A Latin Reader
42. A Little Bird Teaches Self-reliance
Aesōpus, ille ē Phrygiā fābulātor, haud immeritō sapiēns exīstimātus est, nam quae ūtilia erant, nōn sevērē neque imperiōsē praecēpit, ut philosophīs mōs est, sed rēs salūbrēs in mentēs animōsque hominum cum quādam inlecebrā induit. Haec eius fābula dē aviculae nīdulō lepidē atque iūcundē monet, spem haud umquam in aliō, sed in sēmetipsō habendam esse.
Avicula, inquit, est parva, cui est nōmen cassita. Habitat nīdulāturque in segetibus, eō ferē tempore, ut appetat messis pullīs iam iam plūmantibus. Ea cassīta in sēmentibus forte nīdum fjcerat tempestīviōribus. Proptereā, frūmentīs flavēscentibus, pullī etiam tunc involucrēs erant.
Dum igitur ipsa īret ut cibum pullīs quaereret, eōs ita monet: “Sī quid fīet aut dīcētur, animadvertite, ut mihi, ubi redībō, nūntiētis.”
Dominus segetum illārum fīlium vocat et “Vidē!” inquit, “haec seges ēmātūruit et manūs iam postulat! Idcircō crās, ubi prīmum dīlūculābit, rogā amīcōs nostrōs ut veniant et hanc messim nōbīs metant.”
Haec ubi ille dixit, discessit. Atque ubi redit cassīta, pullī tremibundī ōrant mātrem, ut iam statim properet inque alium locum sēsē asportet. “Nam dominus,” inquiunt, “amīcōs rogāvit utī lūce oriente veniant et metant.”
Māter iubet eōs ōtiōsō animō esse: “Sī enim dominus,” inquit, “messim ad amīcōs reicit, crās seges nōn metētur neque necesse est hodiē utī vōs auferam.”
Diē posterō māter in pābulum volat. Dominus quōs rogāverat exspectat. Sōl fervit, et fit nihil. It diēs, et amici nūllī veniunt. Tum ille rūrsum ad fīlium: “Amīcī istī,” inquit, “cessātōrēs sunt. Quīn potius īmus et cōgnātōs adfinēsque nostrōs rogāmus, ut adsint crās et metant?”
Itidem hoc pullī pavēfactī mātrī nūntiant. Māter hortātur ut tum quoque sine metū ac sine cūrā sint. “Cōgnātī adfīnēsque nūllī fermē tam sunt obsequibilēs,” ait, “ut nihil cūnctentur et statim dictō oboediant. Vōs modo advertite, si quid dēnuō dīcētur.”
Aliā lūce ortā, avis in pāstum profecta est. Cōgnātī et adfīnēs operam, quam dare rogātī sunt, nōn dedērunt. Ad postrēmum igitur dominus fīliō: “Valeant,” inquit, “amīcī cum propīnquīs. Adferēs prīmā lūce duās falcēs. Ūnam egomet mihi, et tū tibi capiēs alteram, et frūmentum nōsmetipsī manibus nostrīs crās metēmus.”
Id ubi ex pullīs dīxisse dominum māter audīvit, “Tempus,” inquit, “est cēdere et abīre. Fīet nunc dubiō procul id quod dīxit.” Atque ita cassīta nīdum migrāvit; seges ā dominō dēmessa est.
Haec est Aesōpī fābula dē amicōrum et propīnquōrum levī plērumque et inānī fīdūciā. Hanc Aesōpī fābulam Q. Ennius venustē versibus composuit, quōrum postremum habēre cordī et memoriae operae pretium est:
Nē quid exspectēs amīcōs, quod tūte agere possiēs.
Little is known about Aesop, whose name is connected with so many fables. He is supposed to have been a Greek writer of the latter half of the sixth century B.C.
The philosophers teach sternly and arbitrarily, but Aesop both teaches and delights.
spem …: the teaching of the story is here given in the indirect form.
in one’s own self, ‑met is sometimes used to emphasize the pronouns, and occasionally, as here, ipse is added to give increased emphasis.
eō ferē …: usually at such a time that the harvest is approaching when the young birds are just on the point of feathering out. pullīs plūmantibus is Ablative Absolute.
in sēmentibus … tempestīviōribus: in the earlier grain, i.e. that ripens earlier.
sī quid fīet aut dīcētur: whatever is said or done.
ubi prīmum dīlūculābit: as soon as it is light.
ōtiōsō animō: of calm mind, Ablative of Characteristic.
quīn potius īmus: why do we not go rather?
ut … cūnctentur: that they will not hesitate at all.
valeant …: good-by to friends and relatives!
-met is sometimes used to emphasize the pronouns, and occasionally, as here, ipse is added to give increased emphasis.
quōrum … est: the last of which it is worth while to have in mind.
quid, amīcōs: exspectō has here two accusatives, the usual construction with verbs of asking7, demanding, etc.
tūte: you yourself, ‑te has the force of -met.
possiēs: an old form equivalent to possīs.