batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l2528-l2630
---
record_id: batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l2528-l2630
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
passage_locator:
label: THE FARMER AND THE BADGER / THE ADVENTURES OF KINTARO, THE GOLDEN BOY / THE
STORY OF THE MAN WHO DID NOT WISH TO DIE / THE BAMBOO-CUTTER AND THE MOON-CHILD;
lines 2528-2630
start: '2528'
end: '2630'
translation: Japanese Fairy Tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: An old childless bamboo-cutter finds a tiny radiant girl inside a bamboo
stem, brings her home to his wife, and raises her as their child. After her arrival,
gold and precious stones appear in bamboo notches and the couple becomes wealthy.
The child grows into a beautiful full-grown girl in three months, gives off light,
is named Princess Moonlight, and attracts many suitors, most of whom leave except
five persistent knights.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The old bamboo wood-cutter and his wife are poor, old, and childless before
the discovery.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The bamboo-cutter’s ordinary work is cutting bamboo in woods and hills and
making household articles from it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: A bamboo grove is filled with bright soft light, and the light streams from
one bamboo stem.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Inside a hollow in the bamboo stem stands a tiny human being, three inches
high and beautiful.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The old man interprets the tiny being as sent to be his child and takes her
home to his wife.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The old woman places the tiny girl in a basket to keep her safe.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: After the child’s arrival, the old man repeatedly finds gold and precious
stones in bamboo notches, and he becomes wealthy.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: In three months the bamboo child becomes a full-grown girl and is dressed
in beautiful kimonos.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The girl is kept behind screens like a princess and is not allowed to be seen
by others.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The girl’s body gives off soft bright light that fills the house, making night
seem like day.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: A name-giver names her Princess Moonlight because of her light and says she
might have been a daughter of the Moon God.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: The naming is celebrated for three days with song, dance, music, friends,
and relations.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: The fame of Princess Moonlight’s loveliness spreads, and many suitors seek
to win her hand or see her.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: obs:14
text: Suitors wait outside the house, make holes in the fence, write letters and
poems, and receive no answer.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: obs:15
text: Most suitors eventually leave, but five knights remain through seasons and
weather, neglecting meals and rest.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:16
text: The bamboo-cutter refuses the knights’ request to show the princess, saying
he is not her real father and cannot compel her.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: old bamboo wood-cutter
description: A poor, old, childless bamboo-cutter who finds the radiant tiny girl
in a bamboo stem and raises her as his foster-daughter.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:11
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: old wife
description: The bamboo-cutter’s old wife, who helps bring up the tiny girl and
places her in a basket for safety.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Princess Moonlight
description: A tiny beautiful human being found inside a glowing bamboo stem; she
grows into a radiant full-grown girl in three months and is named Princess Moonlight.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: celebrated name-giver
description: A person called in by the old couple to name the new-found child.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: suitors
description: Men from far and near who desire to win Princess Moonlight’s hand or
see her, waiting outside the house and attempting to glimpse or contact her.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: five knights
description: Five especially persistent suitors who continue waiting outside Princess
Moonlight’s dwelling through seasons and weather after others leave.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: finder
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He discovers the light in the bamboo and finds the tiny being inside the
stem.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: caretaker
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: She helps bring up the tiny girl and places her in a basket to protect her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: foster-parent
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: The old couple raise the found child and expend their old-age love on her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: miraculously found child
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: She is found as a tiny human being inside a glowing bamboo stem.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: radiant princess-like maiden
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: After rapid growth she is kept behind screens like a princess and gives off
light.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: desired bride or beloved
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Many suitors want to win her hand or even see her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: name-giver
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: He gives the found child the name Princess Moonlight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: suitor
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: They seek Princess Moonlight’s hand or try to see her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: role:9
label: persistent watcher
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The five knights remain outside through weather, hunger, and seasonal change.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:11
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: bamboo stem as place of discovery
literal_form: hollow bamboo stem
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: soft moonlike light
literal_form: bright soft light streaming from bamboo and from Princess Moonlight’s
body
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:3
label: gold and precious stones in bamboo
literal_form: gold and precious stones found in bamboo notches
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: protective basket
literal_form: basket used to safeguard the tiny girl
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: screens concealing the maiden
literal_form: screens behind which Princess Moonlight is placed
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- id: sym:6
label: letters and poems of suitors
literal_form: letters and poems sent to Princess Moonlight without reply
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: childless bamboo-cutter at work
summary: The poor old bamboo-cutter, lacking children, goes out as usual to cut
bamboo for his livelihood.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: radiant child found in bamboo
summary: A bamboo grove fills with light, and the old man finds a tiny beautiful
human being inside a hollow bamboo stem.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: adoption and enrichment
summary: The old couple bring up the tiny girl, and after her arrival the old man
finds gold and precious stones in bamboo, becoming wealthy.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: rapid growth and radiant seclusion
summary: The bamboo child grows into a full-grown girl in three months, is dressed
finely, kept behind screens, and fills the house with soft light.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: naming of Princess Moonlight
summary: A name-giver names the radiant girl Princess Moonlight, linking her appearance
to moonlight and a possible daughter of the Moon God, and the household celebrates
for three days.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: suitors waiting outside
summary: Suitors gather outside the house to glimpse or court Princess Moonlight;
most give up, but five knights continue waiting through hardship and seasons.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: miraculous child discovered in a plant
taxonomy_refs:
- miraculous_child
basis: The child appears as a tiny beautiful being inside a glowing bamboo stem
and is taken home to be raised by the old couple.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage describes discovery rather than ordinary birth; broader story
context may clarify origin.
