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DE LEONE ET MURE

 

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Source: Aesop's Fables, 1687 (illustrated by Francis Barlow).

 

Introduction: In this fable, the lion makes a foolish mistake: he thinks that a creature so small as a mouse is not worthy of his attention in any way whatsoever. Little does he suspect that this mouse might be able to save his life! You will get a good example in this fable of why the mouse is called a "rodent" in English. The word "rodent" comes from the Latin verb, rodere, meaning to chew. You are going to see the mouse engage in some heroic rodent action in this particular fable! If you had the lion add a moral to the end of this fable, what do you think he would say? To find out how the lion repaid the mouse's favor, see the story of the mouse who married a lion. For a different kind of fable about gratitude, see the story of the crane who helped a wolf.

 

Latin Text:

 

Leo, aestu cursuque defessus in umbra quiescebat. Murium autem grege tergum eius percurrente, expergefactus unum e multis comprehendit. Supplicat misellus, clamitans indignum se esse cui irascatur. Leo, reputans nihil laudis esse in nece tantillae bestiolae, captivum dimittit. Non multo post, Leo, dum per segetes currit, incidit in plagas; rugire licet, exire non licet. Rugientem Leonem Mus audit, vocem agnoscit, repit in cuniculos, et quaesitos laqueorum nodos invenit corroditque. Quo facto, Leo e plagis evadit.

 

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

 

Leo,

aestu cursuque defessus

in umbra quiescebat.

Murium autem grege

tergum eius percurrente,

expergefactus

unum e multis comprehendit.

Supplicat misellus,

clamitans

indignum se esse

cui irascatur.

Leo,

reputans

nihil laudis esse

in nece tantillae bestiolae,

captivum dimittit.

Non multo post,

Leo,

dum per segetes currit,

incidit in plagas;

rugire licet,

exire non licet.

Rugientem Leonem

Mus audit,

vocem agnoscit,

repit in cuniculos,

et quaesitos laqueorum nodos

invenit

corroditque.

Quo facto,

Leo e plagis evadit.

 

Translation: A lion, tired out by the heat and the chase, was resting in the shade. A herd of mice, however, ran over the lion's back. He work up and grabbed one mouse out of the many who were there. The poor little mouse pleaded with the lion, squeaking that he was not worthy for the lion to get angry at him. The lion, realizing that there would be nothing praiseworthy in killing such a teeny-tiny beast, let the prisoner go free. Not long afterwards, the lion was running through the fields when he fell into a trap. The lion could roar but he could not get out. The mouse heard the roaring lion and recognized the voice; he crept inside the pitfall, searched until he found the knots of the snare, and chewed through the knots. When the mouse did this, the lion was able to escape from the trap.

 

[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.]

 

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 150.

 

Related Links: Crossword Puzzle

 

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

 

 

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