L5F05A

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Aesops' Fable # 5: The Lion and the Mouse Answer Key for Level 5
Words that remained to be explained (and some for which a better explanation can now be provided) are in 18-point bold black, with their functions indicated after them. The font size of words aleady analyzed has been decreased. Spaces Missing between Words? (Click here for an explanation.)

Once [when a Lion was asleep] a little Mouse began

running up and down {upon him}; / this soon wakened the Lion,

[who placed his huge paw {upon him}, and opened his big jaws

to swallow him]. / "Pardon ^Note
#1, O (Interjection ^Note
#2)

King (Direct Address)," cried the little Mouse: / "forgive me

this time (NuA), / I shall never forget it: / who knows [but

what I may be able to do you a turn some (NuA) {of these

days}?"] / The Lion was so tickled {at the idea} {of the Mouse

being able (Noun Absolute - Object of the preposition

"of") to help him), [that he lifted up his paw and let him go.] /

Some time (NuA) {after} the Lion was caught {in a trap}, /

and the hunters [who desired to carry him alive (Post-positioned

adjective ^Note
#3) {to the King},] tied him {to a tree} [while they

went {in search} {of a waggon} to carry him {on}.] / Just then the little

Mouse happened to pass {by}, and seeing the sad plight [{in which}

the Lion was,] went up {to him} and soon gnawed away the ropes

[that bound the King {of the Beasts}.] / ["Was I not right?"] said the

little Mouse. /

Little friends may prove great friends. /

Gutenberg Project
Aesopa10.txt

Notes

1. Although I have left "Pardon" as unexplained until this level, it could have been explained earlier in either of two, equally acceptable ways. It is either a verb ("Pardon me") or a direct object (Give me a pardon.) in a highly ellipsed subordinate clause ("Pardon, O King") which functions as the direct object of "cried."

2. I would not belabor the point that "O" is an interjection. If a student said that "O King" is direct address, I would accept it and move on unless some other student raised the question of "O."

3. This could be analyzed as a highly reduced subordinate clause: "to carry him [*while he was* alive] to the King," but it is much simpler to call it a post-positioned adjective.

Progress
Total Words = 184	Words	%
L1: In Prep Phrases	37	20
L1: + Adj & Adverbs	43	43
+ L2: S / V / C	73	83
+ L3: Clauses	6	86
+ L4: Verbals	18	96
+ Eight Other	7	100

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