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DE ASINO LEONIS PELLE INDUTO

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

Introduction: There are many fables which teach the lesson "appearances can be deceiving," and in this fable the donkey turns that lesson to his advantage by dressing up in the skin of a lion. The donkey, however, learns a lesson, too: "Don't try to pretend to be something that you are not." In some versions of this fable, the donkey gives himself away by starting to bray loudly, and everybody can tell that a donkey's bray is different from a lion's roar. In other fables, the people look at the would-be lion's feet, and recognize the hooves of a donkey. In this fable, you will see that not only the donkey's bray, but also his ears, manage to give him away. You might want to compare this story to the story of the wolf wearing a sheep's skin. In the story of the donkey, the rooster and the lion, the donkey is actually foolish enough to think that he can challenge a living lion.

Latin Text:

Asinus, in silvam veniens, exuvias Leonis offendit. Quibus indutus, in pascua redit, greges et armenta territans fugansque. Herus autem, qui vagum fallacemque Asinum perdiderat, occurrit. Asinus, viso Hero, cum rugitu obviam fecit. At Herus, prehensis quae extabant auriculis: "Alios licet (inquit) fallas; ego te probe novi."

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

Asinus,

in silvam veniens,

exuvias Leonis offendit.

Quibus indutus,

in pascua redit,

greges et armenta

territans fugansque.

Herus autem,

qui

vagum fallacemque Asinum perdiderat,

occurrit.

Asinus,

viso Hero,

cum rugitu obviam fecit.

At Herus,

prehensis quae extabant auriculis:

"Alios licet (inquit) fallas;

ego

te probe novi."

Translation: A donkey went into the woods and came across the skin of a lion. He put it on, and went back to the pasture, and he terrified the flocks and herds, driving them away. Meanwhile, the master who had lost the wandering and deceitful donkey, ran up. The donkey, when he saw the master, brayed and went to meet him. But the master grabbed the donkey's ears that were sticking out from under the skin, and said: "Of course you can fool others, but I know you all too well!"

[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 358.

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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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