batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l2481-l2495
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l2481-l2495
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE PEACOCK AND JUNO / THE BEAR AND THE FOX / THE ASS AND THE OLD PEASANT
/ THE OX AND THE FROG; lines 2481-2495
start: '2481'
end: '2495'
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: Two young frogs are at a pool when an ox comes to drink and accidentally
crushes one of them. The surviving frog tells their mother that an enormous four-legged
creature killed his brother. The mother frog repeatedly inflates herself while
asking if she is as large as the creature, but the young frog says the creature
was much bigger. She inflates herself further until she bursts.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Two little frogs are playing at the edge of a pool.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: An ox comes down to the water to drink.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The ox accidentally steps on one of the little frogs and kills him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: The old frog asks the surviving brother where the missing frog is.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The surviving little frog reports that an enormous four-legged creature trampled
his brother in the mud.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: The old frog repeatedly puffs herself out while asking whether the creature
was as big as she is.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The surviving little frog repeatedly says the creature was much bigger than
the old frog's inflated size.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: The old frog puffs herself almost round as a ball and then bursts.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: killed little Frog
description: One of the two little frogs; he is accidentally trodden on by the ox
and killed.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: surviving little Frog / brother
description: The brother of the killed frog; he tells the old frog what happened
and says the creature was much bigger than she is.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Ox
description: A large four-legged animal that comes to the pool to drink and accidentally
crushes a little frog.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: old Frog / mother
description: The mother frog who asks about the missing frog, inflates herself in
attempted size comparison, and bursts.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: accidental killer
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The ox comes to drink and accidentally treads on one little frog, killing
him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: victim
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The little frog is crushed and later reported dead.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: witness and reporter
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The surviving brother reports the death and describes the creature as enormous.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: self-inflating questioner
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The mother asks whether the creature was as large as her inflated body and
continues puffing herself out until she bursts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: pool water
literal_form: pool / water
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: inflated body
literal_form: the old frog puffing herself out almost round as a ball
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: mud
literal_form: mud at the pool where the young frog is trampled
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: accident at the pool
summary: Two young frogs play at the edge of a pool; an ox comes to drink and accidentally
crushes one of them.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: report to the mother frog
summary: The old frog asks where the missing frog is, and the surviving brother
explains that an enormous four-legged creature trampled him in the mud.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: fatal self-inflation
summary: The old frog repeatedly inflates herself to match the size of the creature;
the surviving frog says the creature was still much bigger, and she inflates herself
until she bursts.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: fatal attempt to match a greater being
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The old frog tries to make herself as large as the enormous creature described
by the young frog, and the effort ends with her bursting.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The broad taxonomy reference to wisdom reflects the fable-like cautionary
pattern; the excerpt itself does not state an explicit moral.
- id: motif:2
label: small creature destroyed by misjudging size or capacity
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The old frog responds to the report of an enormous ox by expanding herself
beyond her capacity until she bursts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: This is a passage-level motif label, not a supplied taxonomy identifier.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 2481-2485
quote_or_summary: Two little frogs play at the edge of a pool; an ox comes to drink
and accidentally steps on one, killing him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 2485-2488
quote_or_summary: The old frog asks where the missing frog is; the surviving brother
says he is dead and describes an enormous four-legged creature trampling him in
the mud.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 2488-2493
quote_or_summary: The old frog puffs herself out and repeatedly asks if the creature
was as big as she is; the little frog replies that it was much bigger.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source text.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: 2493-2495
quote_or_summary: "“she puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round
as a ball” and then “she burst.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; short excerpt used for evidence.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward from the passage. Motif labels are
interpretive and should be reviewed, especially the broad use of the wisdom taxonomy
family.
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: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly support comparison to another corpus or tradition.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l2481-l2495
passage_sha256=15ee52f7641593e93471ccc4300704e39e3c870660958a9331c091deafb0d0fc