batch.motif.daoist-zhuangzi-giles-gutenberg-l4254-l4296
---
record_id: batch.motif.daoist-zhuangzi-giles-gutenberg-l4254-l4296
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER IX. / HORSES' HOOFS. / CHAPTER X. / OPENING TRUNKS.; lines 4254-4296
start: '4254'
end: '4296'
translation: 'Chuang Tzu: Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer'
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage argues that artificial precautions such as cords, bolts, and
locks, commonly praised as wit, can help a strong thief carry away secured containers.
It extends this critique to worldly wit and wisdom, then describes the prosperous
and closely settled State of Ch'i, where land use and governance conform to rules
laid down by the Sages.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: People take precautions against thieves by securing trunks, bags, and tills
with cords, bolts, and locks.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage says the world calls such securing of property 'wit'.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: A strong thief carries off the till along with the box and bag.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The strong thief fears only that the cords and locks may not be strong enough.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The passage states that what the world calls wit assists strong thieves, and
what the world calls wisdom protects strong thieves.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: In the State of Ch'i, towns are described as close enough for one to see from
one town to the next and hear dogs and cocks.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: A translator's note says the sentence about nearby towns, dogs, and cocks
was incorporated in chapter 80 of the Tao-Tê-Ching.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: The area is described as covered by fishermen's and fowlers' nets and pricked
by the plough over more than two thousand li square.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: Within the four boundaries, temples, shrines, districts, and hamlets are said
to be arranged or governed according to rules laid down by the Sages.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: thieves who open trunks
description: Generic thieves who open trunks, search bags, or ransack tills.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: strong thief
description: A strong thief who carries off the till with the box and bag.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: the world
description: The collective social voice that calls securing property 'wit' and
distinguishes worldly wit and wisdom.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: fishermen and fowlers
description: People whose nets cover the described area.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Sages
description: Authorities whose rules are followed in temples, shrines, districts,
and hamlets.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: ordinary thieves
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: They are described as opening trunks, searching bags, and ransacking tills.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: strong thief
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: He carries away secured containers and benefits from strong cords and locks.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: conventional evaluator
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage attributes judgments about 'wit' and 'wisdom' to 'the world'.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: land users
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Their nets are part of the description of the occupied and productive area.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: rule-giving authorities
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Their rules govern religious and administrative arrangements within Ch'i.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: secured containers
literal_form: trunks, bags, tills, box
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: fastenings
literal_form: cords, bolts, locks
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: nets
literal_form: nets of fishermen and fowlers
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: plough
literal_form: plough pricking the land
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:5
label: temples and shrines
literal_form: temple or shrine
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: dogs and cocks
literal_form: barking dogs and crowing cocks
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Security measures assist the thief
summary: The passage presents property fastened against thieves, then describes
a strong thief carrying away the secured property and benefiting from the strength
of the fastenings.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Close-settled Ch'i
summary: The State of Ch'i is described as having towns close enough to see and
hear signs of neighboring habitation.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Ordered and cultivated territory
summary: Ch'i's territory is described as extensively used by nets and ploughs,
with religious and administrative institutions following the rules of the Sages.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: worldly wisdom benefiting thieves
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage explicitly reverses conventional praise of wit and wisdom by
saying they assist or protect strong thieves.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is philosophical and argumentative rather than a mythic narrative;
the taxonomy link is to a broad wisdom motif family.
- id: motif:2
label: artificial restrictions as deceptive protections
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The argument heading and the trunk example present artificial restrictions
as deceptive and counterproductive.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: This motif is inferred from the supplied chapter argument and example;
it is not named as a formal motif in the passage.
- id: motif:3
label: ordered prosperity under sage rules
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The State of Ch'i is described as prosperous, closely settled, cultivated,
and governed according to rules laid down by the Sages.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage fragment ends before the following consequence is given, so
the function of this description remains incomplete.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: A translator's note states that the sentence about seeing from one town to
the next and hearing dogs and cocks was incorporated in chapter 80 of the Tao-Tê-Ching.
claim_level: linguistic_similarity
target: Tao-Tê-Ching, chapter 80
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The claim relies only on the translator's note in the provided passage
and does not compare the external text directly.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4254-4266
quote_or_summary: Precautions against thieves who open trunks, search bags, or ransack
tills consist of securing them with cords, bolts, and locks; the world calls this
wit.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 4268-4271
quote_or_summary: A strong thief carries off the till on his shoulders with box
and bag, fearing only that the cords and locks are not strong enough.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 4273-4280
quote_or_summary: The passage says worldly wit assists strong thieves and worldly
wisdom protects strong thieves.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 4282-4284
quote_or_summary: In Ch'i, one could see from one town to the next and hear the
barking and crowing of dogs and cocks.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: note
locator: lines 4286-4288
quote_or_summary: 'Translator''s note: the sentence on nearby towns, dogs, and cocks
has been incorporated in chapter 80 of the Tao-Tê-Ching.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 4290-4295
quote_or_summary: The area covered by fishermen's and fowlers' nets and pricked
by the plough was more than two thousand li square; the note says this conveys
prosperity.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 4296
quote_or_summary: Within the four boundaries, temples, shrines, districts, and hamlets
are said to follow rules laid down by the Sages.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: chapter argument
quote_or_summary: The chapter argument states that restrictions are artificial and
deceptive, and that one must shake off such fetters and revert to the natural.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/daoist/project-gutenberg/chuang-tzu-giles.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage is a philosophical argument with illustrative social examples,
not a complete mythic episode. The supplied text ends mid-sentence, limiting interpretation
of the Ch'i example.
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: |-
Only the provided passage and metadata were used. Taxonomy references were limited to the supplied available taxonomy list.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:daoist-zhuangzi-giles-gutenberg__l4254-l4296
passage_sha256=9bc3a11a2829c09881d673c4868a4629a90a5602f2a252e56ef0ee548243befa