batch.motif.buddhist-old-india-tales-rouse-gutenberg-l1989-l2105
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-old-india-tales-rouse-gutenberg-l1989-l2105
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
passage_locator:
label: SILENCE IS GOLDEN / THE GREAT YELLOW KING AND HIS PORTER / THE QUAIL AND
THE FALCON / PRIDE MUST HAVE A FALL; lines 1989-2105
start: '1989'
end: '2105'
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: '"your manners suit the dust-heap better than the mountains."'
summary: A proud hybrid bird named Streaky, child of the King Goose and a Crow,
is carried by his goose half-brothers from the city dust-heap to the mountains.
During the journey he boasts that the geese are like a pair of horses carrying
him in royal style. The King Goose rebukes him for rudeness and sends him back
to the dust-heap, where he spends the rest of his life.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The King Goose lives in the mountains with a goose mate and young geese, and
also has a crow wife elsewhere.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The crow wife lays a large white egg with blue spots, from which Streaky hatches
as a grey, brown-streaked chick unlike either parent in color.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Streaky considers himself important because he is different from the crows,
larger, loud-voiced, and streaked.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The crow colony lives by a dust-heap outside the city gate, and Streaky lives
in a nest on top of a tall palm-tree there.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: obs:5
text: The young geese visit Streaky and offer to carry him on a stick because he
says flying to the mountains is too much trouble.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:6
text: Each young goose takes one end of the stick in its mouth, and Streaky perches
in the middle while they fly away.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:7
text: As they fly over the city, Streaky sees the city king riding in a carriage
drawn by four white horses.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:8
text: Streaky sings that, just as the city king has four white horses, he has a
pair of geese to carry him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:9
text: The young geese are angry at Streaky's song but remain silent until they reach
home, where they report it to their father.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:10
text: The King Goose rebukes Streaky for treating his brothers like horses and sends
him back to his mother at the dust-heap.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:11
text: Streaky returns by himself, tired and hungry, spends the rest of his days
on the dust-heap eating carrion, and the King Goose never visits again.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: King Goose
description: A beautiful wild goose, King of the Geese, living in the mountains;
father of the young geese and of Streaky.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:11
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Crow wife / Mrs. Crow
description: A black crow wife of the King Goose; mother of Streaky, living at the
dust-heap near the city gate.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Streaky
description: A grey, brown-streaked bird hatched from the crow's egg; proud, rude
to his goose brothers, and sent back to the dust-heap.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:11
- ev:12
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Young Geese
description: Sons of the King Goose who visit Streaky, carry him on a stick, and
report his rudeness to their father.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: City king
description: A king seen below in a beautiful carriage drawn by four white horses
while Streaky is being carried overhead.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Mountain king and father
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He is called King of the Geese, lives in the mountains, and is father to
both the young geese and Streaky.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:11
- id: role:2
label: Crow mother
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: She lays the egg from which Streaky hatches and remains at the dust-heap
home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: Proud and rude dependent
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Streaky is described as proud, fails to thank those carrying him, and compares
the geese to his own conveyance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:4
label: Courteous carriers and brothers
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The young geese politely visit Streaky, carry him on a stick, and refrain
from immediate retaliation despite anger.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: role:5
label: Rebuking authority
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The King Goose judges Streaky's conduct and sends him back to the dust-heap.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:6
label: Royal comparison figure
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Streaky uses the sight of the city king in a horse-drawn carriage as the
basis for his boast.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Mountains
literal_form: mountains
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:11
- id: sym:2
label: Dust-heap
literal_form: dust-heap outside the city gate
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:12
- id: sym:3
label: Palm-tree nest
literal_form: tall palm-tree with a nest at the top
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: Carrying stick
literal_form: strong stick held at both ends by the geese, with Streaky perched
in the middle
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:5
label: Royal carriage and four white horses
literal_form: beautiful carriage drawn by four white thoroughbreds
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Mixed household and birth of Streaky
summary: The King Goose has a goose family in the mountains and a crow wife elsewhere;
the crow wife lays an unusual egg, and Streaky hatches as a bird of mixed appearance.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Visit to the dust-heap nest
summary: The young geese follow their father's directions to a tall palm-tree at
the dust-heap outside the city gate, where they meet Mrs. Crow and Streaky.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:3
label: Streaky carried over the city
summary: The young geese carry Streaky on a stick. Seeing the city king in a white-horse
carriage below, Streaky sings a boast comparing the geese carrying him to the
king's team.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:4
label: Rebuke and return to the dust-heap
summary: After the young geese report Streaky's words, the King Goose rebukes him
for rudeness and sends him back to his mother; Streaky returns alone and remains
at the dust-heap.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:11
- ev:12
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Pride followed by humiliation or loss of status
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage title states that pride must fall, and Streaky's pride and boast
lead to rebuke, loss of transport, return to the dust-heap, and separation from
the King Goose.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:9
- ev:11
- ev:12
confidence: high
cautions: The fall is social and moral rather than a literal fall from the sky.
