Thursday, April 8, 2010

Vulpes et Hircus (Spencer)

SOURCE: Scalae Primae by J.G. Spencer at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions of this fable, see the links list for Perry 9.

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:

Vulpes in puteum īnscia inciderat, ex quō altiōris marginis causā ēmergere nōn poterat. Mox ad eundem locum vēnit hircus sitiēns et simul interrogāvit: Num aqua dulcis est? Extemplō vulpes fraudem parāre coepit ut ex puteō ipsa effugere posset. Tum illa rēspondit: dēscende, mī amīce; tam dulcis est aqua, ut voluptas mea satiārī nōn possit. Age vērō, tē in puteum immitte: iūdicābis ipse. Hircus barbātus dolōsae bestiae pāruit et sē in puteum immīsit. At vulpes celsīs cornibus hircī repentē nixa puteō ēvāsit, et stultum hircum in clausō vādō relīquit. Sīc homo callidus, simul atque in perīculum venit, effugium alterīus malō reperīre cōnātur.


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):

Vulpes in púteum ínscia incíderat, ex quo altióris márginis causa emérgere non póterat. Mox ad eúndem locum venit hircus sítiens et simul interrogávit: Num aqua dulcis est? Extémplo vulpes fraudem paráre coepit ut ex púteo ipsa effúgere posset. Tum illa respóndit: descénde, mi amíce; tam dulcis est aqua, ut volúptas mea satiári non possit. Age vero, te in púteum immítte: iudicábis ipse. Hircus barbátus dolósae béstiae páruit et se in púteum immísit. At vulpes celsis córnibus hirci repénte nixa púteo evásit, et stultum hircum in clauso vado relíquit. Sic homo cállidus, simul atque in perículum venit, effúgium alteríus malo reperíre conátur.


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:

Vulpes
in puteum inscia inciderat,
ex quo
altioris marginis causa
emergere non poterat.
Mox
ad eundem locum venit
hircus sitiens
et simul interrogavit:
Num aqua dulcis est?
Extemplo vulpes
fraudem parare coepit
ut ex puteo ipsa effugere posset.
Tum illa respondit:
descende, mi amice;
tam dulcis est aqua,
ut voluptas mea satiari non possit.
Age vero, te in puteum immitte:
iudicabis ipse.
Hircus barbatus
dolosae bestiae paruit
et se in puteum immisit.
At vulpes
celsis cornibus hirci repente nixa
puteo evasit,
et stultum hircum
in clauso vado reliquit.
Sic homo callidus,
simul atque in periculum venit,
effugium
alterius malo reperire conatur.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing how things started, with the goat safely outside the well and the fox stuck inside: