Potter was following the pattern of fairy tales by dwelling on the theme of pursuit and prey and, if there is a moral to Potter's interpretation of the theme, it tells us that an innocent, helpless, simple, or rash animal may become someone else's meal. Potter often pointed out that the tale of Jemima was a retelling of ``Little Red Riding Hood''. Perrault's tale ends with the death of the heroine, but Potter understood children will not tolerate tragedy. The prey in her books survive for better or worse (Peter returns home for a dose of chamomile tea, for example) and, though Jemima loses her eggs to her hungry rescuers, she lives to return to the farm to raise a brood of ducklings.
Potter was following the pattern of fairy tales by dwelling on the theme of pursuit and prey and, if there is a moral to Potter's interpretation of the theme, it tells us that an innocent, helpless, simple, or rash animal may become someone else's meal.
nsubj
Number=Sing
Potter
Potter
PROPN
NNP
aux
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
was
AUX
VBD
root
Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part
follow
following
VERB
VBG
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
pattern
pattern
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
compound
Number=Sing
fairy
fairy
NOUN
NN
nmod
Number=Plur
tale
tales
NOUN
NNS
mark
by
by
SCONJ
IN
advcl
VerbForm=Ger
dwelling
dwelling
VERB
VBG
case
on
on
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
theme
theme
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
pursuit
pursuit
NOUN
NN
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
conj
Number=Sing
prey
prey
NOUN
NN
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
if
if
SCONJ
IN
expl
there
there
PRON
EX
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
VERB
VBZ
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
moral
moral
ADJ
JJ
case
to
to
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
Potter
Potter
PROPN
NNP
case
's
's
PART
POS
nsubj
Number=Sing
interpretation
interpretation
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nmod
Number=Sing
theme
theme
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
it
it
PRON
PRP
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
tell
tells
VERB
VBZ
iobj
Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs
we
us
PRON
PRP
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
an
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
innocent
innocent
ADJ
JJ
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
conj
Degree=Pos
helpless
helpless
ADJ
JJ
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
conj
Degree=Pos
simple
simple
ADJ
JJ
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
cc
or
or
CCONJ
CC
conj
Number=Sing
rash
rash
NOUN
NN
nsubj
Number=Sing
animal
animal
NOUN
NN
aux
VerbForm=Fin
may
may
AUX
MD
ccomp
VerbForm=Inf
become
become
VERB
VB
nmod:poss
Number=Sing|PronType=Ind
someone
someone
PRON
NN
amod
Degree=Pos
else
else
ADJ
JJ
case
's
's
PART
POS
xcomp
Number=Sing
meal
meal
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
Potter often pointed out that the tale of Jemima was a retelling of ``Little Red Riding Hood''.
nsubj
Number=Sing
Potter
Potter
PROPN
NNP
advmod
often
often
ADV
RB
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
point
pointed
VERB
VBD
compound:prt
out
out
ADP
RP
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
tale
tale
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
Jemima
Jemima
PROPN
NNP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
was
AUX
VBD
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
ccomp
Number=Sing
retelling
retelling
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
amod
Degree=Pos
Little
Little
ADJ
NNP
amod
Degree=Pos|Number=Sing
Red
Red
ADJ
NNP
compound
Number=Sing
Riding
Riding
PROPN
NNP
nmod
Number=Sing
Hood''
Hood''
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
<UNK>
<UNK>
PROPN
NNP
appos
Number=Sing
<UNK>
<UNK>
PROPN
NNP
Perrault's tale ends with the death of the heroine, but Potter understood children will not tolerate tragedy.
nmod:poss
Number=Sing
Perrault
Perrault
PROPN
NNP
case
's
's
PART
POS
nsubj
Number=Sing
tale
tale
NOUN
NN
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
end
ends
VERB
VBZ
case
with
with
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
death
death
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
nmod
Number=Sing
heroine
heroine
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
cc
but
but
CCONJ
CC
nsubj
Number=Sing
Potter
Potter
PROPN
NNP
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
understand
understood
VERB
VBD
nsubj
Number=Plur
child
children
NOUN
NNS
aux
VerbForm=Fin
will
will
AUX
MD
advmod
not
not
PART
RB
ccomp
VerbForm=Inf
tolerate
tolerate
VERB
VB
obj
Number=Sing
tragedy
tragedy
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
The prey in her books survive for better or worse (Peter returns home for a dose of chamomile tea, for example) and, though Jemima loses her eggs to her hungry rescuers, she lives to return to the farm to raise a brood of ducklings.
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
The
DET
DT
nsubj
Number=Sing
prey
prey
NOUN
NN
case
in
in
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
nmod
Number=Plur
book
books
NOUN
NNS
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
survive
survive
VERB
VBP
case
for
for
ADP
IN
obl
Degree=Cmp
good
better
ADJ
JJR
cc
or
or
CCONJ
CC
conj
Degree=Cmp
bad
worse
ADJ
JJR
punct
(
(
PUNCT
-LRB-
nsubj
Number=Sing
Peter
Peter
PROPN
NNP
parataxis
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
return
returns
VERB
VBZ
advmod
home
home
ADV
RB
case
for
for
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
dose
dose
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
compound
Number=Sing
chamomile
chamomile
NOUN
NN
nmod
Number=Sing
tea
tea
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
case
for
for
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
example
example
NOUN
NN
punct
)
)
PUNCT
-RRB-
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
though
though
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Number=Sing
Jemima
Jemima
PROPN
NNP
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
lose
loses
VERB
VBZ
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
obj
Number=Plur
egg
eggs
NOUN
NNS
case
to
to
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
amod
Degree=Pos
hungry
hungry
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Plur
rescuer
rescuers
NOUN
NNS
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
she
she
PRON
PRP
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
live
lives
VERB
VBZ
mark
to
to
PART
TO
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
return
return
VERB
VB
case
to
to
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
farm
farm
NOUN
NN
mark
to
to
PART
TO
advcl
VerbForm=Inf
raise
raise
VERB
VB
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
obj
Number=Sing
brood
brood
NOUN
NN
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Plur
duckling
ducklings
NOUN
NNS
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.