そこに八つの小石があった。

there (place relatively near listener); there (place just mentioned); that place; then (of some incident just spoken of); that (of point just raised); you

at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although

eight

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

pebble

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

to be (usu. of inanimate objects); to exist; to live; to have; to be located; to be equipped with; to happen; to come about