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:
Auceps Fringillam cum cēpisset, ac pedem
Fīlō alligāsset, puerulō hanc dōnō dedit.
Sed inter hominēs illa vītam nōn ferēns,
Ubī lībertātis aliqua sē spes obtulit,
Fugit, nōtīsque nemoribus sē condidit.
At subsecūtum rāmulīs fīlum īnscia
Implicat, et ultrā iam volāre nōn potest;
Reperitque mortem, servitūtem dum fugit.
Leve damnum suffer, nē grave incurrās malum.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Auceps, cum Fringillam cēpisset ac fīlō pedem alligāsset, puerulō hanc dedit dōnō. Sed illa inter hominēs vītam nōn ferēns, ubī lībertātis spes aliqua sē obtulit, fugit et nōtīs nemoribus sē condidit. At īnscia fīlum subsecūtum rāmulīs implicat, et ultrā iam volāre nōn potest, et mortem reperit, dum servitūtem fugit. Damnum leve suffer, nē malum grave incurrās.
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):
Auceps, cum Fringíllam cepísset ac filo pedem alligásset, puérulo hanc dedit dono. Sed illa inter hómines vitam non ferens, ubi libertátis spes áliqua se óbtulit, fugit et notis nemóribus se cóndidit. At ínscia filum subsecútum rámulis ímplicat, et ultra iam voláre non potest, et mortem réperit, dum servitútem fugit. Damnum leve suffer, ne malum grave incúrras.
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.
Auceps· Fringil·lam cum· cēpis·set, ac· pedem
Fīl~ al·ligās·set, pue·rul~ hanc· dōnō· dedit.
Sed in·ter homi·nēs il·la vī·tam nōn· ferēns,
Ubī· līber·tātis a·liqua sē ·spes ob·tulit,
Fugit,· nōtīs·que nemo·ribus· sē con·didit.
At sub·secū·tum rā·mulīs· fīl~ īn·scia
Implicat,· et ul·trā iam· volā·re nōn· potest;
Reperit·que mor·tem, ser·vitū·tem dum· fugit.
Leve dam·num suf·fer, nē· grav~ in·currās· malum.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a fringilla:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Auceps, cum Fringillam cepisset ac filo pedem alligasset, puerulo hanc dedit dono. Sed illa inter homines vitam non ferens, ubi libertatis spes aliqua se obtulit, fugit et notis nemoribus se condidit. At inscia filum subsecutum ramulis implicat, et ultra iam volare non potest, et mortem reperit, dum servitutem fugit. Damnum leve suffer, ne malum grave incurras.
