This is fable 42a in Hervieux's edition. Although this is not in the classical Aesop corpus, this joke at the expense of the foolish men is very much in the spirit of Aesop.
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:
Quīdam simplicēs fuērunt ad terminum quō dēbuērunt solvere redditūs dominō, et nōn habuērunt nuntium quī ita cito posset negōtium peragere. Dīxērunt ad invicem: Quid faciēmus, quod terminus adest? Dīxērunt quīdam: Lepus est animal scīlicet vēlox; suspendāmus in collō eius bursam cum cēnsū et iniungāmus eī quod cito dēferat ad cūriam dominī nostrī. Sīc fēcērunt, et Lepus cum bursā et cēnsū cucurrit ad nemus quantum potuit, quod hominēs nesciēbant quō dēvēnerit.
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):
Quidam símplices fuérunt ad términum quo debuérunt sólvere rédditus dómino, et non habuérunt núntium qui ita cito posset negótium perágere. Dixérunt ad ínvicem: Quid faciémus, quod términus adest? Dixérunt quidam: Lepus est ánimal scílicet velox; suspendámus in collo eius bursam cum censu et iniungámus ei quod cito déferat ad cúriam dómini nostri. Sic fecérunt, et Lepus cum bursa et censu cucúrrit ad nemus quantum pótuit, quod hómines nesciébant quo devénerit.
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:
Quidam simplices
fuerunt ad terminum
quo debuerunt
solvere redditus domino,
et non habuerunt nuntium
qui ita cito
posset negotium peragere.
Dixerunt ad invicem:
Quid faciemus,
quod terminus adest?
Dixerunt quidam:
Lepus est animal scilicet velox;
suspendamus in collo eius
bursam cum censu
et iniungamus ei
quod cito deferat
ad curiam domini nostri.
Sic fecerunt,
et Lepus
cum bursa et censu
cucurrit ad nemus quantum potuit,
quod homines nesciebant
quo devenerit.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a rapid rabbit!
