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Barlow 102. DE ASINO ET APRO

*Not included in the Bolchazy-Carducci book.*

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 484.

Latin Text:

Asinus occurrens Apro cachinnis illum iocose excepit, percontatus de moribus eius et parentibus et liberali educatione, inquiens praeterea se servulum sibi futurum et si quid foret quod illi in mandatis praeciperet. Cui torvus et iracundus Aper ait, Abi, insulsum animal! Nolo os contaminare colloquio tam vecordis beluae.

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

Asinus

occurrens Apro

cachinnis

illum iocose excepit,

percontatus

de moribus eius

et parentibus

et liberali educatione,

inquiens praeterea

se servulum

sibi futurum

et si quid foret

quod illi in mandatis praeciperet.

Cui

torvus et iracundus Aper

ait,

Abi, insulsum animal!

Nolo

os contaminare

colloquio

tam vecordis beluae.

Translation: A donkey ran into a boar and greeted him merrily with loud laughter, asking about the boar's character and his family and his liberal education, saying moreover that he would be the boar's humble servant and asking if there might be anything he would entrust him as a command. The fierce and angry boar said to the donkey: "Go away, you foolish creature! I don't want to sully my lips in conversation with such a senseless beast."

[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.]

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