batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4537-l4547
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4537-l4547
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: THE MONKEY AND THE DOLPHIN / THE CROW AND THE SNAKE / THE DOGS AND THE FOX
/ THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE HAWK; lines 4537-4547
start: '4537'
end: '4547'
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 nightingale sings on an oak bough. A hungry hawk sees her, seizes her,
and is about to kill her. The nightingale asks to be spared because she is too
small to make a good meal and suggests the hawk seek larger birds. The hawk refuses
to give up a certain prize for an uncertain better one.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A nightingale is sitting on a bough of an oak and singing.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A hungry hawk sees the nightingale, darts to the spot, and seizes her in his
talons.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The hawk is about to tear the nightingale in pieces.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The nightingale begs the hawk to spare her life, arguing that she is not large
enough to make a good meal.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The nightingale tells the hawk he ought to seek prey among bigger birds.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The hawk replies that he will not give up a certain prize for the chance of
a better prize that is not presently visible.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Nightingale
description: A singing bird sitting on an oak bough, then seized by the hawk and
pleading for her life.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Hawk
description: A hungry bird of prey who seizes the nightingale in his talons and
refuses to release her.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: captured prey
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The nightingale is seized in the hawk's talons and is about to be killed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: hungry predator
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The hawk is described as hungry, spies the nightingale, and seizes her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: pleader for mercy
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The nightingale begs the hawk to spare her life.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: pragmatic chooser of certain gain
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The hawk states he will not give up a certain prize for the chance of a better
one not in sight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: oak tree
literal_form: bough of an oak
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: talons
literal_form: hawk's talons
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Nightingale singing on oak bough
summary: The nightingale sits on an oak bough and sings as usual.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Hawk seizes the nightingale
summary: A hungry hawk sees the nightingale, darts to her location, seizes her in
his talons, and prepares to kill her.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Plea and refusal
summary: The nightingale asks to be spared and suggests larger prey; the hawk refuses
to abandon a certain prize for an uncertain better one.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: captured prey pleads for release
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The nightingale, held by the hawk, begs for her life and offers an argument
for being spared.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: This is a narrative motif label derived only from the passage, not a supplied
taxonomy reference.
- id: motif:2
label: certain gain preferred over uncertain greater gain
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The hawk refuses to give up the bird he has already captured for the chance
of catching a larger bird not presently visible.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The connection to the broad taxonomy family 'wisdom' is interpretive;
no explicit moral heading is included in the supplied passage.
- id: motif:3
label: predator and songbird encounter
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A hungry hawk captures a singing nightingale on an oak bough.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: This is a plain descriptive motif, not tied to a supplied comparative
taxonomy.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 4537-4540
quote_or_summary: A nightingale sits on a bough of an oak and sings as usual.
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: 4540-4542
quote_or_summary: A hungry hawk sees the nightingale, darts to the spot, seizes
her in his talons, and is about to tear her in pieces.
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: 4542-4545
quote_or_summary: The nightingale begs for her life, saying she is not big enough
for a good meal and that the hawk should seek larger birds.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: 4545-4547
quote_or_summary: '"I am going to give up a certain prize on the chance of a better"
is rejected by the hawk, who says he sees no sign of the better prize.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is short and the figures and actions are explicit. Motif labels
are descriptive; the 'wisdom' taxonomy assignment is plausible but requires review.
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 to another named text, tradition, or motif family beyond the candidate motif taxonomy assignment.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l4537-l4547
passage_sha256=4ef28957c735f0de012a0c119bcb10121f993e6a8fde3153d7853d7b275d93d1