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:
Musca in tēmōne sēdit et mūlam increpāns
"Quam tarde es" inquit "nōn vīs citius prōgredī?
Vide nē dolōne collum conpungam tibi."
Respondit illa: "Verbīs nōn moveor tuīs;
sed istum timeō sellā quī prīmā sedēns
cursum flagellō temperat lentō meum,
et ōra frēnīs continet spūmantibus.
quāpropter aufer frīvolam īnsolentiam;
nam et ubi trīcandum et ubi sit currendum sciō."
Hāc dērīdērī fābulā meritō potest
quī sine virtūte vānās exercet minās.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Musca in tēmōne sēdit et, mūlam increpāns, inquit: "Quam tarde es! Nōn vīs citius prōgredī? Vide nē tibi collum conpungam dolōne." Illa respondit: "Verbīs tuīs nōn moveor; sed istum timeō quī, sellā prīmā sedēns, cursum meum temperat flagellō lentō, et frēnīs spūmantibus ōra continet. Quāpropter frīvolam īnsolentiam aufer; nam sciō et ubi trīcandum sit, et ubi currendum." Hāc fābulā meritō dērīdērī potest quī minās vānās exercet, sine virtūte.
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):
Musca in temóne sedit et, mulam íncrepans, inquit: "Quam tarde es! Non vis cítius prógredi? Vide ne tibi collum conpúngam dolóne." Illa respóndit: "Verbis tuis non móveor; sed istum tímeo qui, sella prima sedens, cursum meum témperat flagéllo lento, et frenis spumántibus ora cóntinet. Quaprópter frívolam insoléntiam aufer; nam scio et ubi tricándum sit, et ubi curréndum." Hac fábula mérito deridéri potest qui minas vanas exércet, sine virtúte.
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.
Musc~ in· tēmō·ne sē·dit et· mūl~ in·crepāns
"Quam tar·d~ es" in·quit "nōn· vīs citi·us prō·gredī?
Vide nē· dolō·ne col·lum con·pungam· tibi."
Respon·dit il·la: "Ver·bīs nōn· moveor· tuīs;
sed is·tum time·ō sel·lā quī· prīmā· sedēns
cursum· flagel·lō tem·perat· lentō· meum,
et ō·ra frē·nīs con·tinet· spūman·tibus.
quāprop·ter au·fer frī·vol~ īn·solen·tiam;
n~ et ubi· trīcan·d~ et ubi· sit cur·rendum· sciō."
Hāc dē·rīdē·rī fā·bulā· meritō· potest
quī sine· virtū·te vā·nās ex·ercet· minās.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Musca in temone sedit et, mulam increpans, inquit: "Quam tarde es! Non vis citius progredi? Vide ne tibi collum conpungam dolone." Illa respondit: "Verbis tuis non moveor; sed istum timeo qui, sella prima sedens, cursum meum temperat flagello lento, et frenis spumantibus ora continet. Quapropter frivolam insolentiam aufer; nam scio et ubi tricandum sit, et ubi currendum." Hac fabula merito derideri potest qui minas vanas exercet, sine virtute.
