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:
Avis quam dīcunt terraneōlam rūsticī,
in terrā nīdum quia compōnit scīlicet,
fōrte occucurrit improbae volpēculae,
quā vīsā pennīs altius sē sustulit.
"Salvē," inquit illa, "cūr mē fūgistī obsecrō?
Quasi nōn abundē sit mihi in prātō cibus,
grillī, scarabaeī, lōcustārum cōpia;
nihil est quod metuās, ego tē multum dīligō
propter quiētōs mōrēs et vītam probam."
Respondit contrā: "Tū quidem bene praedicās,
in campō nōn sum, sed sub dīō, pār tibi.
Quīn sequere; tibi salūtem committō meam."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Avis quam rūsticī terraneōlam dīcunt, quia scīlicet in terrā nīdum compōnit, volpēculae improbae fōrte occucurrit, quā vīsā, pennīs altius sē sustulit. Illa inquit: "Salvē, cūr mē fūgistī, obsecrō? Quasi cibus nōn abundē mihi sit in prātō, grillī, scarabaeī, lōcustārum cōpia; nihil est quod metuās; ego tē multum dīligō propter mōrēs quiētōs et vītam probam." Respondit contrā: "Tū quidem bene praedicās, in campō nōn sum, sed sub dīō, pār tibi. Quīn sequere; tibi salūtem meam committō."
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):
Avis quam rústici terraneólam dicunt, quia scílicet in terra nidum compónit, volpéculae ímprobae forte occucúrrit, qua visa, pennis áltius se sústulit. Illa inquit: "Salve, cur me fugísti, óbsecro? Quasi cibus non abúnde mihi sit in prato, grilli, scarabaéi, locustárum cópia; nihil est quod métuas; ego te multum díligo propter mores quiétos et vitam probam." Respóndit contra: "Tu quidem bene praédicas, in campo non sum, sed sub dio, par tibi. Quin séquere; tibi salútem meam commítto."
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.
Avis· quam dī·cunt ter·raneō·lam rūs·ticī,
in ter·rā nī·dum quia· compō·nit scī·licet,
fōrt~ oc·cucur·rit im·probae· volpē·culae,
quā vī·sā pen·nīs al·tius· sē sus·tulit.
"Salv~," in·quit il·la, "cūr· mē fū·gist~ ob·secrō?
Quasi nōn· abun·dē sit· mih~ in· prātō· cibus,
grillī,· scarabae·ī, lō·custā·rum cō·pia;
nihil est· quod metu·ās, ego· tē mul·tum dī·ligō
propter· quiē·tōs mō·rēs et· vītam· probam."
Respon·dit con·trā: "Tū· quidem· bene prae·dicās,
in cam·pō nōn· sum, sed· sub dī·ō, pār· tibi.
Quīn seque·re; tibi· salū·tem com·mittō· meam."
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a fox with his eye on a bird:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Avis quam rustici terraneolam dicunt, quia scilicet in terra nidum componit, volpeculae improbae forte occucurrit, qua visa, pennis altius se sustulit. Illa inquit: "Salve, cur me fugisti, obsecro? Quasi cibus non abunde mihi sit in prato, grilli, scarabaei, locustarum copia; nihil est quod metuas; ego te multum diligo propter mores quietos et vitam probam." Respondit contra: "Tu quidem bene praedicas, in campo non sum, sed sub dio, par tibi. Quin sequere; tibi salutem meam committo."
