batch.motif.buddhist-more-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l1520-l1580
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-more-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l1520-l1580
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
passage_locator:
label: THE LION IN BAD COMPANY / XVIII / THE WISE GOAT AND THE WOLF / PRINCE WICKED
AND THE GRATEFUL ANIMALS; lines 1520-1580
start: '1520'
end: '1580'
translation: More Jataka Tales
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A king orders the poor man who saved him to be beaten and executed. The
poor man explains his deed to wise men in the crowd, and the crowd kills the king
and makes the poor man king. The new king visits the Snake, Rat, and Parrot, receives
or is offered their promised gifts, brings them to the palace, and houses and
feeds them for life.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The king orders servants to seize, bind, beat, and behead the poor man.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The servants obey the king and beat the bound poor man at every street corner.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The poor man repeatedly says that it is better to save poor, weak animals
than to save a prince.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Wise men in the crowd ask the poor man which prince he saved, and the poor
man tells the story, saying that saving their king brought pain upon him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The crowd says the poor man saved the king, fears the king may kill others,
and kills the king with arrows and stones while he rides on an elephant.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The crowd makes the poor man king and sets him to rule.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The new king visits the Snake, the Rat, and the Parrot to try them, and each
responds with treasure, money, or an offer of rice.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: obs:8
text: The king returns to the city with the gold, money, Snake, Rat, and Parrot,
hides the wealth in the palace, and provides special dwellings and daily food
for the animals.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: the king
description: The ruler who orders the poor man's execution and is later killed by
the crowd.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: the poor man
description: A man ordered killed by the king; he says he saved the king and is
later made king.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: servants
description: The king's servants who seize, bind, and beat the poor man, and later
dig up the Snake's gold.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: wise men and crowd
description: People along the street who question the poor man, condemn the king's
action, kill the king, and make the poor man king.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Snake
description: A snake who comes from his hole, offers treasure to the king, and later
receives a gold tube to live in.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Rat
description: A rat who bows to the king, offers buried money, and later receives
a glass box as a home.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Parrot
description: A parrot who offers to gather choice rice with family and friends and
later receives a gold cage.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
roles:
- id: role:1
label: unjust ruler ordering execution
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The king orders the poor man seized, beaten, and beheaded after the poor
man saved him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: condemned rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The poor man is bound and beaten, and he says saving the king brought pain
upon him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: obedient royal agents
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The servants obey the king's command to seize, bind, and beat the poor man.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: public judges and executors
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The wise men and crowd hear the poor man's story, denounce the king, kill
him, and make the poor man king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: punished king
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The crowd kills the king with arrows and stones while he is riding on an
elephant.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: newly enthroned ruler
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The people make the poor man king, and he later rules, travels with servants,
and houses the animals in the palace.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:10
- id: role:7
label: grateful animal benefactor
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
basis: The Snake offers treasure, the Rat offers buried money, and the Parrot offers
choice rice.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Snake
literal_form: snake coming out of a hole and offering treasure
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:2
label: treasure and gold
literal_form: treasure and gold dug up by servants and later hidden in the palace
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: sym:3
label: buried money
literal_form: money buried where the Rat lives and carried away by servants
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:4
label: choice rice
literal_form: rice that the Parrot offers to gather with family and friends when
needed
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:5
label: elephant
literal_form: elephant on which the king rides when the crowd kills him
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:6
label: animal dwellings in the palace
literal_form: gold tube for the Snake, glass box for the Rat, and gold cage for
the Parrot
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Condemnation and street beating
summary: The king commands that the poor man be bound, beaten through the streets,
and beheaded; the servants obey while the poor man repeats a saying about saving
weak animals rather than a prince.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Crowd learns the rescue story and kills the king
summary: Wise men ask the poor man what prince he saved; after hearing that he saved
their king, the crowd condemns the king and kills him with arrows and stones while
he rides an elephant.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Poor man made king
summary: After the king is killed, the people make the poor man king and set him
to rule over them.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Visits to the Snake, Rat, and Parrot
summary: The new king goes to the Snake, Rat, and Parrot; the Snake offers treasure,
the Rat offers money, and the Parrot offers rice, and the king asks each animal
to come with him.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:5
label: Animals housed in the palace
summary: The king returns to the city with wealth and the three animals, hides the
wealth in the palace, gives each animal a special dwelling and preferred food,
and they live happily.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Rescuer punished by the one he saved
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The poor man says he saved the king, yet the king orders him bound, beaten,
and executed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The rescue itself is referred to in this passage but not narrated within
this line range.
- id: motif:2
label: Grateful animals reward a human benefactor
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: The Snake offers treasure, the Rat offers buried money, and the Parrot offers
rice to the newly enthroned poor man.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The earlier act that made the animals grateful is outside this passage,
though the passage identifies them as better to save than a prince.
- id: motif:3
label: Unjust ruler overthrown and replaced by the innocent victim
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The crowd kills the king because he ordered the poor man's death after being
saved by him, then makes the poor man king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage narrates popular enthronement but gives no formal ritual or
divine sanction.
- id: motif:4
label: Testing promised benefactors after gaining power
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After becoming king, the poor man decides to try the Snake, Rat, and Parrot
again, and they fulfill or offer their gifts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not state the full earlier promise, only the new king's
decision to try the animals once more.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1520-1524
quote_or_summary: The king calls his servants and commands them to seize and bind
the poor man, beat him at every street corner, march him out of the city, and
behead him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 1526-1531
quote_or_summary: The servants seize, bind, and beat the poor man; he does not cry
out but repeatedly says it is better to save poor, weak animals than to save a
prince.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1533-1536
quote_or_summary: Wise men in the crowd ask what prince he saved; the poor man tells
the whole story and says that by saving their king he brought this pain on himself.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 1538-1545
quote_or_summary: The crowd says the poor man saved the king, fears the king may
kill others, and kills the king with arrows and stones as he rides on his elephant.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:5
type: quote
locator: line 1547
quote_or_summary: '"Then they made the poor man king, and set him to rule over them."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 1549-1552
quote_or_summary: The poor man rules well and decides to try the Snake, Rat, and
Parrot once more, traveling with many servants to where the Snake lives.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 1554-1559
quote_or_summary: The Snake comes out of his hole, offers the king treasure, is
asked to come along, and the king has servants dig up the gold.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 1561-1566
quote_or_summary: The Rat comes out, bows, offers all the money buried there, and
is asked to go with the king and the Snake.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 1568-1573
quote_or_summary: The Parrot flies to the king's feet and offers for himself, his
family, and friends to gather choice rice when needed; the king asks him to come,
and the Parrot joins them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 1575-1580
quote_or_summary: The king returns to the city with gold, money, the Snake, Rat,
and Parrot; he hides the wealth, makes a gold tube for the Snake, a glass box
for the Rat, a gold cage for the Parrot, feeds each preferred food, and they live
happily.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Motif labels
are passage-level candidates and require human review, especially where prior
rescue events are only referenced within this excerpt. No comparison claims are
made because the passage itself does not support an explicit comparative link.
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: |-
Used only supplied passage text and metadata. Taxonomy references applied only where directly supported by available taxonomy terms.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-more-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg__l1520-l1580
passage_sha256=b9b5605468eaf1008a30e0f81678faaf579ccfca9981a5a59eff31707cacc946