Friday, March 12, 2010

Lepores et Ranae (Potts)

SOURCE: Aditus Faciliores, by A. W. Potts and C. Darnell at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 138.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Ōlim lepus quīdam sociōs in hunc modum allocūtus est: Vīta nostra miserrima est: assiduō enim metū terrēmur. Melius mihi vidētur vītam fīnīre. Hōc audītō succlāmant omnēs sē morī velle. Vēnērunt igitur ad lacum, sēque in aquam praecipitāre parant. Vident autem subitum aquārum tumultum, rānae enim leporum adventū territae in algās ruēbant. Tum lepus quīdam, Heu (inquit) et aliōs, ecce, vexat timor malōrum. Ferāmus vītae incommoda, ut cēterī. Mala enim levat patientia.


ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Olim lepus quidam sócios in hunc modum allocútus est: Vita nostra misérrima est: assíduo enim metu terrémur. Mélius mihi vidétur vitam finíre. Hoc audíto succlámant omnes se mori velle. Venérunt ígitur ad lacum, seque in aquam praecipitáre parant. Vident autem súbitum aquárum tumúltum, ranae enim léporum advéntu térritae in algas ruébant. Tum lepus quidam, Heu (inquit) et álios, ecce, vexat timor malórum. Ferámus vitae incómmoda, ut céteri. Mala enim levat patiéntia.


UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:
Olim lepus quidam
socios in hunc modum allocutus est:
Vita nostra miserrima est:
assiduo enim metu terremur.
Melius mihi videtur vitam finire.
Hoc audito
succlamant omnes
se mori velle.
Venerunt igitur ad lacum,
seque in aquam praecipitare parant.
Vident autem
subitum aquarum tumultum,
ranae enim
leporum adventu territae
in algas ruebant.
Tum lepus quidam,
Heu (inquit) et alios,
ecce, vexat timor malorum.
Feramus vitae incommoda,
ut ceteri.
Mala enim levat
patientia.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source):


Here is another illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.