batch.motif.buddhist-more-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l773-l865
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-more-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg-l773-l865
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
passage_locator:
label: THE RED-BUD TREE / THE WOODPECKER AND THE LION / THE OTTERS AND THE WOLF
/ HOW THE MONKEY SAVED HIS TROOP; lines 773-865
start: '773'
end: '865'
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 discovers a mango carried downriver, travels to the tree, and orders
archers to kill the monkeys feeding there. The Chief of the Monkeys calms his
troop, stretches himself between branches as a living bridge, and the monkeys
escape over his back. The king sees this and promises to care for the chief for
the rest of his life.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A mango-tree grows on the bank of a great river, with some fruit falling into
the river and some onto the ground.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: A troop of monkeys regularly gathers mangoes from the ground and tree at night.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Fishermen find a strange fruit in their nets and bring it to the king.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Foresters identify the fruit as a mango and tell the king where the tree grows.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The king and his men travel upriver by joined rafts, gather mangoes, and decide
to stay overnight.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: When the monkeys feed noisily in the tree, the king orders archers to shoot
them as they come down.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: The monkeys see the armed archers, fear death, and ask their chief what to
do.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: The Chief tells the monkeys not to fear and says he will save them.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: The Chief judges that some monkeys would drown if they tried to jump across
the river unaided.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: The Chief decides to make a bridge of his back between branches on opposite
sides of the river.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: obs:11
text: The monkeys run along the branch, step on the Chief's back, reach the other
tree, descend, and return home.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:12
text: The king sees the Chief save the troop and promises that the Chief will be
cared for for the rest of his life.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Chief of the Monkeys
description: The leader of the monkey troop who devises and performs the living
bridge escape.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- ev:12
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Monkey troop
description: The monkeys who feed on mangoes, are threatened by archers, and escape
by crossing over their chief's back.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
- ev:11
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: King
description: The ruler who discovers the mango, travels to the tree, orders the
monkeys shot, then recognizes the Chief's saving action and promises care.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:12
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Archers
description: Men commanded by the king to stand under the mango-tree and shoot the
monkeys as they come down.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Fishermen
description: They draw in nets containing fish and a strange fruit, then bring the
fruit to the king.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Foresters
description: They identify the fruit as a mango and tell the king the tree's location
upstream.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: leader
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The monkey figure is explicitly called the Chief of the Monkeys and directs
the troop.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: role:2
label: rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He says he will save the monkeys and provides his body as their crossing
route.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: role:3
label: endangered group
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The troop fears the archers and depends on the Chief's instructions to escape.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:11
- id: role:4
label: threatening ruler
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The king commands archers to shoot the monkeys for food.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: witness and patron
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The king witnesses the rescue and promises to care for the Chief.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: role:6
label: armed agents
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The archers stand under the tree with arrows ready to shoot.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:7
label: discoverers of the fruit
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: They find the strange fruit in their nets and present it to the king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:8
label: identifiers and guides
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: They identify the mango and report where the tree grows.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: mango-tree by the river
literal_form: A mango-tree growing on the bank of a great river.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:2
label: great river
literal_form: A river beside the mango-tree and between the tree branches involved
in the escape.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:9
- id: sym:3
label: mango fruit
literal_form: Fruit from the mango-tree, first found in fishermen's nets and later
gathered and eaten by the king and his men.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: living bridge
literal_form: The Chief's back used as a bridge from one tree branch to another
across the river.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: sym:5
label: arrows
literal_form: The archers' arrows prepared to shoot the monkeys.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Mango discovered downstream
summary: Fishermen find an unknown fruit in their nets; foresters identify it as
a mango and say the tree is upriver.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:2
label: King reaches the mango-tree
summary: The king travels upriver on joined rafts, lands at the mango-tree, and
stays overnight after eating the fallen fruit.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Monkeys threatened in the tree
summary: The monkeys arrive to feed, wake the king, and the king orders archers
to kill them when they descend.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:4
label: Chief forms a bridge
summary: The Chief sees that a direct leap would risk drowning, reaches toward the
opposite tree, and calls the troop to cross over his back.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: scene:5
label: King rewards the Chief
summary: The king observes that the Chief saved the troop and promises care for
him for the rest of his life.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: leader saves endangered troop by bodily bridge
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: The Chief exposes his own body as the crossing route by which the threatened
monkeys escape the armed men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not state that the Chief dies or is injured; the motif
is sacrificial in self-endangering service rather than explicit death.
- id: motif:2
label: wise leader devises escape from mortal danger
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The Chief assesses the danger of drowning and creates a practical solution
that saves the troop.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents practical judgment rather than formal instruction
or doctrinal wisdom.
- id: motif:3
label: recognition and care for rescuer by ruler
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After witnessing the rescue, the king promises that the Chief will be cared
for for the rest of his life.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy reference directly matches this reward pattern.
- id: motif:4
label: fruit leads ruler to hidden tree and animal encounter
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A mango carried downriver leads the king upstream to the tree where the monkey
troop is later encountered.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a narrative sequence pattern in the passage, not a confirmed broader
motif family.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 773-778
quote_or_summary: A mango-tree grows on the bank of a great river, and its fruit
falls both into the river and onto the ground.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 779-782
quote_or_summary: Each night a troop of monkeys gathers fallen mangoes and climbs
the tree to eat more fruit.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 783-790
quote_or_summary: A king watching fishermen downstream receives a strange fruit
found in their nets.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 791-806
quote_or_summary: Foresters identify the fruit as a mango, say it is good to eat,
and tell the king the tree grows many miles upstream on the river bank.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 807-819
quote_or_summary: The king has many rafts joined together, travels upriver to the
mango-tree, gathers the fruit with his men, and stays overnight to gather more.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 820-829
quote_or_summary: The monkey troop arrives noisily at night; the king wakes and
orders archers to shoot the monkeys when they come down, so that monkey flesh
and mangoes may be eaten in the morning.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 830-834
quote_or_summary: The monkeys see archers with arrows ready, fear death, and ask
their Chief what they should do.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: quote
locator: lines 835-840
quote_or_summary: The Chief says, “Do not fear; I will save you,” and the monkeys
are comforted because he has helped them before.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 841-848
quote_or_summary: The Chief runs onto a branch over the river, sees that the opposite
branches do not meet, and reasons that some monkeys would fall into the water
and drown if they tried to jump.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: quote
locator: lines 848-853
quote_or_summary: The Chief decides, “I shall make a bridge of my back,” reaches
the longest branch across the river, and calls the monkeys to step on his back.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 854-858
quote_or_summary: The monkeys follow the Chief's command, cross by stepping on his
back to the other branch, descend, and go home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: lines 859-865
quote_or_summary: The king sees that the big monkey saved the whole troop and promises
to have him cared for for the rest of his life.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/more-jataka-tales-babbitt.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The narrative actions and roles are explicit. Motif labels involving sacrifice
are cautious because the passage describes bodily risk and service but not the
Chief's death or injury. No comparison claims are made because the passage itself
does not provide cross-textual 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: |-
Only the supplied passage text and metadata were used. The broader passage label includes other tale titles, but the provided passage text contains only “HOW THE MONKEY SAVED HIS TROOP.”
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-more-jataka-tales-babbitt-gutenberg__l773-l865
passage_sha256=cbb27a8a5f4fc73d82e16708ae118f96e5b7287578e1321fac5c8283c2b71ab2