batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l283-l355
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l283-l355
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
passage_locator:
label: PUBLISHER'S NOTE / THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE / PART I / PART II; lines
283-355
start: '283'
end: '355'
translation: Jataka tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A monkey relocates to another tree along the river. A crocodile finds him
and waits on a rock that the monkey uses as a stepping place to reach an island
of fruit trees. The monkey detects the trap by addressing the rock; the crocodile
answers for it. The monkey then tricks the crocodile into opening his mouth and
shutting his eyes, jumps onto the crocodile's head, and escapes to the bank and
his tree.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The monkey moves away from a previous tree in order to get away from the crocodile
and live in peace.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The crocodile finds the monkey farther down the river, living in another tree.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: An island covered with fruit-trees stands in the middle of the river, and
a large rock rises from the water halfway between the river bank and the island.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The monkey can cross by jumping from the river bank to the rock and then to
the island.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The crocodile watches the monkey's crossing and plans to catch him on his
way home at night.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The crocodile lies still on the rock toward night.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The monkey notices that the rock appears unusually high and concludes that
the crocodile is lying on it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The monkey calls to the rock three times and asks why it does not answer him
that night.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The crocodile thinks the rock must answer the monkey at night and answers
in place of the rock.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: The crocodile tells the monkey that he is waiting to eat him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: The monkey tells the crocodile to open his mouth wide so the monkey can jump
into it.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: The monkey knows that crocodiles shut their eyes when they open their mouths
wide.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: The monkey jumps onto the crocodile's head rather than into his mouth and
then springs to the bank and into his tree.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:14
text: The crocodile says the monkey has great cunning and no fear, and says he will
leave the monkey alone after this.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:15
text: The monkey thanks the crocodile but says he will remain watchful.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Monkey
description: A monkey living in trees near the river; he crosses by jumping via
a rock to a fruit-tree island and escapes the crocodile by a trick.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Crocodile
description: A crocodile who finds the monkey, waits on the crossing rock, intends
to eat him, and is tricked into opening his mouth and shutting his eyes.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
roles:
- id: role:1
label: intended prey
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The crocodile waits for the monkey and says he is going to eat him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:2
label: predator waiting in ambush
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The crocodile watches the monkey's route, lies on the rock, and announces
his intention to eat the monkey.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: cunning escape figure
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The monkey identifies the crocodile's disguise, exploits the crocodile's
closed eyes, and escapes by jumping on his head.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:4
label: deceived antagonist
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The crocodile answers for the rock and is tricked into opening his mouth,
allowing the monkey to escape.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: tree
literal_form: The monkey's tree and the fruit-trees on the island.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:8
- id: sym:2
label: water
literal_form: The river water around the island and rock.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: rock
literal_form: A large rock rising out of the water halfway between the bank and
the island; the crocodile lies on it.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: open mouth and shut eyes
literal_form: The crocodile's open mouth and closed eyes when the monkey is invited
to jump.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Monkey relocates downriver
summary: The monkey leaves his former tree to avoid the crocodile, but the crocodile
finds him living in another tree far down the river.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Island crossing and crocodile's ambush plan
summary: The monkey uses a rock as a stepping place to reach an island of fruit-trees.
The crocodile observes this and waits on the rock at night to catch him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Monkey exposes the false rock
summary: The monkey notices the rock looks higher than usual and tests it by calling
to it. The crocodile answers, revealing himself.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Escape over the crocodile
summary: The crocodile says he will eat the monkey. The monkey asks him to open
his mouth, then jumps onto his head and escapes to the bank and into his tree.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Crocodile concedes cunning
summary: The crocodile acknowledges the monkey's cunning and fearlessness and says
he will leave him alone; the monkey says he will still watch for him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Clever animal escapes a predator's ambush
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: The monkey detects the crocodile's ambush at a river crossing, deceives the
predator, and crosses to safety by using the crocodile's body.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The supplied taxonomy label is broad; the passage specifically presents
animal cunning at a crossing rather than an explicitly named trickster figure.
- id: motif:2
label: Practical knowledge defeats danger
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The monkey survives because he recognizes the changed rock, tests it with
speech, and uses knowledge of crocodile behavior to escape.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: This is a passage-level motif candidate based on actions and stated cunning,
not a doctrinal interpretation.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 283-289
quote_or_summary: The monkey moves away to avoid the crocodile and live in peace;
the crocodile finds him far down the river in another tree.
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: lines 291-296
quote_or_summary: A fruit-tree island lies in the river; a large rock rises from
the water halfway between the bank and the island, and the monkey can jump via
the rock to reach the island.
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: lines 297-305
quote_or_summary: The crocodile watches the monkey cross, plans to catch him returning
at night, swims about watching him, and later lies still on the rock.
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: lines 307-319
quote_or_summary: At night the monkey stops, notices the rock seems too high, infers
the crocodile is on it, and calls repeatedly to the rock.
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: lines 321-326
quote_or_summary: The crocodile thinks the rock answers the monkey at night and
answers in place of the rock.
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: lines 328-334
quote_or_summary: The monkey identifies the crocodile; the crocodile says he is
waiting to eat him; the monkey says there is no other way home and asks the crocodile
to open his mouth wide.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 336-339
quote_or_summary: The monkey knows crocodiles shut their eyes when they open their
mouths wide; the crocodile lies with mouth open and eyes shut.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 341-344
quote_or_summary: The monkey does not jump into the crocodile's mouth; he lands
on the crocodile's head, springs to the bank, and goes up into his tree.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 346-351
quote_or_summary: The crocodile says the monkey has great cunning and no fear and
will be left alone; the monkey thanks him but says he will remain watchful.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Motif taxonomy assignments
are cautious because available taxonomy categories are broad. No comparison claims
are made because the passage itself does not support a specific cross-text comparison.
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 external sources or unprovided Jataka context were used.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg__l283-l355
passage_sha256=67494d921541be6a3b1e3763eebdc63122e6c8b10256772834f2ce4ed679ba6c