batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l1151-l1226
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l1151-l1226
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
passage_locator:
label: THE FOOLISH, TIMID RABBIT / THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH MERCHANT / THE ELEPHANT
GIRLY-FACE / THE BANYAN DEER; lines 1151-1226
start: '1151'
end: '1226'
translation: Jataka tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A golden Banyan Deer, king of a herd, lives near another deer herd. A human
king hunts deer, so townspeople enclose the deer in a park. To reduce random killing
and wounding, the Banyan Deer king arranges with the Monkey Deer king that one
deer from alternating herds will submit daily to death. When the lot falls to
a mother deer with a young baby and her own king refuses delay, the Banyan Deer
king takes her place. The human king, moved by this mercy, spares him, the mother,
and all deer in park or forest.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The Banyan Deer is described as gold-colored, with jewel-like eyes, silver-white
horns, a red mouth, bright hard hoofs, a large body, and a fine tail.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The Banyan Deer is king of a herd of five hundred Banyan Deer living in a
forest.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Another nearby herd, called the Monkey Deer, also has a king.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The human king hunts deer and eats deer meat, repeatedly calling townspeople
to accompany him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The townspeople make a fenced park with grass and water and drive the deer
into it so the king can hunt there.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The human king grants life to the two deer kings after seeing them in the
park.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: When hunted by the king or his cook, deer shake with fear, run, and are killed
after being hit.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: The Banyan Deer king proposes that one deer from alternating herds present
itself each day to be killed, in order to reduce total deaths and wounds.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: Each day the deer whose turn it is lies with its head on the block, and the
cook carries it away.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: A mother deer with a young baby asks the Monkey Deer king to let her turn
pass until her baby can live without her.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: The Monkey Deer king refuses to help the mother deer and says she must die
because the lot has fallen to her.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:12
text: The Banyan Deer king tells the mother deer to return to her herd and says
he will go in her place.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:13
text: The cook finds the Banyan Deer king lying with his head on the block and reports
this to the human king.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:14
text: The Banyan Deer king explains to the human king that he came because he could
not ask anyone else to take the mother’s place.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: obs:15
text: The human king praises the Banyan Deer king’s kindness and mercy, grants life
to him and the mother deer, and says he will no longer hunt deer in park or forest.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:14
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: King of the Banyan Deer
description: A gold-colored deer king of a herd of five hundred Banyan Deer; he
arranges an alternating sacrifice system and later takes the place of a mother
deer.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- ev:11
- ev:13
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: King of the Monkey Deer
description: King of the nearby Monkey Deer herd; he agrees to the alternating arrangement
but refuses to delay a mother deer’s turn.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Human king
description: The king of the country who hunts deer, grants the two deer kings their
lives, and later ends hunting after seeing the Banyan Deer king’s mercy.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:14
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Mother deer
description: A deer from the Monkey Deer herd with a young baby; her lot falls to
be killed, and she asks to postpone her death.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:11
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Young baby deer
description: The mother deer’s young baby, described as not yet old enough to get
along without the mother.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Cook
description: The king’s cook sometimes goes to obtain deer and finds the deer lying
on the block.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:12
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Townspeople
description: People of the town who are repeatedly called to hunt and who build
the fenced deer park to avoid leaving their work.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Banyan Deer herd
description: A herd of five hundred Banyan Deer ruled by the King of the Banyan
Deer.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Monkey Deer herd
description: A nearby deer herd ruled by the King of the Monkey Deer.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: king or ruler
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
basis: The passage explicitly identifies the Banyan Deer, Monkey Deer, and human
monarch as kings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: protective organizer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The Banyan Deer king proposes an ordered alternation to reduce deaths and
wounds among the deer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: self-substituting victim
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He lies on the block in place of the mother deer whose lot had fallen.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- ev:13
- id: role:4
label: unhelpful herd ruler
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Monkey Deer king refuses the mother deer’s request for postponement.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:5
label: hunter
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The human king is fond of hunting deer and eating deer meat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: grantor of mercy
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: After hearing the Banyan Deer king’s explanation, the human king grants life
and stops hunting deer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:14
- id: role:7
label: endangered mother
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The mother deer’s lot falls to be killed while she still has a dependent
young baby.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:8
label: dependent young
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The mother says her baby is not old enough to get along without her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:9
label: executioner or collector
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The cook comes to the block and carries off the deer found lying there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: park builders
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The townspeople build the fenced park with grass and water and drive deer
into it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:11
label: imperiled herd
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:9
basis: Both herds are confined in the park and are subject to the daily killing
arrangement.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: golden deer
literal_form: A deer the color of gold with jewel-like eyes and silver-white horns
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: fenced deer park
