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DE SIMIA ET VULPECULA

 

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

 

Latin Text:

 

Simia a Vulpe petit, ut partem caudae sibi donet ad nudas tegendas nates; illi etenim esse oneri, quod sibi foret et honori. Respondet Vulpes nulla mora habita: Nihil se nimium habere, et se malle humum cauda sua verri, quam Simiae nates tegi.

 

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

 

Simia

a Vulpe petit,

ut partem caudae

sibi donet

ad nudas tegendas nates;

illi etenim esse oneri,

quod sibi foret et honori.

Respondet Vulpes

nulla mora habita:

Nihil se nimium habere,

et se malle

humum cauda sua verri,

quam Simiae nates tegi.

 

Translation:

 

The monkey asked the fox that the fox give her a part of her tail in order to cover the monkey's nude behind, saying that for the fox that much tail was a burden, which for the monkey would actually be an honor to have. The fox replied, with no delay at all, that she did not have too much of anything and that she would rather that the ground be swept by her tail rather than that the monkey's behind should be covered by it.

 

[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 533.

 

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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