batch.motif.indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg-l2092-l2197
---
record_id: batch.motif.indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg-l2092-l2197
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
passage_locator:
label: CONTENTS / PREFACE / INTRODUCTION / ANDREW LANG.; lines 2092-2197
start: '2092'
end: '2197'
translation: 'Australian Legendary Tales: folk-lore of the Noongahburrahs as told
to the Piccaninnies'
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Goonur is lured by his wives into a water-filled trap and drowns. His mother
follows his trail, retrieves his body from the water, and revives him by placing
it on an ant bed. She hides him in her dardurr and carries him in a comebee for
hunting. The wives discover he is alive, pretend affection, and fear his vengeance.
Goonur outwardly accepts them, while secretly planning revenge by setting hidden
pointed stakes under water at a creek and inviting them to bathe.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Goonur jumps onto the supposed nest, falls through into water, and cannot
escape drowning.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Goonur's wives watch the success of their stratagem from a distance and return
to camp after they believe he has been disposed of.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Goonur's mother notices his absence, follows his trail to the supposed nest,
and finds that his tracks end there.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The mother feels a large object in the water with a yarn stick and eventually
raises the body with a midjee stick.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The mother places the body on an ant bed and watches for signs of returning
life; Goonur regains consciousness.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Goonur tells his mother that his wives tricked him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The mother plans to hide Goonur in her dardurr and carry him in a large comebee
when going to and from the camp.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The wives become suspicious of the mother's repeated hunting success and secretly
follow her.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The wives see Goonur step out of the comebee after his mother puts it down
away from camp.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The wives infer that the mother, described by them as a great doctor, found
Goonur and brought him to life again.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: The wives speak to Goonur as if they have mourned him and are glad he has
returned.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:12
text: The mother warns that the wives lured Goonur to death and states that she
brought him back from the dead.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:13
text: Goonur pretends to trust his wives and tells his mother they were also deceived
by the bandicoot's nest.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:14
text: Goonur secretly plots vengeance, sets two sharpened stakes under the creek
water, places logs on the bank, and invites his wives to bathe and jump in.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Goonur, the son / husband
description: A man named Goonur who is trapped in water by his wives, recovered
and revived by his mother, hidden in her comebee, and later plots vengeance against
his wives.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Goonur, the mother
description: Goonur's mother, who follows his trail, recovers his body from the
water, revives him, hides him, and warns him against his wives.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Goonur's two wives
description: Two wives who trick Goonur into a water trap, later discover he is
alive, pretend affection, and are invited by him to bathe at the creek.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:10
roles:
- id: role:1
label: trapped and drowned husband
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Goonur is lured to the supposed nest, falls into water, and cannot escape
drowning.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: tracking mother
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The mother follows her son's trail until it ends at the supposed nest.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: rescuer and reviver
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: She retrieves the body and places it on an ant bed until signs of life return.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: hidden returnee
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: After revival, Goonur is kept hidden in his mother's dardurr and carried
in her comebee.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: counter-deceiver and vengeance plotter
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Goonur pretends to trust his wives while secretly preparing hidden stakes
in the creek.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: role:6
label: deceiving wives
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The wives' stratagem causes Goonur's drowning, and later they pretend mourning
and joy when he returns.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: water-filled false nest trap
literal_form: The so-called bandicoot's nest whose top gives way so that Goonur
sinks into water.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: ant bed used in revival
literal_form: An ant bed on which the mother places Goonur's body to see whether
ant stings bring signs of life.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: comebee as hiding container
literal_form: A large comebee in which the mother carries the revived Goonur in
and out of camp.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: dardurr as hiding place
literal_form: The mother's dardurr, where Goonur is to live hidden after his revival.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: underwater pointed stakes
literal_form: Two sharpened stakes fixed under the creek water, hidden by water
and approached from logs on the bank.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Goonur falls into the false nest
summary: Goonur sneaks up to the supposed nest, jumps onto it, falls into water,
and drowns while his wives observe from a distance.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: The mother finds and revives Goonur
summary: Goonur's mother follows his trail, retrieves his body from the water, places
it on an ant bed, and he regains consciousness.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Goonur is hidden after revival
summary: The mother decides Goonur will live hidden in her dardurr and be carried
in a large comebee so his return remains secret.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: The wives discover the hidden Goonur
summary: The wives suspect the mother's hunting success, follow her, and see Goonur
step out of the comebee.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Pretended reconciliation
summary: The wives speak as if they mourned Goonur; he outwardly accepts their sorrow,
while the mother warns against their danger.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:6
label: Goonur prepares a creek trap
summary: Goonur secretly sharpens stakes, hides them beneath the creek water, places
logs on the bank, and invites his wives to jump in for a bathe.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: revival after drowning
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
- resurrection
basis: Goonur is described as drowned or dead, his body is recovered, and after
being placed on an ant bed he regains consciousness; the mother later says she
brought him back from the dead.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents return to life literally, but the mechanism is described
through the mother's action and ant stings rather than an explicit divine resurrection.
