Mental Spaces in Grammar: The door-scraper in the Wild Wood: an informal lesson in frame metonymy

Suddenly, the Rat cried “Hooray!” and then “Hooray-oo-ray-oo-ray-oo-ray!” and fell to executing a feeble jig in the snow. “What have you found, Ratty?” asked the Mole, still nursing his leg. “Come and see!” said the delighted Rat, as he jigged on. The Mole hobbled up to the spot and had a good look. “Well,” he said at last, slowly, “I see it right enough. Seen the same sort of thing before, lots of times. Familiar object, I call it. A door-scraper! Well, what of it? Why dance jigs round a door-scraper?” “But don’t you see what it means, you – you dull-witted animal?” cried the Rat impatiently. “Of course I see what it means,” replied the Mole. “It simply means that some very careless and forgetful person has left his door-scraper lying about in the middle of the Wild Wood, just where it’s sure to trip everybody up. Very thoughtless of him, I call it. When I get home I shall go and complain about it to – to somebody or other, see if I don’t!” “O dear! O dear!” cried the Rat, in despair at his obtuseness. “Here, stop arguing and come and scrape!” And he set to work again and made the snow fly in all directions around him. After some further toil his efforts were rewarded, and a very shabby doormat lay exposed to view. “There, what did I tell you?” exclaimed the Rat, in great triumph. “Absolutely nothing whatever,” replied the Mole, with perfect truthfulness. “Well now,” he went on, “you seem to have found another piece of domestic litter, done for and thrown away, and I suppose you’re perfectly happy. Better go ahead, and dance your jig round that if you’ve got to, and get it over, and

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