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Barlow 73. DE PARTU MONTIUM

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Rumor erat parturire Montes. Homines undique accurrunt et circumstant, monstri quidpiam non sine pavore expectantes. Montes tandem parturiunt; exit ridiculus Mus.

Rūmor erat parturīre Montēs. Hominēs undique accurrunt et circumstant, monstrī quidpiam nōn sine pavōre expectantēs. Montēs tandem parturiunt; exit rīdiculus Mūs.

Translation: The rumor was that the mountains were giving birth. People came running from all directions and stood around,  not without fear, exspecting some kind of monster. The mountains finally gave birth; a ridiculous mouse came out.

[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.]

The Moral of the Story:

Reprehendit haec fabula

iactantiam illorum

qui

cum magna profitentur,

vix parva faciunt.

Vetat etiam inanes timores;

plerumque etenim periculi metus

est ipso periculo gravior

et ridiculum est

quod tantum formidamus.

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