Asinī perpetuam ponderum et agitātiōnum dēfatīgātionem intolerābilem ratī, ad Iovem lēgātōs quōdam tempore mīsēre, ōrātum ut sibi ille succurreret, tantīsque ā malīs līberāret animālia innocentia. Quibus Iuppiter volēns ostendere id quod peterent fīerī nōn posse, rēspondit, dēstitūrōs onera bāiulāre asinōs, cum mingendō fluvium effēcissent. Quod audītō, quod ex animō et simpliciter haec Iovem locūtum fuisse crēderent, dēcrēvērunt, ubīcumque asinus minxisse alterum animadvertisset, ibīdem et ipse utī mingeret, quod et ab illīs observārī ad hunc usque diem āiunt.
SOURCE: This comes from the Latin translation that accompanies Camerarius's edition of the Aesopic corpus; the 1571 edition of Camerariu's Aesop is available at GoogleBooks. This is fable 111 in Camerarius; for other versions, see Perry 185.
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):
Ásini perpétuam pónderum et agitatiónum defatigatiónem intolerábilem rati, ad Iovem legátos quodam témpore misére, orátum ut sibi ille succúrreret, tantísque a malis liberáret animália innocéntia. Quibus Iúppiter volens osténdere id quod péterent fíeri non posse, respóndit, destitúros ónera baiuláre ásinos, cum mingéndo flúvium effecíssent. Quod audíto, quod ex ánimo et simplíciter haec Iovem locútum fuísse créderent, decrevérunt, ubicúmque ásinus minxísse álterum animadvertísset, íbidem et ipse uti míngeret, quod et ab illis observári ad hunc usque diem aiunt.
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:
Asini
perpetuam
ponderum et agitationum
defatigationem
intolerabilem rati,
ad Iovem legatos
quodam tempore misere,
oratum
ut sibi ille succurreret,
tantisque a malis
liberaret animalia innocentia.
Quibus
Iuppiter volens ostendere
id quod peterent
fieri non posse,
respondit,
destituros onera baiulare
asinos,
cum
mingendo
fluvium effecissent.
Quod audito,
quod
ex animo et simpliciter
haec
Iovem locutum fuisse
crederent,
decreverunt,
ubicumque
asinus
minxisse alterum
animadvertisset,
ibidem et ipse
uti mingeret,
quod
et ab illis observari
ad hunc usque diem aiunt.
IMAGE. Here is an illustration from the Medici Aesop, which is online at the New York Public Library website.
