batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l1823-l1836
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l1823-l1836
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE ASS AND HIS SHADOW / THE FARMER AND HIS SONS / THE DOG AND THE COOK /
THE MONKEY AS KING; lines 1823-1836
start: '1823'
end: '1836'
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: At an assembly of animals, the Monkey wins approval by dancing and is made
king. The Fox, displeased by this promotion, leads the Monkey to a baited trap
by presenting the meat as a royal delicacy. The Monkey is caught, reproaches the
Fox, and is mocked for lacking the sense expected of a king.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: All the animals gather, and the Monkey dances before them.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The animals are delighted by the Monkey and make him their King.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The Fox is disgusted by the Monkey's promotion.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The Fox finds a trap containing a piece of meat.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The Fox tells the Monkey that the meat should be reserved for him as King.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: The Monkey goes toward the meat and is caught in the trap.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The Monkey reproaches the Fox for leading him into danger.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: The Fox laughs and says the Monkey lacks the sense expected of a King of the
Beasts.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Monkey
description: An animal who dances, is made King, accepts the Fox's offer of meat,
and is caught in the trap.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Fox
description: An animal disgusted by the Monkey's promotion who leads the Monkey
to a baited trap and mocks him after he is caught.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: all the animals
description: The gathered animals who are delighted by the Monkey's dance and make
him King.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
roles:
- id: role:1
label: promoted king
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The animals make the Monkey their King after his dance delights them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: deceived victim
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The Monkey accepts the Fox's presentation of the meat and is caught in the
trap.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: deceiver
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Fox leads the Monkey to a trap by describing the bait as a morsel reserved
for the King.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: mocking critic
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: After the Monkey is caught, the Fox laughs and criticizes his lack of sense.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: kingmakers
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The gathered animals make the Monkey their King.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: baited trap
literal_form: a trap with a piece of meat in it
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: reserved morsel
literal_form: piece of meat presented as a dainty morsel reserved for the King
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: dance before the animals
literal_form: the Monkey danced at a gathering of all the animals
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:4
label: animal kingship
literal_form: the Monkey is made King / King of the Beasts
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Election at the animal gathering
summary: The animals gather, the Monkey dances, and they make him King because the
dance delights them.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Fox presents the bait
summary: The Fox, displeased by the Monkey's promotion, finds a trap with meat and
tells the Monkey the morsel should be reserved for him as King.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Monkey caught and mocked
summary: The Monkey goes for the meat, is caught in the trap, reproaches the Fox,
and is mocked for calling himself King without having enough sense to avoid the
trick.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: trickster exposes a foolish ruler
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: The Fox uses a baited trap and deferential royal language to expose the Monkey's
lack of sense after his elevation to kingship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage presents animal deception
rather than an explicit mythic boundary-crossing episode.
- id: motif:2
label: unworthy or unwise king
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The Monkey is made King because he delights the animals, but his immediate
capture in a simple trap leads the Fox to challenge his fitness as King of the
Beasts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage frames the issue as practical sense rather than formal royal
legitimacy doctrine.
- id: motif:3
label: baited food leads to capture
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A piece of meat in a trap is presented as a desirable morsel, and the Monkey
is caught when he goes for it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly matches this concrete fable pattern.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1823-1826
quote_or_summary: At a gathering of all the animals, the Monkey dances, delights
them, and is made King.
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 1826-1832
quote_or_summary: The Fox is disgusted by the Monkey's promotion, finds a trap with
meat in it, takes the Monkey there, and presents the meat as a morsel reserved
for the King.
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 1832-1834
quote_or_summary: The Monkey goes toward the meat, is caught in the trap, and reproaches
the Fox for leading him into danger.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 1834-1836
quote_or_summary: "“O Monkey, you call yourself King of the Beasts and haven't more
sense than to be taken in like that!”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is brief and the literal extraction is straightforward. Motif
taxonomy alignment is approximate because the available motif families are broad.
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 parallels or tale-type comparisons were added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l1823-l1836
passage_sha256=3c911c26f9113977be800d41527dc6d8440ff886e14ffbff1416ea7396bf722c