Friday, April 30, 2010

Hydrus et Rana (Abstemius)

SOURCE: You can find both the first and second "hecatomythia" of Abstemius in Nevelet's monumental Aesop published in 1610, available at GoogleBooks. You can find out more about Abstemius at the Aesopus wiki. This is fable 165 in Abstemius. Perry only includes a few sporadic fables from Abstemius in his index, and there is no Perry number for this fable.

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:

Hydrus in quādam palūde rānam persequēbātur, quem cum illa ēvādere nōn posset conversa dīcēbat: Nē mē dēvorā, hydre, quae nullī umquam nocuī. Cui hydrus: Clāmor tuus, inquit, minaeque quibus diē noctūque obstrepis, tē maleficum animal esse testantur. Quod autem nōn noceās, impotentia causa est, dentēs enim nōn habēs. Fābula indicat multīs nōn animum nocendī, sed vīrēs dēesse.


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):

Hydrus in quadam palúde ranam persequebátur, quem cum illa evádere non posset convérsa dicébat: Ne me dévora, hydre, quae nulli umquam nócui. Cui hydrus: Clamor tuus, inquit, minaéque quibus die noctúque óbstrepis, te maléficum ánimal esse testántur. Quod autem non nóceas, impoténtia causa est, dentes enim non habes. Fábula índicat multis non ánimum nocéndi, sed vires deésse.


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:

Hydrus
in quadam palude
ranam persequebatur,
quem
cum illa evadere non posset
conversa dicebat:
Ne me devora, hydre,
quae
nulli umquam nocui.
Cui hydrus:
Clamor tuus, inquit, minaeque
quibus die noctuque obstrepis,
te maleficum animal esse
testantur.
Quod autem non noceas,
impotentia
causa est,
dentes enim non habes.
Fabula indicat
multis
non animum nocendi,
sed vires deesse.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a toothless frog: