Taurus et Mus (Trinity)

Source: This poem was composed by the anonymous "Trinity Master" who published a lovely little book in 1852 setting Latin fables in prose side-by-side with his verse compositions; read the book at Google Books.

Other Versions: For more versions, see Perry 353.

Fable 1: TAURUS ET MUS

Stratus humi fuerat · Taurus; Mus forte momordit
Crura; petens hostem || cornibus ille ruit.
Hic nusquam cerni · potuit; bos cornua frustra
Vibrat: densa tamen, || quem petit, herba tegit.
"Parvula ne spernas; te Mus impune lacesso,
A minimo laesus || maximus," inquit," eras."

Prose paraphrase:

Taurus
humi stratus fuerat.
Forte,
Mus
Tauri crura momordit.
Ille ruit,
cornibus hostem petens.
Mus
nusquam cerni potuit.
Bos
frustra cornua vibrat;
densa herba tamen
tegit Murem,
quem Taurus petit.
Mus ei inquit:
"Ne parvula spernas!
Mus
impune te lacesso;
maximus
a minimo laesus eras."

Image. Here's an illustration for the fable (image source) from a 15th-century edition of Aesop's fables:

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Aesop's Fables in Latin now available at Amazon.com.