batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4429-l4440
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4429-l4440
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE DOG AND THE WOLF / THE WASP AND THE SNAKE / THE EAGLE AND THE BEETLE
/ THE FOWLER AND THE LARK; lines 4429-4440
start: '4429'
end: '4440'
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 fowler sets nets for small birds. A lark asks what he is doing, and he
falsely says he is founding a city before hiding nearby. The lark investigates
the nets, tries to take the bait, becomes entangled, and is captured. She remarks
that such a city will take a long time to fill with enough fools.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A fowler is setting nets for little birds.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A lark approaches the fowler and asks what he is doing.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The fowler says he is founding a city, then withdraws and hides nearby.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The lark examines the nets and sees bait.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The lark hops onto the nets to get the bait and becomes entangled in the meshes.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: The fowler runs up and captures the lark.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: The lark calls herself a fool and says the fowler’s city will take a long
time to fill with enough fools.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Fowler
description: A bird-catcher setting nets for little birds, hiding nearby, and capturing
the lark.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Lark
description: A bird who questions the fowler, inspects the nets, tries to take bait,
becomes entangled, and comments on her own folly.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: trapper
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The fowler sets nets for birds and captures the lark after she becomes entangled.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: role:2
label: deceptive speaker
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He answers the lark’s question by saying he is founding a city, then hides
near the nets.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: curious questioner
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The lark asks what the fowler is doing and examines the nets with curiosity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: entrapped victim
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The lark hops onto the nets for the bait, becomes entangled, and is captured.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: nets
literal_form: nets and meshes set for little birds
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: bait
literal_form: bait visible on the nets
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: city
literal_form: the fowler’s claimed city-founding activity
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Question at the nets
summary: The fowler sets nets for small birds, and the lark asks him what he is
doing.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: False explanation and concealment
summary: The fowler says he is founding a city and then hides a short distance away.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Baited entanglement
summary: The lark inspects the nets, notices the bait, hops onto the nets to get
it, and becomes caught in the meshes.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Capture and retort
summary: The fowler captures the lark, and she remarks on her foolishness and on
the unlikely population of his supposed city.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: deceptive explanation concealing a trap
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: The fowler answers the lark’s question with the false claim that he is founding
a city, hides, and then captures her when she is caught in the nets.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy label is broad; the passage shows deception and
entrapment but does not name the fowler as a trickster.
- id: motif:2
label: baited trap catching the unwary
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The lark’s curiosity and desire for bait lead her onto the nets, where she
becomes entangled and is captured.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: This is a plain narrative pattern rather than a mapped taxonomy reference.
- id: motif:3
label: victim recognizes folly after capture
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: After being captured, the lark says she was a fool and comments that few
fools will populate the fowler’s supposed city.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives a witty recognition of folly; assigning it to the broad
wisdom family is interpretive and should be reviewed.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 4429-4430
quote_or_summary: A fowler was setting nets for little birds.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 4430-4431
quote_or_summary: A lark came to the fowler and asked what he was doing.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: 4431-4433
quote_or_summary: "“I am engaged in founding a city,” said he, and then withdrew
and concealed himself nearby."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used for evidence.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 4433-4435
quote_or_summary: The lark examined the nets with curiosity and saw the bait.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 4435-4437
quote_or_summary: The lark hopped onto the nets to get the bait and became entangled
in the meshes.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: '4437'
quote_or_summary: The fowler ran up quickly and captured the lark.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:7
type: quote
locator: 4437-4440
quote_or_summary: The lark says she was a fool and that such a city will take a
long time to fill with enough fools.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary with limited quotation in surrounding
fields.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward. Motif-family mapping is limited because
the available taxonomy has only broad categories and the passage itself is a concise
fable.
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 passage does not itself support a specific cross-text comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l4429-l4440
passage_sha256=72a1432fb1a42a503b0854c4d1997ccb99448aca194684ec6867a2c838dddf58