batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l1356-l1366
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l1356-l1366
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE GOODS AND THE ILLS / THE HARES AND THE FROGS / THE FOX AND THE STORK
/ THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING; lines 1356-1366
start: '1356'
end: '1366'
translation: Aesop's Fables; a new translation
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: "“he clothed himself in a sheepskin”"
summary: A wolf disguises himself in a sheepskin to enter a flock unnoticed. The
shepherd is deceived and pens him with the sheep, but later kills him by mistake
while seeking mutton.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A wolf decides to disguise himself so he can prey on a flock of sheep without
being detected.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The wolf puts on a sheepskin and enters among the sheep while they are at
pasture.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The shepherd is deceived by the disguise and shuts the wolf in with the flock
for the night.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: That night the shepherd needs mutton for the table and mistakenly takes the
wolf for a sheep.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The shepherd kills the wolf with a knife on the spot.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Wolf
description: A wolf who disguises himself in a sheepskin and enters the sheep flock.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Shepherd
description: The caretaker of the flock who is deceived by the wolf’s disguise and
later kills him by mistake.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Flock of sheep
description: The sheep among whom the disguised wolf slips and with whom he is penned
for the night.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
roles:
- id: role:1
label: disguised predator
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The wolf disguises himself to prey on the sheep without detection.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: deceiver caught by mistaken identity
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The wolf successfully deceives the shepherd but is then killed because he
is mistaken for a sheep.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: deceived flock-keeper
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The shepherd is completely deceived and pens the wolf with the flock.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: unwitting executioner
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The shepherd kills the wolf while mistaking him for a sheep intended as mutton.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: intended prey group
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The wolf enters the flock in order to prey upon the sheep.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sheepskin disguise
literal_form: sheepskin worn by the wolf
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: sheepfold at night
literal_form: flock penned for the night
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: knife
literal_form: knife used by the shepherd to kill the wolf
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Disguise and entry among the flock
summary: The wolf puts on a sheepskin and joins the sheep at pasture in order to
avoid detection.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Deception of the shepherd
summary: The shepherd accepts the disguised wolf as part of the flock and shuts
him in for the night.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Mistaken slaughter
summary: The shepherd seeks mutton, mistakes the disguised wolf for a sheep, and
kills him with a knife.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: predator disguised among prey
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: The wolf crosses into the flock by wearing a sheepskin, using disguise to
breach the boundary between predator and prey.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage shows disguise and boundary-crossing
but not an explicit named trickster figure.
- id: motif:2
label: deceiver destroyed by his own disguise
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The wolf’s disguise succeeds in fooling the shepherd, but that same mistaken
identity causes the shepherd to kill him as if he were a sheep.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: Motif label is descriptive and not tied to a supplied taxonomy ID.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 1356-1361
quote_or_summary: The wolf resolves to disguise himself to prey on sheep undetected;
he clothes himself in a sheepskin and slips among the sheep at pasture.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; brief summary with short quoted phrase used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1361-1363
quote_or_summary: The shepherd is completely deceived, and when the flock is penned
for the night the wolf is shut in with the rest.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1363-1366
quote_or_summary: That night the shepherd needs mutton, takes hold of the wolf by
mistake for a sheep, and kills him with a knife on the spot.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward. Motif candidates are descriptive;
the broad taxonomy match to trickster_boundary should be reviewed.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Only the supplied passage text was used; no external Aesop tradition or comparative material was added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l1356-l1366
passage_sha256=0d4a7ae418fb88e7150267a570e9af8fc3e52b6a490ad63513d1607cdd6a20a1