- id: motif:2
label: treacherous lure into a concealed water trap
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The wives' stratagem sends Goonur to a supposed nest that gives way into
water, leaving him unable to escape.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: No broader comparative classification is asserted from the passage alone.
- id: motif:3
label: concealed return of the presumed dead
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: After revival, Goonur is hidden in his mother's dardurr and transported in
a comebee, while his wives do not know he is alive.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The return is domestic and secret rather than a completed public return
scene.
- id: motif:4
label: counter-trick and planned vengeance
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: Goonur pretends to trust his wives while preparing a hidden creek trap with
sharpened stakes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives the preparation of vengeance, but the outcome of the
trap lies beyond the supplied excerpt.
- id: motif:5
label: maternal rescue and claim over revived child
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The mother rescues and revives her son, warns that his wives lured him to
death, and declares he is now hers because she brought him back from the dead.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a family-role pattern in the passage; no divine-parent motif is
indicated.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2092-2101
quote_or_summary: Goonur springs onto the supposed nest, sinks into water, cannot
escape drowning, and his wives watch the success of their stratagem before returning
to camp.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 2101-2116
quote_or_summary: Goonur's mother notices his absence, follows his trail to the
supposed bandicoot's nest, finds no return tracks, feels something large in the
water, and raises the body with a midjee stick.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2116-2122
quote_or_summary: The mother drags the body to an ant bed; after twitching, Goonur
regains consciousness and tells her of his wives' trick.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 2123-2131
quote_or_summary: The mother says the wives shall no longer have him; he will live
hidden in her dardurr and be carried in a large comebee when going in and out
of camp.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 2132-2153
quote_or_summary: The wives suspect the mother's hunting success, follow her, and
see her put down the comebee, from which Goonur steps out.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 2154-2161
quote_or_summary: The wives say the mother must have found Goonur and, as a great
doctor, brought him to life again; they plan to pretend joy because they fear
he may kill them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 2162-2170
quote_or_summary: The wives address Goonur as their husband, ask where he has been,
and claim they mourned and were sad during his absence.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 2176-2187
quote_or_summary: The mother cries out that the wives tried to lure Goonur to death
and says she brought him back from the dead, so he is no longer theirs.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 2188-2194
quote_or_summary: Goonur tells his mother that the wives were deceived by the bandicoot's
nest too and asks that they live in peace; the narration says he craftily deceives
them while plotting vengeance.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 2194-2197
quote_or_summary: Goonur cuts and sharpens two stakes, fixes them under the creek
water, places two logs on the bank, invites his wives to bathe, and tells them
to jump from the logs after he goes first.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied excerpt. Motif labels are candidate
descriptions; some outcomes, especially the creek trap, are not completed within
the provided passage.
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 itself does not support a specific cross-text or cross-tradition comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg__l2092-l2197
passage_sha256=3e83f1769e143de98a4b03d50011443beec416d3cddf4146bfd85c04db9eabc0