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DE AUCUPE ET PERDICE

 

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

 

Introduction: Over time, hunters have relied on decoys to help capture their prey. Sometimes the decoys are manufactured (like duck decoys made of wood), but hunters have also been known to use live animals as lures. In this Aesop's fable, you will see what happens when a partridge volunteers to serve in this capacity in order to save its own life. In the 17th-century version of this story by Sir Roger L'Estrange, the moral is firmly against the partridge: "Of all scandalous and lewd offices, that of a traitor is certainly the basest, for it undermines the very foundations of society." See what you think: is there anything the partridge could say in its defense against such a charge? For another fable about an animal traitor, see the story of what the bat did during the war of the birds and the beasts. For a story about lack of solidarity among members of the human species, see the story of the two friends and the bear.

 

Latin Text:

 

Auceps, retibus extensis, captabat Perdicem. Volucris illa captata supplicabunde illum rogabat ut se demitteret, promittens se in retia plurimas Aves allecturam. Cui Auceps: "Nequaquam hoc faciam, nam procul dubio me decipies, quae sodales tuos proditura es."

 

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

 

Auceps,

retibus extensis,

captabat Perdicem.

Volucris illa captata

supplicabunde illum rogabat

ut se demitteret,

promittens

se

in retia

plurimas Aves allecturam.

Cui Auceps:

"Nequaquam hoc faciam,

nam

procul dubio

me decipies,

quae

sodales tuos proditura es."

 

Translation: A bird-catcher laid his nets and caught a partridge. That bird, being captured, pleadingly asked him to let her go, promising that she would lure many birds into the nets. The bird-catcher said to her: I will absolutely not do that, because without a doubt you will deceive me, since you are ready to betray your companions. 

 

[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 265.

 

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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