- id: motif:2
label: radiant otherworldly maiden
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: Princess Moonlight gives off soft bright light, is compared to a possible
daughter of the Moon God, and becomes the object of many suitors’ desire.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage only states that she might have been a daughter of the Moon
God; it does not yet confirm her divine origin.
- id: motif:3
label: found child brings wealth to foster household
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: After the old couple take in the bamboo child, the old man finds gold and
precious stones in bamboo and becomes wealthy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives a sequence but does not explicitly state that the child
causes the wealth.
- id: motif:4
label: hidden beautiful maiden attracting persistent suitors
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Princess Moonlight is kept behind screens and many suitors wait outside,
attempting to see or contact her; five knights continue despite hardship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
confidence: low
cautions: 'The taxonomy reference is only approximate: the passage presents seclusion
and courtship pressure, not an actual abduction or stolen beloved.'
- id: motif:5
label: possible divine parent-child implication
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_parent_child
basis: The name-giver says Princess Moonlight’s radiance makes her seem as if she
might have been a daughter of the Moon God.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: low
cautions: This is framed as a comparison or possibility within the passage, not
as confirmed parentage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2528-2538
quote_or_summary: The passage introduces an old poor bamboo wood-cutter and his
wife, childless in old age; the man works by cutting bamboo in woods and hills
and making household items.
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 2539-2550
quote_or_summary: While cutting bamboo, the old man sees the grove flooded with
soft bright light like moonlight; the light comes from one bamboo, inside which
stands a beautiful tiny human being three inches high.
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 2551-2560
quote_or_summary: The old man says the tiny being must have been sent to be his
child, takes her home to his wife, and the wife puts the tiny girl in a basket
for safety.
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 2561-2572
quote_or_summary: The old couple are happy with the child; afterward the old man
often finds gold and precious stones in bamboo notches and gradually becomes rich.
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 2573-2587
quote_or_summary: After three months the bamboo child has become a full-grown girl;
she is dressed in beautiful kimonos, kept behind screens like a princess, and
emits light that fills the house.
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 2588-2594
quote_or_summary: A celebrated name-giver names her Princess Moonlight because her
body gives off soft bright light and she might have been a daughter of the Moon
God.
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 2595-2604
quote_or_summary: A three-day naming festival is held with song, dance, and music;
those who see Princess Moonlight praise her loveliness, and her fame spreads widely.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 2605-2615
quote_or_summary: Many suitors desire to win Princess Moonlight’s hand or see her,
and they wait outside the house, making holes in the fence in hopes of glimpsing
her.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 2616-2622
quote_or_summary: The suitors remain day and night; some write letters and then
poems about hopeless love, but Princess Moonlight gives no reply.
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 2623-2628
quote_or_summary: Most suitors leave, but five knights remain, neglecting meals
and waiting outside through sunshine, rain, winter, spring, and summer.
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 2629-2630
quote_or_summary: The five knights ask the bamboo-cutter to show them the princess;
he says he is not her real father and cannot make her obey him against her wishes.
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: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Some motif
assignments are approximate because the excerpt gives only the opening of the
tale and does not yet confirm Princess Moonlight’s origin or later narrative function.
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 explicitly compare this episode to another text, tradition, or motif family beyond the available taxonomy-style motif labeling.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg__l2528-l2630
passage_sha256=02f3094d155b20685dae1eab65ffdc3353fcb69a094bb25f328ba00b53f71725