--- title: Now one day it chanced that Waska had gone down to the palace cellar… — The Yellow Fairy Book · tree and pragmatics description: Now one day it chanced that Waska had gone down to the palace cellar to hunt for mice and rats, and seeing an especially fat, well-fed mouse, she pounced upon it, buried her claws in its soft fur, and was just going to gobble it up, when she was stopped by the pleading tones of the little creature, --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg640/33/167/) [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/) / [The Yellow Fairy Book](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg640/) / [The Magic Ring](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg640/33/) / 167 # The Yellow Fairy Book, The Magic Ring, sentence 167 Now one day it chanced that Waska had gone down to the palace cellar to hunt for mice and rats, and seeing an especially fat, well-fed mouse, she pounced upon it, buried her claws in its soft fur, and was just going to gobble it up, when she was stopped by the pleading tones of the little creature, saying, ‘If you will only spare my life I may be of great service to you. **Who acts:** cat, Waska, pleading tones, you, I · **What happens:** chance, go down, hunt, see, feed, pounce · **To what, where:** fat, mouse, claws, soft fur, cat, Waska · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «The Yellow Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang, The Magic Ring. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (cat, Waska, pleading tones, you), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree. **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:pg640:33:167 # text = Now one day it chanced that Waska had gone down to the palace cellar to hunt for mice and rats, and seeing an especially fat, well-fed mouse, she pounced upon it, buried her claws in its soft fur, and was just going to gobble it up, when she was stopped by the pleading tones of the little creature, saying, ‘If you will only spare my life I may be of great service to you. 1 Now now ADV RB PronType=Dem 5 advmod _ _ 2 one one NUM CD NumForm=Word|NumType=Card 3 nummod _ _ 3 day day NOUN NN Number=Sing 5 obl:unmarked _ _ 4 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 5 nsubj _ _ 5 chanced chance VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 6 that that SCONJ IN _ 9 mark _ _ 7 Waska Waska PROPN NNP Number=Sing 9 nsubj _ _ 8 had have AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 9 aux _ _ 9 gone go VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 5 advcl _ _ 10 down down ADV RB _ 9 advmod _ _ 11 to to ADP IN _ 14 case _ _ 12 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 14 det _ _ 13 palace palace NOUN NN Number=Sing 14 compound _ _ 14 cellar cellar NOUN NN Number=Sing 9 obl _ _ 15 to to PART TO _ 16 mark _ _ 16 hunt hunt VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 9 advcl _ _ 17 for for ADP IN _ 18 case _ _ 18 mice mouse NOUN NNS Number=Plur 16 obl _ _ 19 and and CCONJ CC _ 20 cc _ _ 20 rats rat NOUN NNS Number=Plur 18 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 21 , , PUNCT , _ 23 punct _ _ 22 and and CCONJ CC _ 23 cc _ _ 23 seeing see VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 5 advcl _ _ 24 an a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 26 det _ _ 25 especially especially ADV RB _ 26 advmod _ _ 26 fat fat NOUN NN Number=Sing 23 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 27 , , PUNCT , _ 5 punct _ _ 28 well well INTJ UH _ 30 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 29 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 28 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 30 fed feed VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 5 parataxis _ _ 31 mouse mouse NOUN NN Number=Sing 30 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 32 , , PUNCT , _ 34 punct _ _ 33 she she PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 34 nsubj _ _ 34 pounced pounce VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 conj _ _ 35 upon upon ADP IN _ 36 case _ _ 36 it it PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 34 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 37 , , PUNCT , _ 38 punct _ _ 38 buried bury VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 34 conj _ _ 39 her her PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 40 nmod:poss _ _ 40 claws claw NOUN NNS Number=Plur 38 obj _ _ 41 in in ADP IN _ 44 case _ _ 42 its its PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 44 nmod:poss _ _ 43 soft soft ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 44 amod _ _ 44 fur fur NOUN NN Number=Sing 38 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 45 , , PUNCT , _ 49 punct _ _ 46 and and CCONJ CC _ 49 cc _ _ 47 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 