batch.motif.buddhist-old-india-tales-rouse-gutenberg-l1202-l1311
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-old-india-tales-rouse-gutenberg-l1202-l1311
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
passage_locator:
label: THE TALKATIVE TORTOISE / THE MONKEYS AND THE GARDENER / THE GOBLIN AND THE
SNEEZE / THE GRATEFUL BEASTS AND THE UNGRATEFUL PRINCE; lines 1202-1311
start: '1202'
end: '1311'
translation: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A cruel prince is thrown into a flooded river by his servants and survives
on an uprooted tree with a snake, a rat, and a parrot. A hermit rescues all four
and cares first for the animals. The animals promise repayment, while the prince
feigns gratitude and later, as king, falsely accuses and orders the hermit punished.
When the hermit states the proverb about the danger of saving a drowning man and
tells the story, the servants stop beating him and punish the king instead.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The prince is described as cruel, disagreeable, and habitually abusive toward
others.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: During a storm at the river, the servants throw the prince into the strong
current and later report that a flood carried him away.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The prince climbs onto an uprooted tree and floats down the river.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: A snake and a rat, each described as a former rich man reborn near buried
money, climb onto the same floating tree.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: A young parrot, beaten down by heavy rain, falls onto the same tree with the
prince, snake, and rat.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: A hermit living by the riverside catches the tree, pulls it ashore, brings
the four into his hut, and dries and warms them by the fire.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The hermit attends first to the parrot, then the rat, then the snake, and
last to the prince.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The snake and rat thank the hermit and offer him access to their treasures;
the parrot offers to obtain rice for him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The prince pretends gratitude while inwardly planning to torment the hermit
if he gains power over him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: The hermit later tests the promises and visits the city where the prince has
become king.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:11
text: The king falsely claims the hermit tried to rob him and orders him flogged
and impaled.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:12
text: After the hermit repeats a proverb and tells the whole story, the servants
stop beating him and punish the king instead.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Wicked Prince / Wicked King
description: A cruel royal son who is rescued from the flood by the hermit, later
becomes king, and falsely accuses the hermit.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Hermit
description: A riverside hermit living in a hut who rescues the prince and three
animals from the flood and later tests their promises.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Snake
description: A snake said to have been a rich man reborn near a buried hoard; after
rescue, he offers treasure to the hermit.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Rat
description: A rat said to have been a man reborn near buried money; after rescue,
he offers the same kind of help as the snake.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Parrot
description: A young parrot knocked down by heavy rain; after rescue, she offers
to obtain rice for the hermit.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Prince's servants
description: Servants who throw the prince into the river, later hear the hermit's
story, stop beating him, and punish the king.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
roles:
- id: role:1
label: cruel royal antagonist
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The prince is described as cruel and abusive, and later orders violence against
the hermit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: role:2
label: rescuer and caretaker
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The hermit pulls the tree ashore and warms and dries the four flood victims.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: grateful rescued beast
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: The snake, rat, and parrot each thank the hermit or offer him aid after rescue.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: treasure guardian from prior human birth
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The snake and rat are described as former men reborn near buried wealth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: ungrateful rescued human
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The prince feigns gratitude, plots harm, and later orders the hermit punished.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: tester of promises
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The hermit decides to put the rescued figures' promises to the test.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:7
label: food provider
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The parrot offers to get the hermit as much rice as he wants.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: agents of reversal
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The servants first endanger the prince and later reverse the punishment by
stopping the beating of the hermit and punishing the king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: flood water
literal_form: river flood and strong current
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: uprooted tree as floating refuge
literal_form: tree torn up by the roots, floating down the river
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: warming fire
literal_form: fire in the hermit's hut used to warm the rescued beings
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: snake
literal_form: snake living near buried treasure on the river bank
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: buried hoard
literal_form: vast treasure or money buried by former human owners
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Cruel prince at the river
summary: The abusive prince goes to bathe in the river during a storm, and his servants
throw him into the current and report him carried away by a flood.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Shared refuge on the uprooted tree
summary: The prince survives on an uprooted tree; a snake, a rat, and a rain-beaten
parrot also take refuge on it as it floats downstream.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Hermit's rescue and unequal order of care
summary: The hermit catches the tree, brings the four into his hut, and warms them
by the fire, caring for the animals before the prince.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Promises after rescue
summary: The snake, rat, and parrot offer future aid to the hermit, while the prince
outwardly invites the hermit but inwardly plans revenge.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Test, false accusation, and reversal
summary: The hermit visits the prince, now king; the king falsely accuses him and
orders him punished, but after the hermit explains the proverb and story, the
servants punish the king instead.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:1
- fig:6
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: grateful beasts and ungrateful rescued human
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The rescued animals promise aid to their rescuer, while the rescued prince
feigns gratitude and later tries to have the hermit killed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The label follows the passage title and events; no specific supplied taxonomy
family exactly matches it.
