batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l3674-l3689
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l3674-l3689
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE ARCHER AND THE LION / THE WOLF AND THE GOAT / THE SICK STAG / THE ASS
AND THE MULE; lines 3674-3689
start: '3674'
end: '3689'
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 man loads an Ass and a Mule for a journey. On a rough, steep road the
Ass asks the Mule to take part of his load, but the Mule refuses. The exhausted
Ass falls and dies. The driver transfers the Ass's load and skin to the Mule,
who recognizes that his refusal to help has caused him to bear an even greater
burden.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A man has an Ass and a Mule and loads both animals for a journey.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The route becomes rough and steep among hills.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The Ass becomes exhausted and asks the Mule to relieve him of part of his
load.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The Mule refuses the Ass's request for help.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The Ass stumbles, falls down a steep place, and is killed.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The driver puts the Ass's load and the Ass's skin on the Mule.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The Mule says that he has received what he deserved because he refused to
help the Ass earlier.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: man / driver
description: The owner or driver who loads the Ass and Mule, travels with them,
and transfers the Ass's load and skin to the Mule after the Ass dies.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Ass
description: A loaded animal who struggles on the steep road, asks for help, falls,
and dies.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Mule
description: A loaded animal who refuses to help the Ass and later carries the Ass's
load and skin.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: driver of burden animals
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The man loads both animals for a journey and later places the Ass's load
and skin on the Mule.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: role:2
label: overburdened supplicant
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Ass becomes exhausted and asks the Mule to relieve him of part of his
load.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: refuser of aid who later bears the burden
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The Mule refuses the Ass's request and later carries both the Ass's load
and skin.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: load
literal_form: The burdens placed on the Ass and Mule, later combined on the Mule.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: rough steep road
literal_form: A rough and steep road among hills where the Ass becomes exhausted.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: Ass's skin
literal_form: The flayed skin of the dead Ass, placed on top of the Mule's double
load.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Loaded journey begins
summary: A man loads an Ass and a Mule and begins a journey with them.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Exhaustion on the steep road
summary: On a rough and steep part of the road, the Ass becomes exhausted and asks
the Mule to take part of his load, but the Mule refuses.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Death of the Ass
summary: The Ass, worn out, stumbles and falls down a steep place and is killed.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Burden transferred to the Mule
summary: The driver adds the dead Ass's load and skin to the Mule's burden.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Mule's recognition
summary: The Mule reflects that his present burden is deserved because he refused
to help the Ass earlier.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Refusal to share a burden results in a greater burden
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The Mule refuses to take part of the Ass's load, and after the Ass dies the
Mule must carry both the load and the skin.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The broad taxonomy reference 'wisdom' is used because the passage is an
animal fable with an explicit practical moral; no narrower supplied taxonomy term
fits the pattern.
- id: motif:2
label: Animal fable with self-recognized moral consequence
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The Mule states that he has only received what he deserved after his earlier
refusal to help.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: This is a passage-level moral pattern rather than a named mythological
motif.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 3674-3677
quote_or_summary: A man who has an Ass and a Mule loads both animals and sets out
on a journey.
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 3677-3679
quote_or_summary: The road is first level, then becomes rough and steep among hills.
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 3679-3682
quote_or_summary: The Ass is exhausted and asks the Mule to relieve him of part
of his load, but the Mule refuses.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 3682-3683
quote_or_summary: From weariness the Ass stumbles, falls down a steep place, and
is killed.
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: lines 3683-3686
quote_or_summary: The driver adds the Ass's load to the Mule's load, flays the Ass,
and places the skin on top of the double load.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: quote
locator: lines 3686-3689
quote_or_summary: '"I have only got what I deserved: if I had been willing to help
the Ass at first, I should not now be carrying his load and his skin into the
bargain."'
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: high
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Comparison claims are omitted
because the passage itself does not support a specific external 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: |-
The provided passage text covers only 'THE ASS AND THE MULE' despite the broader locator label.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l3674-l3689
passage_sha256=b0edd0c9a914fe7725776997f6458303b14c703aa3fc4a244774d3ad9c3efcc9