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DE CANE ET BOVE

 

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

 

Introduction: This is the story of the proverbial "dog in the manger." In Sir Roger L'Estrange's 17th-century version of the fable, he gives it this moral: "Envy pretends to no other happiness than what it derives from the misery of other people, and will rather eat nothing itself than not to starve those that would." Joseph Jacobs puts it more simply: ""Ah, people often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves." What do you think the moral of this story should be? For another fable about a vicious dog, see the story of the dog and the bell. For a completely different kind of adventure that takes place in the ox's stable, see the story of the hidden deer.

 

Latin Text:

 

In praesepi faeni pleno decumbebat Canis. Venit Bos ut comedat faenum, cum Canis, confestim sese erigens, tota voce elatravit. Cui Bos: "Dii te, cum ista tua invidia, perdant (inquit) nec enim faeno ipse vesceris, nec me vesci sines."

 

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

 

In praesepi

faeni pleno

decumbebat Canis.

Venit Bos

ut comedat faenum,

cum Canis,

confestim sese erigens,

tota voce elatravit.

Cui Bos:

"Dii te, cum ista tua invidia, perdant

(inquit)

nec enim faeno ipse vesceris,

nec me vesci sines."

 

Translation: A dog was lying in a manger full of hay; an ox came in to eat the hay, when the dog immediately rose up and barked loudly. The ox said to the dog: Damn you and that envy of yours, for you yourself do not eat the hay, and you do not let me eat 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 702.

 

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. You can also see, in addition to the vicious dog and the ox, some other inhabitants of the barnyard, including the baby chicks underfoot: they better watch out!

 

 

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