- id: motif:2
label: rebirth as animals bound to hoarded wealth
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
basis: The snake and rat are each described as former men reborn as animals near
buried wealth because of attachment to riches.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives a moralized rebirth account but does not elaborate a
full doctrinal frame beyond this statement.
- id: motif:3
label: flood-borne shared refuge
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A flood carries the prince, snake, rat, and parrot together on an uprooted
tree until the hermit rescues them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: Although the passage uses flood imagery, it is a local river flood rather
than a world-renewing flood, so the supplied 'flood_and_renewal' family is not
assigned.
- id: motif:4
label: test of gratitude and promises
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The hermit knows that people may promise what they do not mean and visits
to test the promises, revealing the king's ingratitude.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The wisdom classification is broad; the passage emphasizes practical moral
discernment rather than esoteric or divine wisdom.
- id: motif:5
label: false accusation reversed onto accuser
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The king falsely accuses the hermit and orders him punished; after the truth
is told, the servants punish the king instead.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not present this reversal as divine judgment; it is carried
out by human servants.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The narrative functions as an exemplum for the proverb stated by the hermit:
saving a drowning man may bring misfortune when the rescued person is ungrateful.'
claim_level: same_function
target: proverbial warning about saving a drowning man
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is an internal functional comparison supported by the passage's
explicit proverb, not a claim of historical contact with another text or tradition.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1202-1209
quote_or_summary: The prince is introduced as cruel and disagreeable, delighting
in hurting people and earning the name Wicked Prince.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1211-1233
quote_or_summary: At the river during a dark storm, the prince abuses his servants;
they throw him into the strong current and later tell the king a flood carried
him away.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1235-1255
quote_or_summary: The prince floats on an uprooted tree; a snake and rat, both former
men reborn near buried wealth, climb onto it, and a rain-beaten parrot drops onto
it too.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 1257-1268
quote_or_summary: A riverside hermit catches the tree, pulls it ashore, brings the
four into his hut, and dries and warms them by the fire, caring for the parrot,
rat, snake, and then the prince.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 1270-1281
quote_or_summary: The snake and rat thank the hermit and offer treasure; the parrot
says she has no silver or gold but can provide rice if he calls her.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 1283-1287
quote_or_summary: The prince hates the hermit for leaving him until last, pretends
gratitude, invites a visit, and inwardly anticipates tormenting him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 1289-1298
quote_or_summary: The hermit decides to test the promises and visits the city; the
prince, now king, calls him a robber and orders him flogged and impaled.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 1300-1311
quote_or_summary: While being beaten, the hermit repeats that the proverb is true,
explains 'It's unlucky to save a drowning man,' tells the whole story, and the
servants punish the Wicked King instead.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage clearly supports the literal extraction and main grateful/ungrateful
motif. Broader taxonomy assignments are limited to supplied references and are
therefore conservative.
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 supplied passage and metadata were used. Taxonomy references were assigned only where directly supported by passage details.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-old-india-tales-rouse-gutenberg__l1202-l1311
passage_sha256=d937fec0e67813151c43c64e297072e05952caf712cff94a75d229ab1bee200f