literal_form: A park with grass, water, a surrounding fence, and a shut gate
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: water in the deer park
literal_form: Water provided for the deer in the enclosed park
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: execution block
literal_form: The block on which the selected deer lies with its head placed down
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:12
- id: sym:5
label: lot determining death turn
literal_form: The lot that falls to a deer, assigning that deer to be killed
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: two deer herds
literal_form: The Banyan Deer herd and the Monkey Deer herd, each ruled by a deer
king
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:8
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Golden deer king and neighboring herd
summary: The Banyan Deer is introduced as a beautiful gold-colored deer king ruling
five hundred deer, with a nearby Monkey Deer herd also ruled by a king.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Human hunting and enclosure of deer
summary: The human king hunts deer with the townspeople, who build a fenced park
with grass and water and drive the deer into it.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Alternating deaths arranged
summary: Because random hunting wounds and kills many deer, the Banyan Deer king
proposes that one deer from alternating herds go each day to the block to be killed.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:4
label: Mother deer refused by her own king
summary: A mother deer whose lot has fallen asks the Monkey Deer king to delay her
turn until her baby can survive without her, but he refuses.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:5
label: Banyan Deer king takes the mother’s place
summary: The mother asks the Banyan Deer king for help, and he goes to the block
in her place, where the cook finds him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- id: scene:6
label: Human king grants life and stops hunting
summary: The human king asks why the Banyan Deer king is on the block; after the
deer explains, the king praises his kindness and mercy, spares him and the mother,
and renounces hunting deer in park or forest.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- ev:14
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: self-sacrifice in place of another
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: The Banyan Deer king takes the death assigned to a mother deer and lies with
his head on the block in her place.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- ev:13
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents threatened execution and substitution; it does not
use ritual-sacrifice language beyond the act of giving oneself for another.
- id: motif:2
label: merciful ruler transforms a violent ruler
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The Banyan Deer king’s compassionate action causes the human king to praise
his kindness and stop hunting deer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- ev:14
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy has a broad 'wisdom' category; the passage emphasizes
kindness and mercy more explicitly than abstract wisdom.
- id: motif:3
label: ordered victim selection to limit destruction
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The Banyan Deer king proposes a daily alternation between herds so fewer
deer are wounded or killed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a practical arrangement within the narrative and may not be a
conventional motif without further comparison.
- id: motif:4
label: dependent young spared through intercession
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A mother deer asks for delay because of her young baby, and the Banyan Deer
king intervenes by substituting himself.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The baby deer remains mostly a motivating figure rather than an active
participant.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 1151-1158
quote_or_summary: The tale opens with a gold-colored Deer with jewel-like eyes and
silver-white horns, living in a forest as king of five hundred Banyan Deer.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 1159-1160
quote_or_summary: A nearby herd called the Monkey Deer also has a king.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 1161-1167
quote_or_summary: The king of the country likes hunting deer and eating deer meat
and repeatedly calls the townspeople to accompany him, disrupting their work.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 1168-1174
quote_or_summary: The townspeople make a park, plant grass, provide water, build
a fence around it, drive the deer inside, shut the gate, and tell the king he
can find deer there.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 1175-1178
quote_or_summary: The king sees the two deer kings in the park and grants them their
lives, then looks at the herds.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 1179-1183
quote_or_summary: The king or his cook hunts the deer; the deer shake with fear,
run, and drop dead after being hit.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: quote
locator: 1184-1190
quote_or_summary: The Banyan Deer king says that many deer are killed or wounded
and proposes that one from his herd go one day and one from the Monkey Deer herd
the next, so fewer deer will be lost.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summarized quotation.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 1191-1194
quote_or_summary: The Monkey Deer king agrees; each day the deer whose turn it is
lies with its head on the block, and the cook carries it off.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: quote
locator: 1195-1200
quote_or_summary: A mother deer with a young baby asks that her turn pass until
the baby is old enough to get along without her, after which she will put her
head on the block.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summarized quotation.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 1201-1204
quote_or_summary: The Monkey Deer king does not help her and says that if the lot
has fallen to her, she must die.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: quote
locator: 1205-1208
quote_or_summary: The mother deer asks the Banyan Deer king to save her; he replies,
'Go back to your herd. I will go in your place.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; brief quotation.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: 1209-1212
quote_or_summary: The next day the cook finds the Banyan Deer king lying with his
head on the block and tells the human king, who comes to see.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:13
type: summary
locator: 1213-1220
quote_or_summary: The human king asks why he is lying there after being granted
life; the Banyan Deer king explains that a mother with a young baby came to him
and he could not ask anyone else to take her place.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:14
type: quote
locator: 1221-1226
quote_or_summary: The human king says he has never seen such kindness and mercy,
grants life to the Banyan Deer king and the mother, and says he will no longer
hunt deer in park or forest.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summarized quotation.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage is self-contained and gives clear narrative actions and roles.
Motif labels are candidate interpretations from the passage and available taxonomy
only; no external comparison is asserted.
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 make an explicit comparative claim to another tradition, text, or motif family beyond extractable candidate motifs.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg__l1151-l1226
passage_sha256=75fd0c0112df9d053f73cf234e1c30ed4e3f297a5eba8cb2cff43c9f99219c29