READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the iambic meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:
Nē glōriārī libeat aliēnīs bonīs,
suōque potius habitū vītam dēgere,
Aesōpus nōbis hōc exemplum prōdidit.
Tumēns inānī grāculus superbiā
pennās, pāvōnī quae dēciderant, sustulit,
sēque exōrnāvit. Deinde, contemnēns suōs
sē immiscuit pāvōnum fōrmōsō gregī.
Illī impudentī pennās ēripiunt avī,
fugantque rōstrīs. Male mulcātus grāculus
redīre maerēns coepit ad proprium genus,
ā quō repulsus trīstem sustinuit notam.
Tum quīdam ex illīs quōs prius dēspēxerat
"Contentus nostrīs sī fuissēs sēdibus
et quod Nātūra dederat voluissēs patī,
nec illam expertus essēs contumēliam
nec hanc repulsam tua sentīret calamitās."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Aesōpus hōc exemplum nōbis prōdidit nē aliēnīs bonīs glōriārī libeat, et potius suō habitū vītam dēgere. Grāculus, inānī superbiā tumēns, pennās, quae pāvōnī dēciderant, sustulit, et sē exōrnāvit. Deinde, suōs contemnēns, sē pāvōnum fōrmōsō gregī immiscuit. Illī pennās avī impudentī ēripiunt, et rōstrīs fugant. Grāculus, male mulcātus, maerēns, ad proprium genus redīre coepit, ā quō repulsus, notam trīstem sustinuit. Tum quīdam ex illīs, quōs prius dēspēxerat: "Sī sēdibus nostrīs contentus fuissēs et quod Nātūra dederat patī voluissēs, nec illam contumēliam expertus essēs nec calamitās tua hanc repulsam sentīret."
STRESS (ACCENT) MARKS. Here is the prose text with accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Aesópus hoc exémplum nobis pródidit ne aliénis bonis gloriári líbeat, et pótius suo hábitu vitam dégere. Gráculus, ináni supérbia tumens, pennas, quae pavóni decíderant, sústulit, et se exornávit. Deinde, suos contémnens, se pavónum formóso gregi immíscuit. Illi pennas avi impudénti erípiunt, et rostris fugant. Gráculus, male mulcátus, maerens, ad próprium genus redíre coepit, a quo repúlsus, notam tristem sustínuit. Tum quidam ex illis, quos prius despéxerat: "Si sédibus nostris conténtus fuísses et quod Natúra déderat pati voluísses, nec illam contuméliam expértus esses nec calámitas tua hanc repúlsam sentíret."
IAMBIC METER. Here is the verse text with some color coding to assist in the iambic meter. The disyllabic elements (iambs/spondees) are not marked, but the trisyllabic elements are color-coded: dactyls are red, anapests are purple, and tribrachs are green (as is any proceleusmaticus, although that is a rare creature):
Nē glō·riā·rī libe·at ali·ēnīs· bonīs,
suō·que poti·us habi·tū vī·tam dē·gere,
Aesō·pus nō·bis hōc· exem·plum prō·didit.
Tumēns· inā·nī grā·culus· super·biā
pennās,· pāvō·nī quae· dēcide·rant, sus·tulit,
sēqu~ ex·ōrnā·vit. Dein·de, con·temnēns· suōs
s~ immis·cuit· pāvō·num fōr·mōsō· gregī.
Ill~ im·puden·tī pen·nās ē·ripiunt· avī,
fugant·que rōs·trīs. Male· mulcā·tus grā·culus
redī·re mae·rēns coe·pit ad· proprium· genus,
ā quō· repul·sus trīs·tem sus·tinuit· notam.
Tum quī·d~ ex il·līs quōs· prius· dēspēx·erat
Conten·tus nos·trīs sī· fuis·sēs sē·dibus
et quod· Nātū·ra dede·rat volu·issēs· patī
nec il·l~ exper·tus es·sēs con·tumē·liam
nec hanc· repul·sam tua· sentī·ret cala·mitās.
IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from a Renaissance edition of Aesop:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Aesopus hoc exemplum nobis prodidit ne alienis bonis gloriari libeat, et potius suo habitu vitam degere. Graculus, inani superbia tumens, pennas, quae pavoni deciderant, sustulit, et se exornavit. Deinde, suos contemnens, se pavonum formoso gregi immiscuit. Illi pennas avi impudenti eripiunt, et rostris fugant. Graculus, male mulcatus, maerens, ad proprium genus redire coepit, a quo repulsus, notam tristem sustinuit. Tum quidam ex illis, quos prius despexerat: "Si sedibus nostris contentus fuisses et quod Natura dederat pati voluisses, nec illam contumeliam expertus esses nec calamitas tua hanc repulsam sentiret."
