Fable of the Day: De lupo ovis pelle induto (Barlow)

[Laura Gibbs]

Lupus, ovis pelle indutus, ovium se immiscuit gregi, quotidieque aliquam ex eis occidebat; quod, cum pastor animadvertisset, illum in altissima arbore suspendit. Interrogantibus autem ceteris pastoribus cur ovem suspendisset, respondebat: "Pellis quidem est ovis, opera autem erant lupi."

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:

grex (gregis, m.) - flock
opus (operis, n.) - work, deed
pastor (pastoris, m.) - shepherd
pellis (pellis, f.) - skin, pelt
aliquis, aliqua, aliquid (alicuius) - somebody, anybody

altus - tall
ceterus - rest, remaining

interrogo (interrogare) - ask, inquire
immisceo (immiscere), immiscui - mix in, mingle with
animadverto (animadvertere), animadverti - notice
induo (induere), indutus - dress in, put on
occido (occidere) - slay, slaughter
suspendo (suspendere), suspendi - hang

cur - why
quotidie - daily

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

quod cum pastor animadvertisset: quod, the object of animadvertisset, has as its antecedent the whole general situation, hence the use of the neuter singular, "this, this thing."

cur ovem suspendisset: subjunctive in indirect question

pellis ovis...opera lupi: note the parallel structure

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