Fable of the Day: De vitula et bove (Barlow)

[Laura Gibbs]

Mollis et lasciva Vitula, cum Bovem agricolae aculeo agitatum et arantem cerneret, contempsit. Sed cum immolationis dies affuit, Bos, a iugo liberatus, per pascua vagabatur. Vitula vero, ut immolaretur, retenta est. Quod cum Bos conspicatur, subridens ait, "Heus Vitula, ideo non laborabas: ut immolareris!"

You will notice a new format here! This is because I am now finalizing materials for the edition of Aesop's fables that I'll be publishing with Bolchazy-Carducci, based on Barlow's Aesop of 1687.

Here is the vocabulary for the fable, excluding the words which are on the Common Word List:

aculeus: sting, goad
agricola (m.): farmer
dies (diei, m.): day
immolatio (immolationis, f.): sacrifice, offering of victim
iugum: yoke
pascuum: pasture
vitula: heifer, young cow

lascivus: playful, unrestrained
mollis, molle (mollis): soft, tender

adsum (adesse), affui: be present, attend
agito (agitare), agitatus: drive, control
aio (defective verb): say
aro (arare): plow
cerno (cernere): see, discern
conspicor (conspicari): notice, observe
contemno (contemnere), contempsi: scorn, disparage
immolo (immolare): sacrifice, offer as victim
laboro (laborare) : work, exert effort
libero (liberare), liberatus: set free, release
retineo (retinere), retentus: hold back, restrain
subrideo (subridere): smile, grin
vagor (vagari): roam, wander

heus: hey!
ideo: for this reason, therefore
per: through, by
vero: in fact, indeed

Comments: For a segmented version of the text and an English translation, see the Aesopus website.

quod: relative pronoun whose antecedent is a generic "hoc," meaning the situation just discussed (the heifer being led away to be sacrificed)

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