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:
Asellum quīdam per viās urbis suum
Voluit colōre viridī pictum incēdere.
Rīdicula prīmum vīsa rēs est omnibus;
Viridemque Asellum fēminae, puerī, senēs
Certātim lepidis concelēbrārunt iocīs:
At mox ubī illī dēnique rīsērunt satis,
In Asellō viridī, praeter Asellum, nīl vident.
Mīrārī quidquam nōn valent hominēs diū.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Quīdam voluit Asellum suum colōre viridī pictum per viās urbis incēdere. Prīmum rēs rīdicula vīsa est omnibus; et fēminae, puerī, senēs viridem Asellum certātim concelēbrārunt iocīs lepidis; at mox ubī illī dēnique satis rīsērunt, in Asellō viridī nīl vident, praeter Asellum. Hominēs nōn diū valent quidquam mīrārī.
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 vóluit Aséllum suum colóre víridi pictum per vias urbis incédere. Primum res ridícula visa est ómnibus; et féminae, púeri, senes víridem Aséllum certátim concelebrárunt iocis lépidis; at mox ubi illi dénique satis risérunt, in Aséllo víridi nil vident, praeter Aséllum. Hómines non diu valent quidquam mirári.
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.
Asel·lum quī·dam per· viās· urbis· suum
Voluit· colō·re viri·dī pic·t~ incē·dere.
Rīdicu·la prī·mum vī·sa rēs· est om·nibus;
Viridem·qu~ Asel·lum fē·minae,· puerī,· senēs
Certā·tim lepi·dis con·celē·brārunt· iocīs:
At mox· ub~ il·lī dē·nique rī·sērunt· satis,
In Asel·lō viri·dī, prae·ter Asel·lum, nīl· vident.
Mīrā·rī quid·quam nōn· valent· hominēs· diū.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), "Green Donkey," by one of my very favorite painters, Marc Chagall:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Quidam voluit Asellum suum colore viridi pictum per vias urbis incedere. Primum res ridicula visa est omnibus; et feminae, pueri, senes viridem Asellum certatim concelebrarunt iocis lepidis; at mox ubi illi denique satis riserunt, in Asello viridi nil vident, praeter Asellum. Homines non diu valent quidquam mirari.
