Comparative mythology corpus
batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l2892-l2910
batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l2892-l2910
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l2892-l2910
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE TWO POTS / THE OLD HOUND / THE CLOWN AND THE COUNTRYMAN / THE LARK AND
THE FARMER; lines 2892-2910
start: '2892'
end: '2910'
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 mother lark nests in a cornfield with her young. A farmer first says
he will ask neighbours to help reap, and the mother lark says there is no hurry
to leave. Later, when the crop is overripe, the farmer says he will hire men and
begin at once. The mother lark then tells her young they must leave because the
farmer now intends to act himself. The stated moral is that self-help is the best
help.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A lark has a nest in a field of corn and is rearing her young under the cover
of ripening grain.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The young birds are not yet fully fledged when the farmer inspects the crop.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The farmer says he must send word to his neighbours to come and help reap
the field.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: One young lark overhears the farmer, becomes frightened, and asks the mother
whether they should move at once.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The mother lark replies that there is no hurry and says a man who looks to
friends for help will take his time.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: After a few days, the farmer sees that the grain is overripe and falling from
the ears to the ground.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The farmer says he must delay no longer and will hire men that day and set
them to work at once.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: The mother lark tells her young they must leave because the farmer no longer
speaks of friends and is going to take matters in hand himself.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: 'The passage ends with the moral: self-help is the best help.'
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Mother lark
description: A lark nesting in a cornfield and rearing her brood; she interprets
the farmer's words and decides when to leave.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Young larks
description: The lark's brood, not yet fully fledged; one overhears the farmer and
is frightened.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Farmer
description: The farmer inspects the corn crop and changes from seeking neighbourly
help to arranging immediate hired labor.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Neighbours
description: People the farmer first says he will ask to help reap the field.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Hired men
description: Workers the farmer later says he will hire and set to work at once.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: nesting mother
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The lark is rearing her brood in the cornfield.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: prudent interpreter of danger
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: She distinguishes between delayed action dependent on friends and immediate
action undertaken by the farmer himself.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: vulnerable young
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The young are not fully fledged and are frightened by the farmer's plan.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: crop owner preparing to reap
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The farmer inspects the crop and plans to reap the field.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: anticipated helpers
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The farmer first says he will ask neighbours to help reap.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:6
label: anticipated hired workers
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The farmer later says he will hire men and set them to work at once.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: cornfield
literal_form: field of corn
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: ripening and overripe grain
literal_form: ripening grain that becomes overripe and falls from the ears
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: nest
literal_form: lark's nest under cover of grain
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Lark nesting in the cornfield
summary: A mother lark raises her brood in a cornfield beneath the cover of ripening
grain before the young are fully fledged.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Farmer plans to ask neighbours
summary: The farmer inspects the yellowing crop and says he will ask neighbours
to help reap. A young lark is frightened, but the mother says there is no hurry
because reliance on friends will delay action.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Farmer decides to act at once
summary: A few days later, with the grain overripe, the farmer says he will hire
workers that same day. The mother lark then tells her young they must leave because
the farmer is now acting for himself.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:4
label: Explicit moral
summary: The fable concludes with the moral that self-help is the best help.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: self-help as effective action
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The mother lark treats the farmer's decision to act himself as the sign of
imminent danger, and the explicit moral states that self-help is best.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage presents a practical moral
rather than a mythic wisdom episode.
- id: motif:2
label: delay caused by reliance on others
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The mother lark says a man who looks to friends for help will take his time,
and she does not move the brood until the farmer plans direct action.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a moral pattern within a fable; it is not tied to a specific named
comparative motif in the supplied taxonomy.
- id: motif:3
label: animal wisdom from overheard human speech
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The larks hear the farmer's plans, and the mother lark draws practical conclusions
about when the family must flee.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage supports the pattern internally, but no narrower taxonomy
identifier is supplied.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2892-2895
quote_or_summary: A lark nests in a cornfield and rears her brood under ripening
grain before the young are fully fledged.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: lines 2895-2897
quote_or_summary: The farmer says he must send word to his neighbours to help reap
the field.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt/paraphrase from provided passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2897-2899
quote_or_summary: One young lark overhears the farmer, becomes frightened, and asks
the mother if they should move house at once.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 2899-2901
quote_or_summary: The mother says there is no hurry, because a man who looks to
friends for help will take his time.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt/paraphrase from provided passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 2901-2903
quote_or_summary: A few days later the farmer sees the grain is overripe and falling
from the ears onto the ground.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:6
type: quote
locator: lines 2903-2905
quote_or_summary: The farmer says he will put it off no longer and will hire men
that day to begin work at once.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt/paraphrase from provided passage.
- id: ev:7
type: quote
locator: lines 2905-2908
quote_or_summary: The mother lark tells her children they must leave because the
farmer no longer speaks of friends and will take things in hand himself.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt/paraphrase from provided passage.
- id: ev:8
type: quote
locator: line 2910
quote_or_summary: Self-help is the best help.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation from provided passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The fable's plot and moral are explicit. Motif candidates are framed broadly
under the supplied wisdom taxonomy; no external comparison claims are made.
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 provided passage text and metadata were used. No claims of historical contact or cross-tradition comparison are included.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l2892-l2910
passage_sha256=960fcc4d5e1b91ad2a14db71a9dd072da0332bbf64ec855d43de642e9b01686e