Very small and damaged and quite dry, 
a Roman water nymph made of bone 
tries to summon a river out of limestone
...
exhausted     utterly worn down
a Roman water nymph made of bone 
being the last known speaker of her language 
she tries to summon a river out of limestone
...
a Roman water nymph made of bone 
very endangered now
in a largely unintelligible monotone 
she tries to summon a river out of limestone
...
she struggles to summon a river out of limestone
...
she pleads she pleads a river out of limestone