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Barlow 2. DE LUPO ET AGNO

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Sitibundus Lupus, dum ad caput fontis accedit ut sitim levaret, videt innocentem Agnum, procul fluminis umorem haurientem. Accurrit igitur; Agnum increpat quod vitreum turbavit fontem. Trepidus ad haec supplicavit Agnus in innocentem ne saeviret; se quidem, cum tam longe infra biberet, potum Lupi ne potuisse quidem turbare, nedum voluisse. Lupus contra fremebundus intonat, “Quid vanas sacrilege innectis moras? Pater, Mater, et omne tuum invisum genus sedulo mihi et semper adversantur. Tu autem hodie mihi poenas dabis!”

Translation: A thirsty Wolf, when he approached the head of a source of water in order to alleviate his thirst, saw a harmless Lamb drinking the water of the stream some distance away. The Wolf therefore ran up and accused the Lamb of having disturbed the crystal-clear water. In reply the frightened lamb implored the Wolf not to be cruel to a harmless creature, saying that he, in fact, since he was drinking so far downstream, was not even able to disturb the Wolf's drinking, much less would he want to do so. The Wolf in response angrily intoned, "Why are you wickedly crafting these useless delays? Your father, your mother and all your hateful clan diligently are working against me, and they never stop. Therefore, today you are going to be punished by me."

[This translation is meant as a help in understanding the story, not as a "crib" for the Latin. I have not hesitated to change the syntax to make it flow more smoothly in English, altering the verb tense consistently to narrative past tense, etc.]

The Moral of the Story:

Fabula innuit

molesta semper et gravia esse

onera

quae divites

pauperum humeris imponunt,

potens etenim,

si libet nocere,

facile capiet

nocendi ansam;

satis peccavit

qui resistere non potuit.

Illustration: Here is an illustration from this edition, by the renowned artist Francis Barlow; click on the image for a larger view.