batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l1609-l1619
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l1609-l1619
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE SLAVE AND THE LION / THE FLEA AND THE MAN / THE BEE AND JUPITER / THE
OAK AND THE REEDS; lines 1609-1619
start: '1609'
end: '1619'
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: ''
summary: An oak growing by a river is uprooted by a severe wind and thrown into
the stream. It asks nearby reeds how they survived despite being frail. The reeds
answer that the oak resisted the storm, while they survive by bowing and yielding
to each breeze.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: An oak grew on the bank of a river.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A severe gale uprooted the oak and threw it across the stream.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The oak fell among reeds growing by the water.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: The oak asked the reeds how they had survived the storm despite being frail
and slender.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The reeds replied that the oak was stubborn and fought the storm, while they
bow and yield to every breeze.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The reeds say that yielding allowed the gale to pass harmlessly over their
heads.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Oak
description: A strong oak tree growing on a riverbank, uprooted by a severe gale
and thrown into the river.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Reeds
description: Frail and slender reeds growing by the water that survive the storm
by bowing and yielding.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Severe gale of wind
description: The storm-force wind that uproots the oak and passes over the reeds.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: resisting uprooted figure
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The oak is described as strong but stubborn, fighting the storm and being
torn up by the roots.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: yielding survivor figure
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The reeds survive because they bow and yield to every breeze.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: overpowering natural force
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The gale is stronger than the oak and uproots it, but passes harmlessly over
the yielding reeds.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: oak tree
literal_form: Oak
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: reeds
literal_form: Reeds growing by the water
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: river water
literal_form: River, stream, and water beside which the plants grow
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:4
label: storm wind
literal_form: Severe gale of wind and storm
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Oak uprooted by storm
summary: A severe gale uproots an oak on a riverbank and throws it across the stream
among reeds.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Oak questions the reeds
summary: The uprooted oak asks how the frail reeds survived the storm when it was
torn up and hurled into the river.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Reeds explain survival through yielding
summary: The reeds answer that the oak resisted the stronger storm, whereas they
bow and yield so the gale passes over them harmlessly.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: survival through yielding rather than resistance
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The reeds explicitly contrast the oak's stubborn resistance with their own
practice of bowing and yielding, which allows them to survive the gale.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The supplied taxonomy has no exact motif for flexibility versus rigidity;
the “wisdom” family is used only as a broad practical-wisdom classification.
- id: motif:2
label: strong figure defeated, frail figures endure
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The strong oak is uprooted, while the frail and slender reeds weather the
same storm.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: This is a passage-level pattern label, not a supplied taxonomy reference.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1609-1613
quote_or_summary: An oak on a riverbank is uprooted by a severe gale, thrown across
the stream, and falls among reeds growing by the water.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1613-1616
quote_or_summary: The oak asks the reeds how they, being frail and slender, managed
to weather the storm while it was torn up by the roots and hurled into the river.
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 1616-1619
quote_or_summary: The reeds reply that the oak was stubborn and fought the stronger
storm, but they bow and yield to every breeze, so the gale passed harmlessly over
them.
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 classification is cautious because
the available taxonomy includes only broad families, and the passage itself does
not make an external comparative claim.
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; although the locator label lists several fables, the passage text provided is “THE OAK AND THE REEDS.”
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l1609-l1619
passage_sha256=c82c3c65de0371ba216cb3e1408a03b56e345030e874ceafeadba0fd53b1f5c1