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DE LEONE AEGROTANTE

*Not included in Bolchazy-Carducci book.*

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

Latin Text:

Leo se simulabat aegrotum, ad quem cum visendi et consolandi gratia ferae catervatim convenerant, ille omnes paene ad unum devoravit. Una vero erumpens et occurrens vulpi quaerit cur ille non leonem viserit aegrotantem. Cui lepide sic respondit vulpes, edepol audivi quod aegrotaverit leo, sed vix credo, quia video gressus et vestigia multarum ferarum ad illum profisciscentium, sed ne unum quidem indicium reperio redeuntium.

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

Leo

se simulabat

aegrotum,

ad quem

cum visendi et consolandi gratia

ferae catervatim convenerant,

ille

omnes paene ad unum

devoravit.

Una vero erumpens

et occurrens vulpi

quaerit

cur ille

non leonem viserit

aegrotantem.

Cui lepide sic respondit

vulpes,

edepol audivi

quod aegrotaverit leo,

sed vix credo,

quia video

gressus et vestigia

multarum ferarum

ad illum profisciscentium,

sed ne unum quidem indicium

reperio

redeuntium.

Translation: The lion pretended that he was sick. When for the sake of seeing the lion and offering condolences, the beasts came in a crowd to visit him, the lion ate up almost all of them down to the last one. One beast, however, got away and ran to the fox who asked why the fox didn't go to see the lion since he was sick. The fox elegantly replied as follows: Geez, I heard that the lion was sick, but I don't really believe it, because I see the footprints and tracks of many beasts going to him, but not even one sign can I find of them coming back 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.]

Parallels: For parallel versions, see Perry 142. You can find a different Latin version of the same story in Barlow 27.

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.