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:
Artem volandī contumax addiscere
Testūdo voluit, et aquilam ēlēgit sibi
Magistram. Ab eius nātūrā aliēnum nimis
Hoc esse dīxit aquila: ēnixius tamen
Urgentem, et obstinātam accēpit unguibus,
Tulitque in aurās. At ubī dīmissa haec fuit,
Cecidit in saxum, et periit effractā domō.
Nātūra dux est optima: ut iuvat hanc sequī,
Sīc īre contrā impūnē nullī contigit.
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Testūdo contumax volandī artem addiscere voluit, et aquilam sibi ēlēgit magistram. Aquila dīxit hoc nimis aliēnum esse ab eius nātūrā; ēnixius tamen urgentem et obstinātam unguibus accēpit, et in aurās tulit. At ubī haec dīmissa fuit, in saxum cecidit, et periit, effractā domō. Nātūra dux optima est: ut iuvat hanc sequī, sīc contrā īre nullī contigit impūnē.
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):
Testúdo cóntumax volándi artem addíscere vóluit, et áquilam sibi elégit magístram. Áquila dixit hoc nimis aliénum esse ab eius natúra; eníxius tamen urgéntem et obstinátam únguibus accépit, et in auras tulit. At ubi haec dimíssa fuit, in saxum cécidit, et périit, effrácta domo. Natúra dux óptima est: ut iuvat hanc sequi, sic contra ire nulli cóntigit impúne.
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.
Artem· volan·dī con·tumax· addis·cere
Testū·do volu·it, et a·quil~ ē·lēgit· sibi
Magis·tr~ Ab ei·us nā·tūr~ ali·ēnum· nimis
Hoc es·se dīx·it aqui·l~: ēnix·ius· tamen
Urgen·t~ et ob·stinā·t~ accē·pit un·guibus,
Tulit·qu~ in au·rās. At u·bī dī·miss~ haec· fuit,
Cecidit· in sax·~ et peri·it ef·fractā· domō.
Nātū·ra dux· est op·tim~ ut· iuvat hanc· sequī,
Sīc ī·re con·tr~ impū·nē nul·lī con·tigit.
IMAGE. HHere is an illustration for the story (image source):
Here is another illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Testudo contumax volandi artem addiscere voluit, et aquilam sibi elegit magistram. Aquila dixit hoc nimis alienum esse ab eius natura; enixius tamen urgentem et obstinatam unguibus accepit, et in auras tulit. At ubi haec dimissa fuit, in saxum cecidit, et periit, effracta domo. Natura dux optima est: ut iuvat hanc sequi, sic contra ire nulli contigit impune.