- id: motif:2
label: Ingratitude toward helpers
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Streaky is carried by the young geese but does not thank them and instead
likens them to animals pulling a royal vehicle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames this chiefly as bad manners and pride, not as a separate
doctrinal teaching.
- id: motif:3
label: Return from higher place to base dwelling after misconduct
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Streaky is brought from the dust-heap to the mountain home but is sent back
because his manners are judged fit for the dust-heap rather than the mountains.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:11
- ev:12
confidence: medium
cautions: This is an inferred narrative pattern from the spatial contrast; the passage
does not name it as a formal motif.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1989-1998
quote_or_summary: A beautiful wild goose, King of the Geese, lives in the mountains
with a goose mate and young; he also has a crow wife.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1999-2006
quote_or_summary: The crow lays a large white egg with blue spots; a chick hatches
who is neither black like the crow nor white like the father, and is named Streaky.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2007-2014
quote_or_summary: Streaky fancies himself because he is different from the crows,
larger, loud-voiced, and streaked; the crows regard him as wonderful.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 2015-2020
quote_or_summary: The King Goose visits the crow colony at a dust-heap outside the
city gate, where the crows feed on offal and dead bodies.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 2021-2033
quote_or_summary: The young geese learn of their other brother and receive directions
to find Streaky on top of a tall palm-tree growing from the dust-heap at the city
gate.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 2034-2045
quote_or_summary: The young geese arrive at the palm-tree nest; Streaky says the
journey is too much trouble, and the geese offer to carry him on a stick.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 2046-2052
quote_or_summary: The geese find a strong stick, each takes an end in his mouth,
and Streaky perches in the middle as they fly off.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 2053-2061
quote_or_summary: Streaky is too self-important to thank the geese; flying over
the city, he sees the city king in a beautiful carriage drawn by four white horses.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: quote
locator: lines 2062-2065
quote_or_summary: '"Streaky has these, his pair of Geese, to carry him over the
land!"'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 2066-2072
quote_or_summary: The geese are angry at Streaky's song but remain silent, carry
him home safely, and tell their father what he said.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:11
type: quote
locator: lines 2073-2085
quote_or_summary: The King Goose tells Streaky that he has been rude to his brothers
and says, "your manners suit the dust-heap better than the mountains."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation from supplied passage.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: lines 2086-2105
quote_or_summary: Streaky must fly back by himself, returns tired and hungry, spends
the rest of his days on the dust-heap eating carrion, and the King Goose never
visits again.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/giant-crab-old-india-tales-rouse.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal plot extraction is well supported by the passage. Motif labels are
limited to broad wisdom-pattern descriptions and available taxonomy. No comparison
claims are made because the passage itself does not explicitly compare this tale
to another tradition or corpus.
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 supplied passage text and metadata were used.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-old-india-tales-rouse-gutenberg__l1989-l2105
passage_sha256=05905044da02c7330314b9b8dc8f2e90ddad34c268daf989bd374efcad910305