--- title: The Girl Who Was the Ring [1] — The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian S… · full text with trees description: The Girl Who Was the Ring [1], «The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian Stories» by George Bird Grinnell: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: By the bank of a river stood a lodge, in which lived four brothers and their sister. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/7/) [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 Punishment of the Stingy, and Othe…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/) / The Girl Who Was the Ring \[1\] # The Girl Who Was the Ring \[1\] The Girl Who Was the Ring \[1\] of «The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian Stories» by George Bird Grinnell: the whole text, 162 sentences and 2909 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/pg66596/7/page/2/) By the bank of a river stood a lodge, in which lived four brothers and their sister.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The boys made arrows.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") To the branch of a tree in front of the lodge they had hung a rawhide strap, such as women use for carrying wood, so as to make a swing for the girl.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Whenever their meat was all gone and they began to get hungry, the girl used to send her brothers into the timber to cut dogwood shoots to make arrows.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") When the arrows were ready, she would get into the swing and the boys would swing her.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") As the swing moved, they would see dust rising all around the horizon, and would know that the Buffalo were coming.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Then all four boys would take their bows and arrows, and stand about the swing so as to protect the girl and not let the Buffalo come near her.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Buffalo had come close, the boys would kill them in a circle all about the swing.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") They would quickly carry the girl into the lodge, and would kill so many Buffalo that the rest would be frightened and run away.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") So they would have plenty to eat, and the dried meat would be piled high in the lodge.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") One day the boys went out to get wood for arrows, and left the girl in the lodge alone.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") While they were away a Coyote came to the lodge and talked to the girl.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") He said to her: “Granddaughter, I am very poor, and I am very hungry.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") I have no meat in my lodge, and my children also are hungry.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") I told my relations that I was coming to ask you for food, and they have been laughing at me.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") They said, ‘Your granddaughter will not give you anything to eat.’”[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The girl answered him: “Grandfather, here is plenty of meat.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") This house is full of it.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Take what you want.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Take the fattest pieces.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Take it to your children.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Let them eat.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote began to cry.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") He said: “Yes, my relations laughed at me when I said I was going to visit you and ask you for something to eat.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") They said you would not give me anything.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") I do not want any dried meat—I want some fresh meat to take to my children.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Have pity on me, and let me put you in the swing, so as to bring the Buffalo.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") I do not want to swing you hard so as to bring the Buffalo in great herds.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") I want to swing you only a little so as to bring a few Buffalo.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") I have a quiver full of arrows to keep the Buffalo off.”[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") The girl said: “No, grandfather, I cannot do this.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") My brothers are away.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Without them we can do nothing.”[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Coyote slapped his breast and said: “Look at me.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Am I not a man and strong?[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") I can run around you fast, after you are in the swing, and I can keep the Buffalo off.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") I can shoot clear through a Buffalo.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") I have plenty of arrows, and I need only use a single one for each Buffalo.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") Come on, I want to swing you just a little, so that but few Buffalo will come.”[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") So he coaxed the girl, but still she refused.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") After he had begged her for a long time, she agreed to let him swing her a little, and got in the swing.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") He began to swing her, at first gently, but all at once he pushed her very hard, and kept doing this until she swung high.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") She screamed and cried, and tried to get off the swing, but it was now too late.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") All around—from all sides—the Buffalo were coming in great crowds.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote had made ready his arrows, and was running around the girl, trying to kill the Buffalo and keep them off, but they crowded upon him—so many that he could do nothing—and at last he got frightened and ran into the lodge.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") The Buffalo were now just all over the ground about the lodge, and suddenly one of the young Bulls, the leader of a big band, as he passed under the swing, threw up his head, and the girl disappeared, but the Coyote, peeping out of the lodge door, saw on the horn of this Bull a ring, and then he knew that this ring was the girl.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Bull ran away fast, and all the Buffalo ran after him.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Buffalo had gone, the Coyote came out of the lodge and saw that the girl was not there.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") He did not know what to do.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") He was frightened.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") Pretty soon he heard the girl’s brothers coming.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") They had seen the dust, and knew that some one was swinging their sister, and that the Buffalo had come.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") They hurried back, running fast, and when they reached the lodge they found the Coyote just dragging himself out of a mud-hole.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") He crawled out, crying, and pretended that the Buffalo had run over him and trampled him.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") His bow and arrows were in the mud.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") He told the brothers his story and said that he had tried hard to save the girl, but that he had not known that so many Buffalo would come.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") He said he had thought that the girl must be swung high, so that the Buffalo could see her from a long way off.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") The brothers felt very sorry that their sister was lost.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") They counselled together to see what they should do, trying to decide what would be the best plan to get her back again.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") While they were talking about this, the Coyote, with all the mud upon him, stood before them and said: “Brothers, do not feel sorry because your sister is lost.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") I will get her back again.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") Live on just as you always do.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Do not think about this.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Do not let it trouble you.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") I will get her back again.”[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") After he had spoken thus, he said, “Now I am going to start off on the war-path,” and he left them and went away.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") He journeyed on alone considering what he should do, and at length, as he was travelling along over the prairie, he met a Badger, who said to him, “Brother, where are you going?”[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote said: “I am going on the war-path against my enemies.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") Will you join my party?”[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") The Badger said, “Yes, I will join you.”[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") They went on.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") After they had gone a long way, they saw a Swift Hawk sitting on the limb of a tree by a ravine.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") He asked them where they were going, and they told him, and asked him if he would go with them.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") He said he would go.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") After a time they met a Kit Fox, and asked him to join them, and he did so.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they met a Jack Rabbit, who said he would go with them.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") They went on, and at length they met a Blackbird, and asked him to join them.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") He said: “Let it be so.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") I will go.”[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon after they had all got together they stopped and sat down, and the Coyote told them how the girl had been lost, and said that he intended to try to get her back.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they talked, and the Coyote told them the plan that he—the leader—had made.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") The others listened, and said that they would do whatever he told them to do.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") They were all glad to help to recover the girl.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") Then they all stood up and made ready to start, and the Coyote said to the Blackbird, “Friend, you stay here until the time comes.”[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Blackbird remained there where they had been talking, and the others went on.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") After they had gone some distance farther, the Coyote told the Hawk to stop and wait there.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") He did so.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") The others went on a long way, and then the Coyote said to the Rabbit, “You stay here.”[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") The others went on, and at the next stopping-place he left the Kit Fox; and at the next—last of all—he left the Badger.[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Coyote went on alone and travelled a long way, and at length he came to the Buffalo camp.[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") He went out to the place where the young Bulls used to play the stick game, and lay down there.[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") It was early in the morning.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") After a time some of the young Bulls came out, and began to roll the ring and to throw their sticks at it.[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") The Coyote now pretended to be very sick.[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") His hair was all covered with mud, and his tongue hung out of his mouth, and he staggered about and fell down and then got up again, and seemed to feel badly.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") Sometimes he would get over near to where the ring was being rolled, and then the young Bulls would call out: “Here, hold on\![96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") Get away there\![97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") Don’t get in the way.”[98](98/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/7/page/2/) - ← previous: [Bluejay Visits the Ghosts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/6/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/7/page/2/) - ↑ back to [The Punishment of the Stingy, and Other Indian Stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66596/)