batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l2498-l2508
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l2498-l2508
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE BEAR AND THE FOX / THE ASS AND THE OLD PEASANT / THE OX AND THE FROG
/ THE MAN AND THE IMAGE; lines 2498-2508
start: '2498'
end: '2508'
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: A poor man prays daily to a wooden image of a god for riches but remains
poor. In disgust he throws the image against a wall; its head splits open and
gold coins fall out. He gathers the coins and says the image benefited him only
after he insulted and struck it.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A poor man possesses a wooden image of a god and prays to it daily for riches.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The man continues this practice for a long time and remains poor.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: In disgust, the man throws the image against a wall with all his strength.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The blow splits open the image’s head, and gold coins fall onto the floor.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The man gathers the gold coins greedily and addresses the image as a fraud,
contrasting his former honor with his later insults and violence.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Poor Man
description: A poor man who prays for riches, then breaks the image and gathers
the coins.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Wooden Image of a god
description: A wooden image of a god used as an object of daily prayer; when struck,
its head splits and gold coins fall out.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: petitioner for riches
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The man prays daily to the image for riches.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: object of prayer
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The wooden image is the object to which the man prays.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: violent discoverer of hidden wealth
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: After throwing the image against the wall, the man obtains the coins that
fall out.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: container or source of concealed gold
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The image’s head splits open and gold coins fall out.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: wooden divine image
literal_form: wooden Image of a god
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: gold coins
literal_form: quantity of gold coins
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: split head of the image
literal_form: head of the wooden image split open by the blow
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Daily prayer without enrichment
summary: The poor man prays daily to the wooden image for riches over a long period,
but his condition does not improve.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Breaking the image and finding coins
summary: The man throws the image against a wall; its head splits and gold coins
fall out onto the floor.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Greedy collection and rebuke
summary: The man gathers the coins and verbally rebukes the image, saying it rewarded
violence rather than honor.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: wealth obtained by damaging a sacred image
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The man receives gold only after throwing the wooden image of a god against
the wall and splitting it open.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents this as a fable episode; it does not state that the
god acted or that the image was truly divine.
- id: motif:2
label: ineffective piety contrasted with profitable irreverence
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Daily prayer and honor bring no riches, while insult and violence are followed
by the discovery of gold.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is approximate because the passage reverses expected
sacred exchange rather than describing a successful reciprocal rite.
- id: motif:3
label: hidden treasure inside an object
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Gold coins are concealed inside the wooden image until its head is split
open.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not explain who placed the coins there or why.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 2498-2502
quote_or_summary: A poor man has a wooden image of a god and prays to it daily for
riches for a long time, yet remains poor.
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: 2502-2506
quote_or_summary: In disgust the man hurls the image against the wall; the blow
splits its head and gold coins fall to the floor.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: 2506-2508
quote_or_summary: "“When I honoured you, you did me no good whatever: but no sooner
do I treat you to insults and violence than you make a rich man of me!”"
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: uncertain
notes: The literal sequence is clear. Motif labels are descriptive and should be
reviewed, especially the approximate sacred_exchange taxonomy reference.
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 comparisons were added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l2498-l2508
passage_sha256=e0c84d2e94e7fc3c2a3e9ad8205ac1530c5eb0186896e1cb1807397a0881215e