--- title: Opening, part 3 — The Jade Story Book; Stories from the Orient · full text with trees description: Opening, part 3, «The Jade Story Book; Stories from the Orient» by Penrhyn Wingfield Coussens: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Seeing these two men about to die for a crime which he had committed, he was filled with remorse. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/3/) [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 Jade Story Book; Stories from the…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/) / Opening, part 3 # Opening, part 3 Opening, part 3 of «The Jade Story Book; Stories from the Orient» by Penrhyn Wingfield Coussens: the whole text, 108 sentences and 2568 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/3/page/2/) Seeing these two men about to die for a crime which he had committed, he was filled with remorse.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") He said to himself: “I will not permit innocent blood to be shed; if I do, the vengeance of God will sooner or later overtake me, and it is better to suffer a short pain in this world than to be in everlasting torment in the next.”[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") So he cried out, “Slay not the guiltless, for neither of these men has done murder.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") I only am the criminal; let them go.”[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The people were filled with amazement, and the three men were at once taken to the judge, who was much astonished at this unusual occurrence.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The matter was explained to him, and then, addressing the Egyptian, he said:[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") “Friend, why did you confess yourself the murderer?”[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") “My lord,” answered he, “I will tell you the reason.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") In my own land I was, until recently, a man of wealth, and had all that riches could buy, but through no fault of mine I lost all this, and am now destitute.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") I was ashamed at my condition, and saw, in this confession, an end to my misfortunes.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") I am willing to die, and beseech you to order my death.”[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") The judge then turned to the merchant of Bagdad and said: “And you, my friend; why did you acknowledge yourself to be the murderer?”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") The merchant replied: “My lord, this man is my benefactor.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") I have enjoyed his hospitality, and while at his home he bestowed upon me a wife, whom he had educated for his own, and who possessed great wealth.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") When, therefore, I saw my friend being led to his death, I proclaimed myself the murderer, hoping thus to take his place.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") For his love I would willingly perish.”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") It was now the turn of the third man, who was the real criminal.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The judge asked him what he had to say for himself, and he answered:[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") “When I confessed, I told the truth.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") The burden which would have been mine had I allowed these two innocent men to suffer death for a crime that was my own would have been too heavy for me to bear, and I preferred to pay the penalty.”[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") For some time the judge considered the stories of the three men, then he said to the last one to speak:[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") “As you have declared the truth and thereby saved the lives of two innocent men, I pardon you.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Study to amend your future life, and go in peace.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The decision of the judge was praised by all the people, who were quick to acknowledge the generosity of the merchant who would have given his life to save his friend, and the honorable manner in which the guilty person had rescued from death the two who were innocent.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") PUNCHKIN[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Once upon a time there was a Rajah who had seven daughters.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") They were all good, beautiful and clever girls, but especially so was the youngest, whose name was Balna.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") The Rajah’s wife died when they were very little children, so these seven Princesses grew up without having a loving mother to watch over and care for them.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as they were old enough, the Rajah’s daughters took turns every day to cook their father’s dinner, while he was busily engaged with his ministers in directing the affairs of his country.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") About this time the Prime Minister died, leaving a widow and one daughter, and every day, when the Princesses were getting the Rajah’s dinner ready, the widow and her daughter would come and beg for some fire from the hearth.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Balna would say to her sisters: “Let us send that woman away; why does she want our fire, when she has her own house?[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") If we continue to allow her to come here, we shall some day be sorry for it.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") But the other sisters rebuked her, and so the widow continued to take some fire from the hearth, but while no one was looking, she would throw some mud into the dishes which were being prepared for the Rajah’s dinner.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") One of the reasons that the daughters always prepared the food for their father was that there should be no danger of his being poisoned by his enemies, so when he found the mud mixed with his dinner he thought it was because they were careless; he knew they would not do such a thing on purpose.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") He loved them all very much, and hadn’t the heart to reprove them, even though his meals were spoiled for several days.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") This happened so often that it puzzled him, and so he made up his mind one day to hide, and watch his daughters cooking; so, going into the room next to the kitchen, he saw everything through a hole in the wall.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") His daughters carefully washed the rice and prepared the curry, and when these were ready, they put each dish on the fire.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Very soon the widow came to the door, and begged for a few sticks from the fire with which to cook her own dinner.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Balna was angry with her, as usual, and said: “Why don’t you keep fuel in your own house, instead of coming here every day and taking ours?[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Sisters, don’t give her any more wood; let her use her own.”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") But the others said: “The poor woman is doing us no harm, so let her take a little wood and fire.”[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Balna replied, “Perhaps some day she will do us harm, and then we shall all be sorry for it.”[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Rajah saw the Prime Minister’s widow go to the hearth, and as she took the wood, throw some mud into each of the dishes.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") This made him very angry, and he ordered that the woman be brought before him.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") This was done, but the widow spoke to him so very cleverly, saying that she had done this thing only that she might gain an audience with him, and so cunningly did she speak that she actually pleased him well with her words, and instead of punishing her, the Rajah married her; so she and her daughter came to the palace to live.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") The new Ranee hated the seven poor Princesses, and wanted to get rid of them, so that her daughter might have all their riches.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") She was very unkind to them, and made them as miserable as she could, giving them only bread to eat and water to drink, and very little of either.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") This was very hard for the seven poor Princesses, who had always been used to the best of everything, and each day they would sit by their dead mother’s tomb, and say:[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, mother, cannot you see how unhappy and miserable your poor children are, and how our cruel stepmother is starving us?”[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") One day, while they were thus engaged, a beautiful pomelo tree grew up out of the grave, covered with fresh ripe pomelos, and the children certainly enjoyed the delicious fruit.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") And each day after this, instead of eating the poor food their stepmother provided for them, they would go to their mother’s grave and eat the pomelos which grew there on the tree.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") The stepmother was astonished that the seven girls should eat nothing and yet be well, so she told her daughter to watch them.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Next day the Prime Minister’s daughter followed them, and saw the Princesses gather and eat the pomelos.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") Balna saw the girl watching them, and said to her sisters: “Let us drive that girl away, or else she will tell her mother all about it, and then we shall be worse off than ever.”[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/3/page/2/) - ← previous: [Opening, part 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/2/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/3/page/2/) - ↑ back to [The Jade Story Book; Stories from the Orient](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/)