49 aux _ _ 48 just just ADV RB _ 49 advmod _ _ 49 going go VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 5 advcl _ _ 50 to to PART TO _ 51 mark _ _ 51 gobble gobble VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 49 xcomp _ _ 52 it it PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 51 obj _ _ 53 up up ADP RP _ 51 compound:prt _ SpaceAfter=No 54 , , PUNCT , _ 58 punct _ _ 55 when when ADV WRB PronType=Int 58 advmod _ _ 56 she she PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 58 nsubj _ _ 57 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 58 aux:pass _ _ 58 stopped stop VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 5 parataxis _ _ 59 by by ADP IN _ 62 case _ _ 60 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 62 det _ _ 61 pleading pleading NOUN NN Number=Sing 62 compound _ _ 62 tones tone NOUN NNS Number=Plur 58 obl _ _ 63 of of ADP IN _ 66 case _ _ 64 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 66 det _ _ 65 little little ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 66 amod _ _ 66 creature creature NOUN NN Number=Sing 62 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 67 , , PUNCT , _ 68 punct _ _ 68 saying say VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 58 advcl _ SpaceAfter=No 69 , , PUNCT , _ 75 punct _ _ 70 ‘ ' PUNCT `` _ 75 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 71 If if SCONJ IN _ 75 mark _ _ 72 you you PRON PRP Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs 75 nsubj _ _ 73 will will AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 75 aux _ _ 74 only only ADV RB _ 75 advmod _ _ 75 spare spare VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 68 conj _ _ 76 my my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 77 nmod:poss _ _ 77 life life NOUN NN Number=Sing 75 obj _ _ 78 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 83 nsubj _ _ 79 may may AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 83 aux _ _ 80 be be AUX VB VerbForm=Inf 83 cop _ _ 81 of of ADP IN _ 83 case _ _ 82 great great ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 83 amod _ _ 83 service service NOUN NN Number=Sing 68 ccomp _ _ 84 to to ADP IN _ 85 case _ _ 85 you you PRON PRP Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs 83 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 86 . . PUNCT . _ 5 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **chance** | past | cat | | | | now; day | | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 2 | **go down** | past · perfect | Waska | | | | | to the palace cellar; down *property* | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute | | 3 | **hunt** | to-infinitive | Waska *not said here* | | | | | for mice and rats | vn hunt-35.1 «NP V PP.theme PP.location»: agent=Agent for mouse=Theme | | 4 | **see** | gerund | cat *not said here* | a fat | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer fat=Stimulus | | 5 | **feed** | participle | | | mouse | | | | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent mouse=Recipient | | 6 | **pounce** | past | Waska | | | | | upon cat | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme upon it=Trajectory | | 7 | **bury** | past | Waska *not said here* | Waska's claws | | cat's soft fur | | | vn put-9.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent claw=Theme in fur=Destination | | 8 | **go** | past · progressive | cat *not said here* | | | | | | vn say-37.7 «NP V S-Quote»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 9 | **gobble up** | to-infinitive | cat *not said here* | cat | | | | | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent it=Theme | | 10 | **stop** | past · passive | the pleading tones of the little creature | Waska | | | | | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: agent=Subeventuality subject=Eventuality | | 11 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund | the pleading tones of the little creature *not said here* | | | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent | | 12 | **spare** *a condition, not said to happen* | future | you | my life | | | | | vn bill-54.5 «NP V NP NP.asset»: agent=Agent life=Asset | | 13 | **is** | may | I | | you | | | of great service | tree rules | | 14 | **intonate** | | | the little creature | | | | | nom tone «communication transitive»: of=patient | 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. **Text:** «The Yellow Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang, Project Gutenberg book 640 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order. - ← previous: [sentence 166](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg640/33/166/) - next →: [sentence 168](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg640/33/168/) - ↑ back to [The Magic Ring](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg640/33/)