Friday, July 10, 2009

Cattus et Vulpes (Barlow)

SOURCE: Aesop’s Fables in Latin: Ancient Wit and Wisdom from the Animal Kingdom. For more information - including vocabulary lists and grammar comments - see the page for this fable at the Aesopus Ning.

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:

Contrahēbant inter sē amīcitiās Cattus et Vulpēs. Cui Vulpēs astūtiārum suārum grandem recēnsēbat numerum. Cattus replicuit, “Ast ego ūnō tantum cōnsiliō et, quod nātūra ad meipsum praeservandum suggessit, contentus sum.” Inter haec, odōram canum vim appropinquantium audiunt. Cattus confestim altissimōs arboris scandēbat rāmōs et sēcūre dēspectāns sedēbat. Vulpēs autem et hīc et illīc trepidē currēbat et, nullā aufugiendī spē relictā, nullā uspiam latebrā inventā, ā canibus apprehēnsa lacerātur.



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):

Contrahébant inter se amicítias Cattus et Vulpes. Cui Vulpes astutiárum suárum grandem recensébat númerum. Cattus replícuit, “Ast ego uno tantum consílio et, quod natúra ad meípsum praeservándum suggéssit, conténtus sum.” Inter haec, odóram canum vim appropinquántium aúdiunt. Cattus conféstim altíssimos árboris scandébat ramos et secúre despéctans sedébat. Vulpes autem et hic et illic trépide currébat et, nulla aufugiéndi spe relícta, nulla úspiam látebra invénta, a cánibus apprehénsa lacerátur.


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:

Contrahebant inter se amicitias Cattus et Vulpes. Cui Vulpes astutiarum suarum grandem recensebat numerum. Cattus replicuit, “Ast ego uno tantum consilio et, quod natura ad meipsum praeservandum suggessit, contentus sum.” Inter haec, odoram canum vim appropinquantium audiunt. Cattus confestim altissimos arboris scandebat ramos et secure despectans sedebat. Vulpes autem et hic et illic trepide currebat et, nulla aufugiendi spe relicta, nulla uspiam latebra inventa, a canibus apprehensa laceratur.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).