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:
Mustēla, cum annīs et senectā dēbilis
mūrēs vēlōcēs nōn valēret adsequī,
involvit sē farīnā et obscūrō locō
abiēcit neclegenter. Mūs, ēscam putāns,
adsiluit et comprensus occubuit necī;
alter similiter, deinde perit et tertius.
Aliquot secūtīs vēnit et retorridus,
quī saepe laqueōs et mūscipula effūgerat;
proculque īnsidiās cernēns hostis callidī,
"Sīc valeās," inquit, "ut farīna es, quae iacēs!"
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Mustēla, annīs et senectā dēbilis, cum mūrēs vēlōcēs adsequī nōn valēret, farīnā sē involvit et neclegenter locō obscūrō abiēcit. Mūs, ēscam putāns, adsiluit et, comprensus, necī occubuit; alter similiter, deinde et tertius perit. Aliquot secūtīs vēnit et retorridus, quī saepe laqueōs et mūscipula effūgerat; et hostis callidī, īnsidiās procul cernēns, inquit: "Tū quae iacēs: sīc valeās, ut farīna es!"
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):
Mustéla, annis et senécta débilis, cum mures velóces ádsequi non valéret, farína se invólvit et neclegénter loco obscúro abiécit. Mus, escam putans, adsíluit et, comprénsus, neci occúbuit; alter simíliter, deinde et tértius perit. Áliquot secútis venit et retórridus, qui saepe láqueos et muscípula effúgerat; et hostis cállidi, insídias procul cernens, inquit: "Tu quae iaces: sic váleas, ut farína es!"
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.
Mustē·la, c~ an·nīs et· senec·tā dē·bilis
mūrēs· vēlō·cēs nōn· valē·ret ad·sequī,
invol·vit sē· farī·n~ et ob·scūrō· locō
abiē·cit nec·legen·ter. Mūs,· ēscam· putāns,
adsilu·it et· compren·sus oc·cubuit· necī;
alter· simili·ter, dein·de perit· et ter·tius.
Aliquot· secū·tīs vē·nit et· retor·ridus,
quī sae·pe laque·ōs et· mūscipu·l~ effū·gerat;
procul·qu~ īnsidi·ās cer·nēns hos·tis cal·lidī,
"Sīc vale·ās," in·quit, "ut· farī·n~ es, quae· iacēs!"
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Mustela, annis et senecta debilis, cum mures veloces adsequi non valeret, farina se involvit et neclegenter loco obscuro abiecit. Mus, escam putans, adsiluit et, comprensus, neci occubuit; alter similiter, deinde et tertius perit. Aliquot secutis venit et retorridus, qui saepe laqueos et muscipula effugerat; et hostis callidi, insidias procul cernens, inquit: "Tu quae iaces: sic valeas, ut farina es!"
