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:
Sibi nōn cavēre et aliīs cōnsilium dare
stultum esse paucīs ostendāmus versibus.
Oppressum ab aquilā, flētūs ēdentem gravēs,
leporem obiūrgābat passer "Ubi pernīcitās
nōta" inquit "illa est? Quid ita cessārunt pedēs?"
Dum loquitur, ipsum accipiter necopīnum rapit
questūque vānō clāmitantem interficit.
Lepus sēmianimus "Mortis ēn sōlācium:
quī modo sēcūrus nostra inrīdēbas mala,
similī querellā fāta dēplōrās tua."
PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Paucīs versibus ostendāmus sibi nōn cavēre et aliīs cōnsilium dare stultum esse. Passer leporem obiūrgābat, ab aquilā oppressum, flētūs gravēs ēdentem; inquit: "Ubi illa pernīcitās nōta est? Quid pedēs ita cessārunt?" Dum loquitur, accipiter ipsum necopīnum rapit et questū vānō clāmitantem interficit. Lepus sēmianimus: "Ēn mortis sōlācium: quī modo sēcūrus nostra mala inrīdēbas, similī querellā fāta tua dēplōrās."
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):
Paucis vérsibus ostendámus sibi non cavére et áliis consílium dare stultum esse. Passer léporem obiurgábat, ab áquila oppréssum, fletus graves edéntem; inquit: "Ubi illa pernícitas nota est? Quid pedes ita cessárunt?" Dum lóquitur, accípiter ipsum necopínum rapit et questu vano clamitántem intérficit. Lepus semiánimus: "En mortis solácium: qui modo secúrus nostra mala inridébas, símili querélla fata tua deplóras."
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):
Sibi nōn· cavēr~· et ali·īs cōn·silium· dare
stult~ es·se pau·cīs os·tendā·mus ver·sibus.
Oppress~· ab aqui·lā, flē·tūs ē·dentem· gravēs,
lepor~ ob·iūrgā·bat pas·ser Ubi· pernī·citās
nōt~ in·quit ill~· est? Quid i·ta ces·sārunt· pedēs?
Dum loqui·tur, ip·s~ accipi·ter neco·pīnum· rapit
questū·que vā·nō clā·mitant~· inter·ficit.
Lepus sē·miani·mus Mor·tis ēn· sōlā·cium:
quī modo· sēcū·rus nos·tr~ inrī·dēbas· mala,
similī· querel·lā fā·ta dē·plōrās· tua.
IMAGE. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from an early 19th-century edition of Aesop:
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Paucis versibus ostendamus sibi non cavere et aliis consilium dare stultum esse. Passer leporem obiurgabat, ab aquila oppressum, fletus graves edentem; inquit: "Ubi illa pernicitas nota est? Quid pedes ita cessarunt?" Dum loquitur, accipiter ipsum necopinum rapit et questu vano clamitantem interficit. Lepus semianimus: "En mortis solacium: qui modo securus nostra mala inridebas, simili querella fata tua deploras."
