	_	_
39	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	41	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
40	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	39	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
41	weeds	weed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	36	conj	_	_
42	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	47	cc	_	_
43	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	47	det	_	_
44	oddly	oddly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	46	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
45	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	44	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
46	shaped	shape	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	47	amod	_	_
47	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	41	conj	_	_
48	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	49	nsubj	_	_
49	floated	float	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	47	acl:relcl	_	_
50	past	past	ADP	IN	_	51	case	_	_
51	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	49	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
52	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	58	punct	_	_
53	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	58	cc	_	_
54	as	as	ADP	IN	_	56	case	_	_
55	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	56	det	_	_
56	shark	shark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	58	obl	_	_
57	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	58	advmod	_	_
58	gave	give	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	parataxis	_	_
59	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	58	iobj	_	_
60	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	61	det	_	_
61	sort	sort	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	58	obj	_	_
62	of	of	ADP	IN	_	63	case	_	_
63	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	61	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
64	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	68	punct	_	_
65	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	66	det	_	_
66	monkey	monkey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	nsubj	_	_
67	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	68	advmod	_	_
68	guessed	guess	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	58	conj	_	_
69	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	78	mark	_	_
70	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	78	nsubj	_	_
71	of	of	ADP	IN	_	73	case	_	_
72	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	73	det	_	_
73	objects	object	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	70	nmod	_	_
74	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	75	nsubj	_	_
75	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	73	acl:relcl	_	_
76	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	78	cop	_	_
77	as	as	ADP	IN	_	78	case	_	_
78	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	68	advcl	_	_
79	to	to	ADP	IN	_	81	case	_	_
80	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	81	nmod:poss	_	_
81	guide	guide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	78	obl	_	_
82	as	as	ADP	IN	ExtPos=ADP	84	case	_	_
83	to	to	ADP	IN	_	82	fixed	_	_
84	himself	himself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	81	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
85	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **feel** | past | friend |  |  |  | minute |  | vn conjecture-29.5-2 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **frighten** | participle | friend *not said here* | a little |  | friend's strange position |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **begin** | past | the monkey |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 4 | **enjoy** | to-infinitive | the monkey *not said here* | friend |  |  |  | vastly *property* | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer himself=Stimulus |
| 5 | **ask** *speech: ask* | past | friend *not said here* | the shark |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 6 | **shape** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |
| 7 | **float** | past | the shaped things |  |  |  |  | past sharks *= shark* | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme past they=Trajectory |
| 8 | **give** | past |  | some sort of answer | friend |  |  | as the shark; always *property* | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent he=Recipient sort=Theme |
| 9 | **not** **guess** | past | the monkey |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 10 | **see** | past | sharks *= shark* | the objects *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer object=Stimulus |
| 11 | **is** | past | many of the objects |  |  |  |  | to friend's guide as friend; new *property* | tree rules |
| 12 | **sort** |  |  | answer |  |  |  |  | nom sort «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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:** «The Lilac Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang, Project Gutenberg book 3454 (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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