batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l4627-l4745
---
record_id: batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l4627-l4745
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
passage_locator:
label: THE GOBLIN OF ADACHIGAHARA / THE SAGACIOUS MONKEY AND THE BOAR / THE HAPPY
HUNTER AND THE SKILLFUL FISHER / THE STORY OF THE OLD MAN WHO MADE WITHERED TREES
TO FLOWER; lines 4627-4745
start: '4627'
end: '4745'
translation: Japanese Fairy Tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: After Shiro the dog is killed by the wicked neighbor and buried under a
yenoki tree, Shiro’s kind master receives the tree, makes a mortar from it, and
the mortar produces abundant cakes. The greedy neighbor borrows and breaks the
mortar, burning it after it yields foul material for him. The old man keeps the
ashes, which cause leafless autumn trees to blossom when scattered on them. A
Knight summons the old man to a Daimio’s palace to use the ashes on a withered
cherry tree, and the old man climbs the tree and scatters the ashes over its branches.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The dog Shiro does not return; the wicked neighbor says he killed Shiro and
buried him under a yenoki tree in the field.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Shiro’s master asks for the tree under which Shiro is buried and makes a mortar
from its trunk.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: When the old man and his wife pound rice in the mortar, the rice increases
to about five times its original amount and cakes come out as if an invisible
hand were working.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The old man and his wife understand the abundant cakes as Shiro’s reward for
their faithful love.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The greedy neighbor borrows the mortar, keeps it for several days, breaks
it, and burns the pieces because it produced foul-smelling material for him.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: The old man asks for the ashes of the burned mortar as a remembrance of Shiro,
and carries home a basket of ashes.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: When ashes from the burned mortar touch leafless autumn branches, cherry trees,
plum trees, and other flowering shrubs burst into bloom.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: A Knight says a Daimio’s favorite cherry tree has withered and asks the old
man to come because he is known as one who can make withered trees blossom.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: At the Daimio’s palace, the old man climbs the dead cherry tree and scatters
ashes over its branches and twigs while the Daimio’s household watches.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Shiro
description: A dog killed by the wicked neighbor and buried under a yenoki tree;
later understood by the old couple as the source of a reward.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Shiro’s master / the good old man
description: A kind and gentle old man who mourns Shiro, makes a mortar from the
burial tree, preserves the ashes, and scatters them to make trees blossom.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: The old man’s wife
description: The wife who puts rice into the mortar and shares in recognizing the
cakes as Shiro’s reward.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: The wicked neighbor
description: A cruel, greedy, envious neighbor who kills Shiro, borrows the mortar,
breaks it, and burns it.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: The Knight
description: A retainer of a great Daimio who summons the old man to revive the
Daimio’s withered cherry tree.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: The Daimio
description: A nobleman whose favorite cherry tree has withered and who commands
the old man to make it blossom with the ashes.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Daimio’s retainers and ladies-in-waiting
description: Members of the Daimio’s household who go into the garden and watch
the old man scatter ashes.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: posthumous benefactor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The old couple understand the miraculous cakes as a reward from Shiro after
his death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: kind bereaved owner
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: He mourns Shiro, does not reproach the neighbor, and asks for the tree and
ashes as remembrances of the dog.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: household participant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: She puts rice in the mortar and shares in the recognition of the reward.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: greedy destructive neighbor
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: He is described as wicked, greedy, envious, kills Shiro, borrows the mortar,
and destroys it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: wonder-working old man
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The old man’s ashes make leafless and withered trees blossom, and he is summoned
for that ability.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:6
label: messenger-retainer
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The Knight identifies himself as a retainer and asks the old man to come
to the Daimio.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: noble requester and witness
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The Daimio requests that the old man make the dead cherry tree blossom and
says he will look on.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: burial tree
literal_form: yenoki tree under which Shiro is buried
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: wonder-working mortar
literal_form: mortar made from the trunk of Shiro’s burial tree
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: abundant cakes
literal_form: rice cakes produced in increasing quantity from the mortar
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: fire consuming the mortar
literal_form: big fire made of pieces of the broken mortar
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: ashes of the burned mortar
literal_form: basket and pot of ashes from the burned mortar
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: sym:6
label: out-of-season blossoms
literal_form: cherry trees, plum trees, and flowering shrubs blooming in late autumn
after ashes touch them
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: withered cherry tree
literal_form: the Daimio’s favorite cherry tree, described as withered or dead
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Shiro’s death and the burial tree
summary: The old man learns that Shiro has been killed and buried under a yenoki
tree, then asks to receive that tree as a remembrance.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Mortar produces abundant cakes
summary: The old man makes a mortar from the tree trunk; when he and his wife use
it to pound rice, the rice multiplies and cakes are produced.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Neighbor destroys the mortar
summary: The envious neighbor borrows the mortar, finds it yields foul-smelling
material for him, breaks it, and burns it.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Ashes make autumn garden bloom
summary: The old man receives the ashes of the mortar; when some ashes touch trees
in his garden during late autumn, the leafless trees and shrubs suddenly blossom.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: Summons to the Daimio’s palace
summary: A Knight summons the old man to the Daimio, whose favorite cherry tree
has withered and whose household has heard of the old man’s ability.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:6
label: Ashes scattered on the Daimio’s tree
summary: In the Daimio’s garden, the old man climbs the dead cherry tree and scatters
ashes over its branches and twigs while the Daimio and attendants watch.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: posthumous animal benefactor rewards faithful humans
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: After Shiro’s death, the old couple understand the miraculous cakes from
the burial-tree mortar as Shiro’s reward for their faithful love.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage itself frames the cakes as Shiro’s reward, but does not explain
the mechanism of the reward.
