“And all these words are adjectives, are they?”
“Yes,” answered Adjective. “All words that can be put before thing or things are adjectives.”
“A thing, the thing,” remarked little Article, looking up with a cunning smile at Adjective. “A and the are both articles.”
“A and the don’t count, of course,” said Adjective, impatiently. “Besides, they were adjectives once, people say, only they got so worn out, that I let my ragged little cousin Article have them. But except a and the, there is no word that you can put before thing or things that is not an adjective. A beautiful thing, an ugly thing, bad things, good things, green things, yellow things, large things, little things; and so you can say, one thing, two things, some things, any things; and also, this thing, that thing, these things, those things.”
“That seems a very easy way of finding out an adjective,” remarked the Judge. “I hope it is a correct way.”
“Indeed it is, my lord,” said Adjective, earnestly. “See, I can give you many more examples.
A lovely, graceful, beautiful thing,
A useful, homely, dutiful thing;
Foolish, childish, useless things;
Handsome, rich, and priceless things.”