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Barlow 19. DE CASTORE

*Not included in the Bolchazy-Carducci book.*

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 118.

Latin Text:

Castor est animal, in paludibus sese nutriens, cuius testiculi variis medelis utiles esse dicuntur. Itaque cum quispiam eum sequitur, venationis causam non ignorans, fugit ad speluncam ubi ab hominum conspectu, canumque odoratu securus testes dentibus exscindit et venatoribus appropinquantibus relinquit, et hoc pacto se securum praestat.

Here is a segmented version to help you see the grammatical patterns:

Castor est animal,

in paludibus sese nutriens,

cuius testiculi

variis medelis

utiles esse dicuntur.

Itaque

cum quispiam eum sequitur,

venationis causam non ignorans,

fugit ad speluncam

ubi ab hominum conspectu

canumque odoratu securus

testes

dentibus exscindit

et venatoribus appropinquantibus

relinquit,

et hoc pacto

se securum praestat.

Translation:

The beaver (castor) is an animal which sustains itself in the marshes. The beaver's testicles are said to be useful for various medicines. So when anyone chases the beaver, the beaver is not ignorant of the reason for the hunt, so he flees into a cave where, safe from the sight of men and the sent of dogs, he cuts off his testicles with his teeth and leaves them for the approaching hunters, and by this arrangement he keeps himself safe.

[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.]

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