Parvā quādam in īnsulā taurus pascēbat, cuius stercore Scarabaeī duo nūtriēbantur. Hieme adventante, eōrum alter alterī dīxit, velle sē in continentem proximam trānsvolāre, ut illī sōlī sufficiēns esset eā in īnsulā cibus; addiditque et illud, sē, sī cōpiōsam illic escam reperīret, eī quoque partem aliquam allātūrum. Ubī vērō in continentem vēnit, multō quidem inibi madidōque fimō repertō, ibidem commorātus, lautē in diēs nūtriēbātur, ac tandem hieme exactā in īnsulam revolāvit. Tum alter eum pinguem nitidumque cum vīdisset, ācriter obiurgāvit, quod multa pollicitus nihil attulisset. At ille, nē mē, inquit, sed nātūram locī potius accūsēs, in quō quidem abundē nūtrīrī licet, sed nihil inde exportārī potest.
SOURCE: This comes from the Latin translation that accompanies De Furia's edition of the Greek Aesopic corpus, published in 1810 and available at GoogleBooks. This is fable 282 in De Furia; for other versions, see Perry 84.
READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons (above) or accent marks (below) - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the very bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)
ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with accent marks, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Parva quadam in ínsula taurus pascébat, cuius stércore Scarabaéi duo nutriebántur. Híeme adventánte, eórum alter álteri dixit, velle se in continéntem próximam transvoláre, ut illi soli suffíciens esset ea in ínsula cibus; addidítque et illud, se, si copiósam illic escam reperíret, ei quoque partem áliquam allatúrum. Ubi vero in continéntem venit, multo quidem ínibi madidóque fimo repérto, íbidem commorátus, laute in dies nutriebátur, ac tandem híeme exácta in ínsulam revolávit. Tum alter eum pinguem nitidúmque cum vidísset, ácriter obiurgávit, quod multa pollícitus nihil attulísset. At ille, ne me, inquit, sed natúram loci pótius accúses, in quo quidem abúnde nutríri licet, sed nihil inde exportári potest.
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:
Parva quadam in insula
taurus pascebat,
cuius stercore
Scarabaei duo nutriebantur.
Hieme adventante,
eorum alter
alteri dixit,
velle se
in continentem proximam
transvolare,
ut
illi soli sufficiens esset
ea in insula
cibus;
addiditque et illud,
se,
si copiosam illic escam
reperiret,
ei quoque
partem aliquam allaturum.
Ubi vero
in continentem venit,
multo quidem inibi
madidoque
fimo reperto,
ibidem commoratus,
laute in dies nutriebatur,
ac tandem hieme exacta
in insulam revolavit.
Tum alter
eum pinguem nitidumque
cum vidisset,
acriter obiurgavit,
quod multa pollicitus
nihil attulisset.
At ille,
ne me, inquit,
sed naturam loci potius
accuses,
in quo quidem
abunde nutriri licet,
sed nihil inde exportari potest.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a dung beetle before the winter rains wash the dung away:
