Friday, July 17, 2009

Vespertilio Perfidus (Morris)

SOURCE: A Latin Reading-Book by Charles D'Urban Morris (1873) at GoogleBooks. For more information and other versions, see the links list for Perry 566.

NoDictionaries.com: You can find the word list for this fable online, and use it interactively (here are some tips on how to make best use of the tool). The word list did not recognize the verb reporto, reportare: "carry back." It also does not recognize the compound uterque, "each of two both."

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:

Bellum gerēbant volucrēs cum quadrupedibus, et fortūna bellī erat diū anceps, modo hīs, modo illīs victōriam reportantibus. Vespertīliō, quī sēcūritātem fideī antepōnēbat, ad eās, quae superāverant, sē conferēbat; inter avēs avem sē esse profitēbātur, inter quadrupedēs mūrem. Cum pācem fēcissent avēs et quadrupedēs, fraus utrīque generī appāruit; damnātus igitur ab utrīsque refūgit, atque ex eō tempore noctū tantummodo ēvolābat.



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):

Bellum gerébant vólucres cum quadrupédibus, et fortúna belli erat diu anceps, modo his, modo illis victóriam reportántibus. Vespertílio, qui securitátem fídei anteponébat, ad eas, quae superáverant, se conferébat; inter aves avem se esse profitebátur, inter quadrúpedes murem. Cum pacem fecíssent aves et quadrúpedes, fraus utríque géneri appáruit; damnátus ígitur ab utrísque refúgit, atque ex eo témpore noctu tantúmmodo evolábat.



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:

Bellum gerebant
volucres
cum quadrupedibus,
et fortuna belli
erat diu anceps,
modo his,
modo illis
victoriam reportantibus.
Vespertilio, qui
securitatem fidei anteponebat,
ad eas, quae superaverant,
se conferebat;
inter aves
avem se esse profitebatur,
inter quadrupedes
murem.
Cum pacem fecissent
aves et quadrupedes,
fraus
utrique generi apparuit;
damnatus igitur
ab utrisque refugit,
atque ex eo tempore
noctu tantummodo evolabat.




IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source), from a Renaissance edition of Aesop: