batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l3907-l3930
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l3907-l3930
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE KID AND THE WOLF / THE DEBTOR AND HIS SOW / THE BALD HUNTSMAN / THE HERDSMAN
AND THE LOST BULL; lines 3907-3930
start: '3907'
end: '3930'
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 bald huntsman wearing a wig loses both hat and wig in the
wind and responds with a joke about the hair not staying on its original head.
In another, a herdsman vows to sacrifice a calf to Jupiter if he finds the thief
who took his lost bull; when he finds a lion eating the bull, he prays to escape
and promises a full-grown bull instead.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A man without hair wears a wig and goes hunting.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A gust of wind carries away the man's hat and wig, amusing the hunting party.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The man responds to the incident with a joke about the wig hair not staying
on either head.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: A herdsman tending cattle notices that a fine young bull is missing.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The herdsman vows to sacrifice a calf to Jupiter if he discovers the thief.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The herdsman enters a thicket and sees a lion devouring the lost bull.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Frightened, the herdsman raises his hands to heaven and asks Jupiter for escape,
promising a full-grown bull.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Bald huntsman
description: A man who has lost all his hair, wears a wig, and goes out hunting.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: The hunt
description: The hunting party that is amused when the man's hat and wig are blown
away.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Herdsman
description: A cattle tender who searches for a missing young bull, vows a sacrifice
to Jupiter, and later prays to escape a lion.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Young Bull
description: One of the finest cattle in the herd; it is lost and later found being
devoured by a lion.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Jupiter
description: The deity addressed by the herdsman in a vow and later in a plea for
escape.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Lion
description: An animal seen in a thicket devouring the lost bull.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: self-mocking sufferer of mishap
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He loses his hat and wig to the wind but joins the joke and comments humorously
on the wig.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: amused witnesses
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The hunting party is amused by the loss of the hat and wig.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: searcher for lost animal
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: He misses a young bull and goes to look for it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: conditional votary
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: He promises animal sacrifice to Jupiter first for discovering the thief and
then for escaping danger.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: lost and consumed animal
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The young bull is missing and later seen being eaten by the lion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: invoked deity
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Jupiter is addressed as recipient of the promised sacrifices and plea for
safety.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: dangerous predator
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The lion is found devouring the bull and is feared by the herdsman.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: wig and exposed baldness
literal_form: Wig, hair, hat blown away by wind
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: conditional sacrifice
literal_form: Promised calf and later promised full-grown bull for Jupiter
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: raised hands to heaven
literal_form: Gesture of raising hands to heaven while calling on Jupiter
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: thicket with predator
literal_form: Thicket where a lion devours the lost bull
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Huntsman's wig blown away
summary: A bald man wearing a wig goes hunting; wind carries away his hat and wig,
and the hunt laughs.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Huntsman's joking reply
summary: The bald huntsman responds by joking that the wig hair did not stay on
its original head, so it is unsurprising that it did not stay on his.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Herdsman's vow while searching
summary: After missing a young bull, the herdsman searches unsuccessfully and vows
a calf sacrifice to Jupiter if he finds the thief.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Discovery of the lion
summary: The herdsman enters a thicket and sees a lion eating the lost bull.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Revised prayer for escape
summary: Terrified, the herdsman raises his hands to heaven, invokes Jupiter, and
promises a full-grown bull if he escapes unharmed.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Humorous acceptance of public embarrassment
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The bald huntsman loses the wig that conceals his baldness and answers public
laughter with a witty acceptance of the mishap.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The wisdom classification is broad; the passage presents humor and practical
wit rather than explicit moral teaching in the supplied text.
- id: motif:2
label: Conditional vow of sacrifice to a deity
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
- sacrifice
basis: The herdsman promises Jupiter a calf if the thief is found, then promises
a full-grown bull if he escapes the lion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage shows vowed sacrifice and divine appeal, but it does not report
any divine response or completed offering.
- id: motif:3
label: Search for stolen or lost animal reveals greater danger
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The herdsman seeks a missing bull expecting a thief but finds a lion devouring
it, shifting the concern from recovery to personal survival.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly matches this fable pattern.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 3907-3914
quote_or_summary: A bald man wearing a wig goes hunting; a strong gust blows away
his hat and wig, amusing the hunt.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: lines 3914-3916
quote_or_summary: '"the hair that wig is made of didn''t stick to the head on which
it grew; so it''s no wonder it won''t stick to mine."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 3918-3924
quote_or_summary: A herdsman misses a fine young bull, searches without success,
and vows to sacrifice a calf to Jupiter if he discovers the thief.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 3924-3926
quote_or_summary: Continuing his search, the herdsman enters a thicket and sees
a lion devouring the lost bull.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 3926-3930
quote_or_summary: Terrified, the herdsman raises his hands to heaven, calls on Jupiter,
and promises a full-grown bull if he escapes unharmed.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward from the supplied English passage.
Motif taxonomy mapping is limited by the broad available taxonomy and should be
reviewed.
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 supplied passage does not itself support comparison beyond internal motif identification.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l3907-l3930
passage_sha256=034a537a004bce570559466717f28065b76a90b2272b90e72b1739f929fd279d