- id: motif:2
label: miraculous food-producing household object
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The mortar made from Shiro’s burial tree causes rice to increase and produces
cakes continuously for the old couple.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly names inexhaustible food or magic
household implements.
- id: motif:3
label: greedy imitator misuses or destroys a wonder-working object
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The greedy neighbor borrows the miraculous mortar, receives foul-smelling
material instead of cakes, breaks the mortar, and burns it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the contrast between the kind old couple and the
greedy neighbor, but does not state a broader moral formula.
- id: motif:4
label: ashes revive or blossom withered trees
taxonomy_refs:
- resurrection
- seasonal_cycle
basis: Ashes from the burned mortar make leafless autumn trees bloom and are brought
to revive the Daimio’s withered cherry tree.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage describes blossoming and attempted revival of trees; applying
resurrection is metaphorical at the plant level.
- id: motif:5
label: tree-mediated transformation from grave to abundance to renewal
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
- sacred_tree_axis
basis: A tree associated with Shiro’s burial becomes a mortar that yields food;
its burned remains become ashes that make trees bloom.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage links burial tree, mortar, ashes, and blossoms in sequence,
but does not explicitly identify the tree as an axis or sacred tree.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4627-4636
quote_or_summary: Shiro does not return; the wicked neighbor says he killed Shiro,
and Shiro’s master learns the dog was buried under a yenoki tree.
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 4637-4643
quote_or_summary: The neighbor gives the tree to Shiro’s master, who cuts it down,
carries it home, and makes a mortar from the trunk.
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 4644-4650
quote_or_summary: When rice is pounded in the mortar, it increases to about five
times its original amount and cakes come out as if made by an invisible hand.
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 4651-4656
quote_or_summary: The old man and his wife understand the cakes as Shiro’s reward
for their faithful love and thereafter live on the cakes supplied by the mortar.
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 4657-4675
quote_or_summary: The greedy neighbor borrows the mortar, does not return it, breaks
it, and burns the wood because it produced foul-smelling material when he tried
to pound cakes.
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 4676-4684
quote_or_summary: The old man asks for the ashes of the mortar to keep in remembrance
of Shiro, and the neighbor gives him a basket of ashes.
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 4685-4694
quote_or_summary: In late autumn, ashes scattered on the garden trees make cherry
trees, plum trees, and other flowering shrubs burst into bloom like spring.
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 4695-4712
quote_or_summary: A Knight, retainer of a great Daimio, says the Daimio’s favorite
cherry tree has withered and asks the old man to come because he can make withered
trees blossom.
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 4713-4745
quote_or_summary: At the palace, the Daimio asks the old man to make the dead cherry
tree blossom with the ashes; the old man climbs the tree and scatters ashes over
its branches and twigs while the household watches.
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 directly supported by the passage. Motif labels are
candidate analytic groupings using only available taxonomy references where reasonably
supported. No comparison claims were added 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: |-
Taxonomy references are limited to the refs supplied in the request; several plain motif labels therefore have empty taxonomy_refs.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg__l4627-l4745
passage_sha256=e58fefc4268f12e363f672f32eb231e1e7a64e880c884d8830da4da8c9f61755