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 meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons:
Fertur in horrentēs spīnīs Vulpēcula Vēpres
Cauta parum factīs insiluisse suīs:Quae quia spīnōsās ita lapsa prehendere Sentēs
Coepit, ab hīs mox est saucia facta pedēs.Mēnē ita crūdēlī scelerātae pectore Vēpres
Accipitis, supplex quae tamen, inquit, eram?Hōc Sentēs memorant dēceptam turpiter ausō,
Sīc quoniam fierī nōn decuisse docent.Quod temerē sēsē foret ausa prehendere spīnās,
Ipsās cuncta tamen quās retinēre iuvet.Dēsipit, auxiliī quicquam quī spērat ab illīs,
Laedendī studiō quī sine fīne vacant.PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Vulpēcula fertur, parum cauta suīs factīs, in Vēpres, spīnīs horrentēs, insiluisse. Quae, quia ita lapsa Sentēs spīnōsās prehendere coepit, mox pedēs saucia ab hīs facta est. Inquit: Scelerātae Vēpres, crūdēlī pectore, mēnē ita accipitis quae supplex tamen eram? Hōc ausō, turpiter dēceptam Sentēs memorant quoniam sīc fierī nōn decuisse docent. Quod temerē ausa foret sēsē spīnās prehendere, quās ipsās iuvet cuncta tamen retinēre. Dēsipit, quī auxiliī quicquam spērat ab illīs, quī sine fīne laedendī studiō vacant.
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):
Vulpécula fertur, parum cauta suis factis, in Vepres, spinis horréntes, insiluísse. Quae, quia ita lapsa Sentes spinósas prehéndere coepit, mox pedes saúcia ab his facta est. Inquit: Scelerátae Vepres, crudéli péctore, mene ita accípitis quae supplex tamen eram? Hoc auso, túrpiter decéptam Sentes mémorant quóniam sic fíeri non decuísse docent. Quod témere ausa foret sese spinas prehéndere, quas ipsas iuvet cuncta tamen retinére. Désipit, qui auxílii quicquam sperat ab illis, qui sine fine laedéndi stúdio vacant.
ELEGIAC COUPLET METER. Below I have used an interpunct dot · to indicate the metrical elements in each line, and a double line || to indicate the hemistichs of the pentameter line.
Fertur in ·horren·tēs spī·nīs Vul·pēcula ·Vēpres
Cauta pa·rum fac·tīs || insilu·isse su·īs:Quae quia ·spīnō·sās ita· lapsa pre·hendere ·Sentēs
Coepit, ab· hīs mox ·est || saucia· facta pe·dēs.Mēn~ ita ·crūdē·lī scele·rātae ·pectore· Vēpres
Accipi·tis, sup·plex || quae tamen,· inquit, e·ram?Hōc Sen·tēs memo·rant dē·ceptam· turpiter· ausō,
Sīc quoni·am fie·rī || nōn decu·isse do·cent.Quod teme·rē sē·sē foret· ausa pre·hendere· spīnās,
Ipsās· cuncta ta·men || quās reti·nēre iu·vet.Dēsipit,· auxili·ī quic·quam quī ·spērat ab· illīs,
Laeden·dī studi·ō || quī sine ·fīne va·cant.IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source):
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches: Vulpecula fertur, parum cauta suis factis, in Vepres, spinis horrentes, insiluisse. Quae, quia ita lapsa Sentes spinosas prehendere coepit, mox pedes saucia ab his facta est. Inquit: Sceleratae Vepres, crudeli pectore, mene ita accipitis quae supplex tamen eram? Hoc auso, turpiter deceptam Sentes memorant quoniam sic fieri non decuisse docent. Quod temere ausa foret sese spinas prehendere, quas ipsas iuvet cuncta tamen retinere. Desipit, qui auxilii quicquam sperat ab illis, qui sine fine laedendi studio vacant.
