---
title: And the Ousel answered, "When I first came here there was a smith's… — Celtic Fairy Tales · tree and pragmatics
description: And the Ousel answered, "When I first came here there was a smith's anvil in this place, and I was then a young bird, and from that time no work has been done upon it, save the pecking of my beak every evening, and now there is not so much as the size of a nut remaining thereof; yet the vengeance of
---

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# Celtic Fairy Tales, The Wooing of Olwen, sentence 113

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
And the Ousel answered, "When I first came here there was a smith's anvil in this place, and I was then a young bird, and from that time no work has been done upon it, save the pecking of my beak every evening, and now there is not so much as the size of a nut remaining thereof; yet the vengeance of Heaven be upon me if during all that time I have ever heard of the man for whom you inquire.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Ousel, anvil, nut, vengeance, you · **What happens:** answer, come, be, do, save, not be · **To what, where:** young bird, work, pecking, time · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Celtic Fairy Tales» by Joseph Jacobs, The Wooing of Olwen. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (Ousel, anvil, nut, vengeance), 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:pg7885:17:113
# text = And the Ousel answered, "When I first came here there was a smith's anvil in this place, and I was then a young bird, and from that time no work has been done upon it, save the pecking of my beak every evening, and now there is not so much as the size of a nut remaining thereof; yet the vengeance of Heaven be upon me if during all that time I have ever heard of the man for whom you inquire.
1	And	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	Ousel	Ousel	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	answered	answer	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	When	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	10	advmod	_	_
8	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	10	advmod	_	_
10	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
11	here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	10	advmod	_	_
12	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	13	expl	_	_
13	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	advcl	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	smith	smith	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	's	PART	POS	_	15	case	_	_
17	anvil	anvil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
18	in	in	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	20	det	_	_
20	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	28	punct	_	_
22	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	28	cc	_	_
23	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	28	nsubj	_	_
24	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	28	cop	_	_
25	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	28	advmod	_	_
26	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	28	det	_	_
27	young	young	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	28	amod	_	_
28	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	38	punct	_	_
30	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	38	cc	_	_
31	from	from	ADP	IN	_	33	case	_	_
32	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	33	det	_	_
33	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	38	obl	_	_
34	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	35	det	_	_
35	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	38	nsubj:pass	_	_
36	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	38	aux	_	_
37	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	38	aux:pass	_	_
38	done	do	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	parataxis	_	_
39	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	40	case	_	_
40	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	38	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
41	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	42	punct	_	_
42	save	save	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	38	advcl	_	_
43	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	44	det	_	_
44	pecking	pecking	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	42	obj	_	_
45	of	of	ADP	IN	_	47	case	_	_
46	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	47	nmod:poss	_	_
47	beak	beak	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	44	nmod	_	_
48	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	49	det	_	_
49	evening	evening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	42	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
50	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	57	punct	_	_
51	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	57	cc	_	_
52	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	54	advmod	_	_
53	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	54	expl	_	_
54	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	57	cop	_	_
55	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	57	advmod	_	_
56	so	so	ADV	RB	_	57	advmod	_	_
57	much	much	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
58	as	as	ADP	IN	_	60	case	_	_
59	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	60	det	_	_
60	size	size	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	57	nmod	_	_
61	of	of	ADP	IN	_	63	case	_	_
62	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	63	det	_	_
63	nut	nut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	60	nmod	_	_
64	remaining	remain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	63	acl	_	_
65	thereof	thereof	ADV	RB	_	64	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
66	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	74	punct	_	_
67	yet	yet	CCONJ	CC	_	74	cc	_	_
68	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	69	det	_	_
69	vengeance	vengeance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	74	nsubj	_	_
70	of	of	ADP	IN	_	71	case	_	_
71	Heaven	Heaven	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	69	nmod	_	_
72	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	74	cop	_	_
73	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	74	case	_	_
74	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	obl	_	_
75	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	79	mark	_	_
76	during	during	ADP	IN	_	79	case	_	_
77	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	79	det:predet	_	_
78	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	79	det	_	_
79	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	74	obl:unmarked	_	_
80	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	83	nsubj	_	_
81	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	83	aux	_	_
82	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	83	advmod	_	_
83	heard	hear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	79	acl:relcl	_	_
84	of	of	ADP	IN	_	86	case	_	_
85	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	86	det	_	_
86	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	83	obl	_	_
87	for	for	ADP	IN	_	88	case	_	_
88	whom	whom	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	86	nmod	_	_
89	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	90	nsubj	_	_
90	inquire	inquire	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	88	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
91	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **answer** *speech: assert* | past | the Ousel |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **come** *in a quote* | past | the Ousel *= ousel* |  |  | here |  | first *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **be** *in a quote* | past | a smith's anvil in this place |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **is a** *in a quote* | past | the Ousel *= ousel* | a young bird |  |  | then |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **do** *in a quote* | present · perfect · passive |  | no work |  |  | time | upon Ousel | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |
| 6 | **save** *in a quote* | infinitive |  | the pecking of my beak |  |  | evening |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent pecking=Theme |
| 7 | **not** **is** *in a quote* | present | the Ousel *not said here* |  |  |  |  | as the size of a nut; much *property* | tree rules |
| 8 | **remain** *in a quote* | gerund | a nut *not said here* |  |  |  |  | thereof *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 9 | **is** *in a quote* | infinitive | the vengeance of Heaven |  |  |  | time | upon the Ousel *= ousel* | tree rules |
| 10 | **hear** *in a quote* | present · perfect | the Ousel *= ousel* | all time *not said here* |  |  | ever | of the man | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer time=Stimulus |
| 11 | **inquire** *speech: other* *in a quote* | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V»: agent=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.

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**Text:** «Celtic Fairy Tales» by Joseph Jacobs, Project Gutenberg book 7885 (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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