batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l5182-l5293
---
record_id: batch.motif.japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg-l5182-l5293
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/japanese/project-gutenberg/japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki.md
passage_locator:
label: THE HAPPY HUNTER AND THE SKILLFUL FISHER / THE STORY OF THE OLD MAN WHO MADE
WITHERED TREES TO FLOWER / THE JELLY FISH AND THE MONKEY / THE QUARREL OF THE
MONKEY AND THE CRAB; lines 5182-5293
start: '5182'
end: '5293'
translation: Japanese Fairy Tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A monkey and a crab exchange a rice-dumpling for a persimmon seed after
the monkey persuades the crab that the seed will become valuable. The crab plants
the seed, grows a persimmon tree, and later asks the monkey to climb it and pick
the ripe fruit. The monkey eats the ripe persimmons himself, throws hard unripe
fruit at the crab, kills him, flees, and the crab's son finds the body and weeps.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: 'A pink-faced monkey and a yellow crab play together along a river bank and
find different objects: the crab finds a rice-dumpling and the monkey finds a
persimmon seed.'
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The monkey is described as greedy and envious of the crab's dumpling, and
he proposes an exchange.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The monkey tells the crab that the seed can be sown and will become a tree
bearing persimmons year after year.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The crab agrees to the exchange; the monkey eats the dumpling, and the crab
plants the persimmon seed.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The seed grows over time into a persimmon tree that blossoms and bears large
ripe fruit.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The crab cannot climb the tree and goes to ask the monkey for help because
the monkey can climb trees.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: After hearing about the fruiting tree, the monkey forms a plan to get all
the persimmons for himself.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The monkey climbs the tree, eats the best ripe persimmons, and gives none
to the waiting crab.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The monkey throws hard unripe persimmons at the crab until the crab dies at
the foot of the tree he planted.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: The monkey flees, and the crab's son later finds his father dead with broken
shell and unripe persimmons around the body.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: pink-faced monkey
description: A monkey who finds a persimmon seed, exchanges it for the crab's rice-dumpling,
later climbs the persimmon tree, eats the ripe fruit, kills the crab with unripe
fruit, and flees.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: yellow crab
description: A crab who finds a rice-dumpling, accepts the persimmon seed, plants
it, waits for the tree to bear fruit, asks the monkey for help, and is killed
by thrown unripe persimmons.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: crab's son
description: The son of the crab, who finds his father dead and weeps.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: deceptive exchanger
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The monkey proposes and persuades the crab into exchanging the dumpling for
a hard seed that he himself does not want at that moment.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: tree climber and fruit taker
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The monkey is asked to climb the tree, then climbs it and eats the ripe fruit
without giving any to the crab.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: killer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The monkey throws hard unripe persimmons at the crab until the crab dies.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: deceived exchanger
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The crab accepts the monkey's persuasion and gives up the rice-dumpling for
the persimmon seed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: planter and patient watcher
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The crab plants the seed and watches the persimmons ripen over time.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: victim
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The crab waits below the tree, receives no ripe fruit, is struck by unripe
persimmons, and dies.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: bereaved discoverer
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The crab's son finds his father dead and weeps.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: rice-dumpling
literal_form: A food item found by the crab and exchanged to the monkey.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: persimmon seed
literal_form: A hard, uneatable seed found by the monkey, exchanged to the crab,
and planted.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: persimmon tree
literal_form: A tree grown from the seed planted by the crab, later bearing ripe
persimmons.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: ripe persimmons
literal_form: Fine ripe fruit on the tree, eaten by the monkey while the crab waits
below.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: unripe persimmons as missiles
literal_form: Hard green persimmons thrown by the monkey at the crab, causing fatal
wounds.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: river bank
literal_form: The river-side setting where the monkey and crab first play and find
the dumpling and seed.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Finding and exchange
summary: The crab finds a rice-dumpling, the monkey finds a persimmon seed, and
the monkey persuades the crab to exchange the edible dumpling for the seed.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Planting and growth
summary: The crab plants the persimmon seed, and over time it grows into a flowering
and fruit-bearing tree.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Request for climbing help
summary: Unable to climb the tree, the crab seeks out the monkey and asks for help
reaching the fruit.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Monopolizing the fruit
summary: The monkey climbs the tree and eats the best ripe persimmons while giving
none to the crab below.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Killing at the tree
summary: When the crab complains, the monkey throws hard unripe persimmons at him
until he dies at the foot of the tree.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:6
label: Discovery by the son
summary: The monkey flees, and the crab's son finds his father's broken body surrounded
by the unripe persimmons.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: deceptive exchange of present food for promised future gain
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: The monkey uses persuasive speech about the future value of a seed to obtain
the crab's immediately edible dumpling.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage presents trickery and exchange
but does not name a formal motif category.
- id: motif:2
label: helper betrays the one who requested help
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: The crab asks the monkey to help pick fruit, but the monkey eats the ripe
fruit himself and gives the crab none.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage frames the monkey's conduct as cunning and greedy; broader
comparative classification requires review.
- id: motif:3
label: natural fruit turned into a lethal weapon
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The monkey uses hard unripe persimmons from the crab's own tree as missiles
and kills the crab.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: No supplied taxonomy family directly matches this specific action.
- id: motif:4
label: bereaved child discovers slain parent
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The crab's son comes home, finds his father's damaged body, and weeps.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage excerpt ends at the discovery and does not include any subsequent
response or resolution.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 5182-5205
quote_or_summary: The monkey and crab play along a river bank; the crab finds a
rice-dumpling, the monkey finds a hard persimmon seed, and the monkey envies the
dumpling and proposes an exchange.
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 5206-5224
quote_or_summary: The monkey persuades the crab that the seed can grow into a fruit-bearing
tree; the crab agrees to exchange, the monkey eats the dumpling, and the crab
plants the seed.
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 5225-5241
quote_or_summary: The seed grows into a tree, blossoms, and later bears large ripe
persimmons that the crab watches as they ripen.
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 5242-5258
quote_or_summary: The crab cannot climb the tree and seeks the monkey's help; when
the monkey hears the tree bears fruit, he devises a plan to get the persimmons
for himself.
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 5259-5269
quote_or_summary: The monkey climbs the tree, eats the best and ripest persimmons,
and gives none to the hungry crab waiting below.
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 5270-5284
quote_or_summary: After the crab complains, the monkey throws hard green persimmons
at him until he drops dead at the foot of the tree he planted.
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 5285-5293
quote_or_summary: The monkey flees; the crab's son finds his father's smashed head
and broken shell, with unripe persimmons around the body, and weeps.
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: The narrative actions and figures are explicit in the supplied passage. Motif
labels are candidate descriptions based only on the excerpt and supplied taxonomy;
no cross-text comparison claims are made.
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 lines were used. The excerpt appears to begin within the tale 'The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab' and ends with the son's discovery of the crab's body.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:japanese-fairy-tales-ozaki-gutenberg__l5182-l5293
passage_sha256=9f8b79373b063d51720e865126174b3de7c06a86188c5f21be48cba511541501