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:
Pendēre ad lanium quīdam vīdit sīmium
inter relicuās mercēs atque obsōnia;
quaesīvit quidnam saperet. Tum lanius iocāns
"Quāle" inquit "caput est, tālis praestātur sapor."
Rīdiculē magis hōc dictum quam vērē aestimō;
quandō et fōrmōsōs saepe invēnī pessimōs,
et turpī faciē multōs cōgnōvī optimōs.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Quīdam ad lanium vīdit sīmium pendēre, inter mercēs relicuās atque obsōnia; quaesīvit quidnam saperet. Tum lanius, iocāns, inquit: "Quāle caput est, tālis sapor praestātur." Hōc dictum aestimō magis rīdiculē quam vērē; quandō et invēnī saepe fōrmōsōs pessimōs, et cōgnōvī optimōs multōs faciē turpī.
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):
Quidam ad lánium vidit símium péndere, inter merces relícuas atque obsónia; quaesívit quidnam sáperet. Tum lánius, iocans, inquit: "Quale caput est, talis sapor praestátur." Hoc dictum aéstimo magis ridícule quam vere; quando et invéni saepe formósos péssimos, et cognóvi óptimos multos fácie turpi.
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); for more information, here are some Notes on Iambic Meter.
Pendē·r~ ad lani·um quī·dam vī·dit sī·mium
inter· relicu·ās mer·cēs at·qu~ obsō·nia;
quaesī·vit quid·nam sape·ret. Tum· lanius· iocāns
Quāl~ in·quit caput· est, tā·lis prae·stātur· sapor.
Rīdicu·lē magis· hōc dic·tum quam· vēr~ aes·timō;
quand~ et· fōrmō·sōs sae·p~ invē·nī pes·simōs,
et tur·pī faci·ē mul·tōs cōg·nōv~ op·timōs.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a squirrel monkey:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Quidam ad lanium vidit simium pendere, inter merces relicuas atque obsonia; quaesivit quidnam saperet. Tum lanius, iocans, inquit: "Quale caput est, talis sapor praestatur." Hoc dictum aestimo magis ridicule quam vere; quando et inveni saepe formosos pessimos, et cognovi optimos multos facie turpi.
