batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l2053-l2152
---
record_id: batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l2053-l2152
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
passage_locator:
label: THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW / THE STORY OF URASHIMA TARO, THE FISHER LAD / THE
FARMER AND THE BADGER / THE ADVENTURES OF KINTARO, THE GOLDEN BOY; lines 2053-2152
start: '2053'
end: '2152'
translation: Japanese Fairy Tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Princess Terute attempts to poison Hase-Hime with sweet wine but accidentally
gives the poisoned cup to her own son, who dies. Later Hase-Hime, already known
as a gifted young poetess, is summoned to compose and offer a poem-prayer to quiet
the flooding Tatsuta River whose roar has made the Emperor ill. Her prayer succeeds,
the Emperor recovers, and she is rewarded with the rank Chinjo. Her stepmother’s
jealousy intensifies, and she orders a servant to take Hase-Hime to the Hibari
Mountains and kill her.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Princess Terute secretly obtains poison, poisons sweet wine, and keeps it
in one bottle while placing good wine in another similar bottle.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The poisoning attempt occurs during the Boys’ Festival on the fifth of May
while Hase-Hime is playing with her little stepbrother among toys of warriors
and heroes.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Terute pours two cups from different bottles but, after becoming nervous,
gives the poisoned cup to her own child instead of to Hase-Hime.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The boy screams, collapses in pain, and dies within the hour in his mother’s
arms.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The death is publicly attributed to wine disagreeing with the boy and causing
convulsions.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: The narrator states that the wicked woman is punished by losing her own child,
but she hates Hase-Hime more afterward.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: At thirteen years old, Hase-Hime is already spoken of as a poetess of merit.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: During the rainy season at Nara, floods swell the Tatsuta River in the Imperial
Palace grounds, and the noise disturbs the Emperor until he develops a nervous
disorder.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: An Imperial Edict commands Buddhist priests to pray continuously to stop the
flood’s noise, but this does not succeed.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Court circles propose that Hase-Hime write a poem and offer it in prayer,
citing an earlier maiden-poetess who moved Heaven by verse.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: Hase-Hime writes a poem on gold-flecked paper, goes to the river bank, raises
her heart to Heaven, reads the poem aloud, and lifts it heavenward in both hands.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:12
text: The river ceases roaring, becomes quiet, and the Emperor soon recovers.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:13
text: The Emperor rewards Hase-Hime with the rank Chinjo, after which she is called
Chinjo-hime.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:14
text: Terute’s envy increases after Hase-Hime receives imperial favor, and she carries
lies about Hase-Hime to her husband without success.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:15
text: When her husband is absent, Terute orders an old servant to take Hase-Hime
to the Hibari Mountains and kill her there.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Princess Terute
description: Hase-Hime’s stepmother, described as wicked and jealous; she attempts
to poison Hase-Hime and later orders her taken to the mountains to be killed.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Hase-Hime / Chinjo-hime
description: A young princess, stepdaughter of Princess Terute, gifted poetess,
and later recipient of the rank Chinjo.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:11
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Little stepbrother
description: Terute’s own child and Hase-Hime’s little stepbrother, who receives
the poisoned wine and dies.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Emperor
description: Ruler whose rest is disturbed by the roaring Tatsuta River; after Hase-Hime’s
poem-prayer succeeds, he recovers and rewards her.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Prince Toyonari Fujiwara
description: Hase-Hime’s father and second minister at Court, who tells her what
the Emperor requires.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Old servant
description: A servant ordered by Terute to take Hase-Hime to the Hibari Mountains
and kill her.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Buddhist priests
description: Priests commanded by Imperial Edict to pray continuously to stop the
flood noise.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Ono-no-Komachi
description: An earlier maiden-poetess named in court discussion as having moved
Heaven by praying in verse and brought rain during drought.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: jealous stepmother and attempted killer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: She poisons wine intended for Hase-Hime and later orders her servant to kill
Hase-Hime in the mountains.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:11
- id: role:2
label: innocent intended victim and gifted poetess
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: She is the intended target of poisoning, is praised as a young poetess, and
performs the poem-prayer at the river.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: accidental poison victim
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: He receives the poisoned cup meant for Hase-Hime and dies within the hour.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: afflicted ruler and rewarder
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The Emperor becomes ill because of the river’s roar and later rewards Hase-Hime
after recovery.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:5
label: father and court minister
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: He is identified as Hase-Hime’s father and second minister at Court and conveys
the required duty to her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: ordered execution agent
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Terute orders him to take Hase-Hime to the Hibari Mountains and kill her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:7
label: ritual intercessors
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: They are commanded to offer continuous prayers to stop the flood noise.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: precedent poetess
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: She is cited as an earlier gifted maiden-poetess whose verse-prayer affected
weather.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: poisoned sweet wine
literal_form: Poisoned sweet wine in one of two similar bottles, later poured into
a cup.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: two wine bottles and two cups
literal_form: Two similar wine bottles, one poisoned and one good, and two cups
filled from them.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: Boys’ Festival warrior toys
