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Barlow 59. DE PASTORIS PUERO ET AGRICOLIS

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Puer editiore prato Oves pascebat atque, per iocum, Lupum terque quaterque adesse clamitans, Agricolas undique exciebat. Illi, saepius illusi, dum auxilium imploranti non subveniunt, fiunt Oves praeda Lupo.

Translation: A boy was grazing his sheep in a rather high meadow, and as a joke, three times, and a fourth time, he shouted that there was a wolf, and roused the farmers from every direction. They, being too often deceived, did not come to his assistance when he begged for their help, and the sheep became the prey of the wolf.

[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:

Fabula admonet

linguaces ac garrulos

domi non habendos;

si mentiri consueverit quisquam,

huic,

quando verum narrare incoeperit,

haud facile habebitur fides.

Illustration: Possible answers to the question prompts can be found below. Of course, there are many more possible answers, too! :-)

Videsne lupum? Quid facit lupus?

... Lupus currit. Lupus ovem rapit.

... Lupus praedam dentibus tenet.

Videsnes ovem? Quid facit ovis?

... Ovis clamitat. Ovis balat.

... Ovis auxilium implorat.

Quare ovis auxilium implorat?

... Auxilium implorat quod a lupo rapitur!

Videsne alias oves? Ubi sunt aliae oves?

... In prato sunt.

Quid faciunt oves aliae?

... Oves in prato pascuntur.

... Oves quiesuntur. Oves nihil faciunt.

Videsne puerum? Quid facit puer?

... Puer currit. Puer lupum sequitur.

... Puer clamitat.

Quid puer clamitat?

... Clamitat lupum adesse!

... Clamitat oves praedam fieri lupo!

... Puer auxilium implorat.

Quid vult puer?

... Puer ovem lupo eripere vult.

... Puer agricolas exciere vult.

Videsne pueri canem? Quid facit canis?

... Canis clamitat. Canis latrat.

... Canis currit. Canis lupum sequitur.

Quare canis lupum sequitur?

... Lupum sequitur quod ovem lupo eripere vult.

... Lupum canis odit!

Videsne agricolas? Quid faciunt agricolae?

... Agricolae laborant. Agricolae arant.

... Agricolae puero non subveniunt.

Quare agricolae puero non subveniunt?

... Non subveniunt quod a puero saepe illusi sunt.

... Agricolae non credunt lupum esse.