batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l3331-l3356
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l3331-l3356
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE OWL / THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS / THE FARMER AND
THE VIPER / THE TWO FROGS; lines 3331-3356
start: '3331'
end: '3356'
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: In one fable, a farmer warms a frozen viper out of pity; revived by the
warmth, the viper fatally bites him, and the dying farmer says he deserved it
for pitying a villainous creature. In another fable, a marsh frog urges a lane-dwelling
frog to move to the safer marsh, but the lane frog refuses to leave his accustomed
place and is later crushed by a wagon.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A farmer finds a viper frozen and numb with cold during winter.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The farmer picks up the viper out of pity and places it in his bosom.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The viper revives from warmth and inflicts a fatal bite on the farmer.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The dying farmer says he got what he deserved for taking compassion on a villainous
creature.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The fable states the moral that kindness is wasted on the evil.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: 'Two frogs are neighbours: one lives in a marsh with plenty of water, and
the other lives in a lane where water remains only in ruts after rain.'
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The marsh frog warns the lane frog and urges him to move to the marsh for
comfort and safety.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The lane frog refuses because he cannot bring himself to leave the place to
which he is accustomed.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: A heavy wagon later comes down the lane and crushes the lane frog to death
under its wheels.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Farmer
description: A man who finds a frozen viper, warms it in his bosom, and is fatally
bitten.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Viper
description: A frozen and numb snake revived by the farmer's warmth; it bites him
fatally.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Marsh Frog
description: A frog living in a marsh with plenty of water who warns his neighbour
to move there for safety.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Lane Frog
description: A frog living in a lane with water only in rain-filled ruts; he refuses
to move and is crushed by a wagon.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: compassionate benefactor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The farmer acts from pity by picking up the frozen viper and warming it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: fatal victim
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:4
basis: The farmer dies from the viper's bite, and the lane frog is crushed to death
under wagon wheels.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: dangerous recipient of kindness
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The viper receives warmth from the farmer and then fatally bites him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: prudent adviser
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The marsh frog warns his friend and urges him to move to a safer marsh.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: one attached to unsafe habit
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The lane frog refuses to move because he is accustomed to his place, and
he later dies there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: viper
literal_form: A frozen viper revived by warmth who delivers a fatal bite.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: water
literal_form: Plenty of water in the marsh and limited rainwater in lane ruts.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: wagon wheels
literal_form: The wheels of a heavy wagon that crush the lane frog.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: warmth
literal_form: Warmth from the farmer's bosom revives the frozen viper.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Farmer warms the frozen viper
summary: In winter, the farmer finds the viper frozen and numb, takes pity on it,
and places it in his bosom.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Revived viper kills its benefactor
summary: The warmed viper revives, bites the farmer fatally, and the dying farmer
reflects that he deserved the result for pitying such a creature.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Marsh frog warns lane frog
summary: The marsh frog, living where there is abundant water, urges the lane frog
to move to the marsh for comfort and safety.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Lane frog refuses and is crushed
summary: The lane frog refuses to leave his accustomed place; a few days later,
a heavy wagon crushes him under its wheels.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: dangerous creature repays rescue with harm
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
basis: A frozen viper is rescued and warmed by the farmer, then kills him with a
bite after reviving.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames the viper as evil in the moral, but no broader mythic
serpent function is stated beyond the fable action.
- id: motif:2
label: ignored warning to leave an unsafe place
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The marsh frog warns the lane frog to move to a safer place, but the lane
frog refuses because of habit and dies under wagon wheels.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The motif is practical and moralizing rather than explicitly mythological.
- id: motif:3
label: attachment to familiar place brings death
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The lane frog cannot bring himself to move from his accustomed place, and
that place becomes the site of his death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: This is inferred from the narrative sequence rather than stated as an
explicit moral in the provided passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 3331-3335
quote_or_summary: In winter, a farmer finds a viper frozen and numb with cold; out
of pity he picks it up and places it in his bosom.
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: 3335-3339
quote_or_summary: The viper revives from the warmth, fatally bites its benefactor,
and the dying farmer says he deserved it for pitying a villainous creature.
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: '3341'
quote_or_summary: "“Kindness is thrown away upon the evil.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 3345-3350
quote_or_summary: 'Two neighbouring frogs live in different places: one in a marsh
with plenty of water, the other in a lane with only rainwater in ruts; the marsh
frog urges the other to move to the safer marsh.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 3351-3356
quote_or_summary: The lane frog refuses to move from his accustomed place; a few
days later a heavy wagon comes down the lane and crushes him under its wheels.
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 labels are candidate analytic
summaries of fable patterns and should be reviewed; no comparison claims were
added because the passage itself does not make a cross-textual comparison.
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 was used. The passage locator label mentions additional fables, but the supplied passage text contains only THE FARMER AND THE VIPER and THE TWO FROGS.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l3331-l3356
passage_sha256=65b842f4b102925cb52bdcf2eb7b382a858ee9aa09bc190b1c6715c0f7100faf