literal_form: Toys of warriors and heroes spread out during the Boys’ Festival.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:4
label: Tatsuta River flood
literal_form: The swollen Tatsuta River and its roaring torrents of water.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- id: sym:5
label: gold-flecked poem paper
literal_form: A leaflet of paper heavily flecked with gold-dust on which Hase-Hime’s
poem is written.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: heavenward lifted poem
literal_form: Hase-Hime lifts the poem heavenward in both hands while reading it
aloud at the river bank.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: Hibari Mountains
literal_form: The Hibari Mountains, described as the wildest part of the country.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Poisoned wine at the Boys’ Festival
summary: Princess Terute brings cakes and two bottles of sweet wine to Hase-Hime
and her little stepbrother. She intends to poison Hase-Hime but mistakenly gives
the poisoned cup to her own son, who dies.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Flood crisis and failed temple prayers
summary: At Nara, the swollen Tatsuta River roars through the Imperial Palace grounds
and causes the Emperor illness. Buddhist temple prayers ordered by edict do not
stop the noise.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Hase-Hime’s poem-prayer quiets the river
summary: Because she is known as a gifted poetess, Hase-Hime is ordered to compose
a poem-prayer. At the river bank she reads her gold-flecked poem aloud, lifts
it heavenward, and the water becomes quiet.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:4
label: Imperial reward and renewed jealousy
summary: The Emperor rewards Hase-Hime with the rank Chinjo. Terute resents Hase-Hime’s
rise in honor and lies about her to Prince Toyonari, but he rejects the accusations.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:5
label: Order to kill Hase-Hime in the mountains
summary: During Prince Toyonari’s absence, Terute orders an old servant to take
Hase-Hime to the Hibari Mountains and kill her there, claiming this is necessary
to prevent family disgrace.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: poison intended for innocent victim returns upon plotter’s own child
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Terute prepares poisoned wine for Hase-Hime, but her nervous mistake causes
her own child to drink it and die; the narrator explicitly calls this the wicked
woman’s punishment.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames the result as punishment, but it does not describe
a deity directly intervening in the cup exchange.
- id: motif:2
label: gifted maiden-poetess calms dangerous waters through verse-prayer
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Hase-Hime is known as a gifted young poetess and is asked to write a poem-prayer;
when she reads it at the river and raises it heavenward, the roaring water becomes
quiet and the Emperor recovers.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The available taxonomy has no exact label for ritual poetry or wonder-working
speech; 'wisdom' is used as the closest supported motif family.
- id: motif:3
label: innocent girl ordered taken to wild mountains for execution
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: Terute orders a servant to take Hase-Hime to the Hibari Mountains, the wildest
part of the country, and kill her there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage ends with the order; it does not show whether the journey
or attempted killing is carried out.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage itself compares Hase-Hime’s proposed poem-prayer to the precedent
of Ono-no-Komachi, another maiden-poetess said to have moved Heaven by verse and
affected rain.
claim_level: same_function
target: Ono-no-Komachi maiden-poetess rain-making precedent
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The comparison is reported as court discussion within the story; it
supports similarity of function, not historical contact beyond the passage’s own
reference.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2053-2067
quote_or_summary: Terute secretly poisons sweet wine in one bottle, keeps good wine
in another similar bottle, and brings the two bottles with cakes while Hase-Hime
and her stepbrother play during the Boys’ Festival.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 2068-2082
quote_or_summary: Terute mistakenly gives the poisoned cup to her own child; the
boy screams, falls in pain, and dies within the hour, while the death is attributed
to convulsions caused by wine disagreeing with him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2083-2088
quote_or_summary: The narrator states that the wicked woman was punished by losing
her own child when she tried to kill Hase-Hime, yet she hates Hase-Hime more afterward.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 2089-2092
quote_or_summary: At thirteen, Hase-Hime is already mentioned as a poetess of some
merit, an accomplishment valued among women of old Japan.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 2093-2102
quote_or_summary: During the rainy season at Nara, floods swell the Tatsuta River
through the Imperial Palace grounds; its roaring disturbs the Emperor and causes
illness, and temple prayers ordered by edict fail to stop it.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 2103-2112
quote_or_summary: Court circles identify Princess Hase as a gifted poetess and recall
Ono-no-Komachi, a maiden-poetess said to have moved Heaven by verse and brought
rain during drought, suggesting Hase’s poem-prayer might stop the river noise.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 2113-2122
quote_or_summary: Hase-Hime is told she must save the Emperor by the merit of her
verse; she writes a poem on gold-flecked paper, goes to the torrent’s bank, raises
her heart to Heaven, reads the poem aloud, and lifts it heavenward in both hands.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: quote
locator: lines 2123-2127
quote_or_summary: "“The waters ceased their roaring, and the river was quiet in
direct answer to her prayer. After this the Emperor soon recovered his health.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 2128-2132
quote_or_summary: The Emperor is pleased, summons Hase-Hime to the Palace, rewards
her with the rank Chinjo, and she becomes known as Chinjo-hime.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 2133-2142
quote_or_summary: Terute alone is displeased by Hase-Hime’s success, resents her
imperial favor and court admiration, and tells lies about her to her husband,
who rejects them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 2143-2152
quote_or_summary: Taking advantage of her husband’s absence, Terute orders an old
servant to take Hase-Hime to the Hibari Mountains, described as the wildest part
of the country, and kill her there.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The main events and figures are explicit in the passage. Motif taxonomy mapping
is partly approximate because the available motif families do not include exact
categories for poisoned-cup reversal or efficacious poetry.
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: |-
Extraction uses only the supplied passage and metadata. No external comparisons are added beyond the Ono-no-Komachi precedent explicitly stated in the passage.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg__l2053-l2152
passage_sha256=f4ae821f0f898829d029a43217edd658a652c258ebed1f751c6f91809c2ce98f