batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4964-l4979
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg-l4964-l4979
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
passage_locator:
label: HERCULES AND PLUTUS / THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD / THE FOX AND THE HEDGEHOG
/ THE CROW AND THE RAVEN; lines 4964-4979
start: '4964'
end: '4979'
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 crow envies a raven because people regard the raven as a respected bird
of omen that foretells the future. The crow tries to gain the same reputation
by cawing from a roadside tree when travellers approach. The travellers initially
fear the sound may be a bad omen, but one identifies it as only a crow and dismisses
it. The moral says that those who pretend to be what they are not make themselves
ridiculous.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A crow becomes jealous of a raven because men regard the raven as a bird of
omen that foretells the future.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The raven is held in great respect by men because of its perceived omen-giving
status.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The crow wants to acquire the same kind of reputation as the raven.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: When travellers approach, the crow flies to a branch of a roadside tree and
caws loudly.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The travellers are initially dismayed because they fear the sound may be a
bad omen.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: One traveller identifies the bird as a crow and tells the others that it means
nothing and they can continue without fear.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The stated moral says that people who pretend to be something they are not
make themselves ridiculous.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Crow
description: A crow that envies the raven and tries to gain an omen-giving reputation
by cawing at travellers.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Raven
description: A raven regarded by men as a respected bird of omen that foretells
the future.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Travellers
description: A group of travellers who approach along the roadside and react with
fear to the crow's cawing.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: One traveller
description: A member of the travellers who recognizes the bird as a crow and dismisses
the omen.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: jealous imitator
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The crow envies the raven's reputation and tries to obtain the same reputation
by imitating omen behavior.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: respected omen-bird
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The raven is regarded as a bird of omen that foretells the future and is
respected by men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: fearful observers
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The travellers hear the cawing and fear it may be a bad omen.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: discerning speaker
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: One traveller recognizes that the sound comes from a crow and says it has
no omen value.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: omen-bird
literal_form: raven regarded as a bird of omen
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: bad omen
literal_form: feared meaning of the crow's cawing
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: roadside tree
literal_form: branch of a tree at the roadside
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Raven's respected status
summary: The raven is described as respected by men because it is regarded as a
future-foretelling bird of omen, and the crow becomes jealous of that reputation.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Crow's roadside performance
summary: The crow sees travellers approaching, flies to a branch of a roadside tree,
and caws loudly in an attempt to gain a similar reputation.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: False omen dismissed
summary: The travellers first fear a bad omen, but one traveller identifies the
bird as a crow and tells the group they can proceed without fear because it means
nothing.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Moral of pretension
summary: The fable closes by stating that those who pretend to be something they
are not only make themselves ridiculous.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Jealous imitation of a revered figure
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The crow envies the raven's respected omen status and tries to acquire the
same reputation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: This is a fable motif stated through animal characters, not a mythic divine
or heroic episode.
- id: motif:2
label: False omen exposed
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The crow's cawing initially alarms the travellers as a possible bad omen,
but one traveller identifies the source as a crow and dismisses it as meaningless.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage distinguishes the raven's accepted omen status from the crow's
failed attempt; it does not explain a broader omen system.
- id: motif:3
label: Pretender made ridiculous
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The explicit moral states that people who pretend to be something they are
not make themselves ridiculous.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The moral is general social instruction; no external comparative claim
is made in the passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 4964-4967
quote_or_summary: A crow is jealous because a raven is regarded by men as a respected
bird of omen that foretells the future.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 4967-4970
quote_or_summary: The crow wants the same reputation; seeing travellers approach,
she flies to a branch of a roadside tree and caws loudly.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 4970-4972
quote_or_summary: The travellers are dismayed by the sound because they fear it
may be a bad omen.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 4972-4975
quote_or_summary: One traveller recognizes the bird as a crow and tells the others
they may go on without fear because it means nothing.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:5
type: quote
locator: 4977-4979
quote_or_summary: Those who pretend to be something they are not only make themselves
ridiculous.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/aesops-fables-vernon-jones.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation from provided passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: high
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. No comparison claims were
added because the passage does not itself establish 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: |-
The supplied locator label mentions multiple fables, but the provided passage text contains only THE CROW AND THE RAVEN.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-aesop-fables-vernon-jones-gutenberg__l4964-l4979
passage_sha256=1f2101172f5915d477c08344ad3e2cd75f87a853c73561a6be0044fef1a5ae77