Aesopus Simplicissimus: Lupus et Grus

The Tar Heel Reader project has inspired me to start writing some fables I'm labeling Aesopus Simplicissimus. I'll be publishing those fables here - sometimes with an accompanying reader at Tar Heel, and sometimes just the text on its own. You can read more about this "Simplicissimus" project in this earlier post, and see all the "Simplicissimus" fables here.

For today, the fable is Lupus et Grus, the story of the crane who foolishly did a favor for a wolf. You can find materials and resources for this fable at the Aesopus Wiki - including Tar Heel Reader versions (one all in Latin, and one bilingual):

Ecce lupus! Lupus ánimal saevum est, et vorax. Dum Lupus ávide cenat, os gluttit. Os in gútture Lupi haeret et eum fere strángulat. Lupus gráviter dolet, et clamat: "Ádiuva me!" Sed animália ómnia Lupum ódio habent et iuváre nolunt.

Deinde Lupus Gruem animadvértit. Grus longum collum habet et longum rostrum. Dolóre gemens, Lupus Grui dicit: "O Grus, praémium tibi promítto, si me ádiuvas!"

Crédula Grus caput suum in guttur Lupi immíttit. Collum suum exténdit et rostro suo e Lupi gútture os éxtrahit. Grus ergo praémium póstulat sed Lupus nihil ei dat.

Lupus subrídet, dentes revélans, et dicit Grui: "Quam stulta es tu, et ridícula! Caput tuum in ore meo fuit et tibi vívere permísi. Hoc, O stulta, satis praémii est tibi." Fábula docet: Cave lupum! Periculósum est malos adiuváre.

Here's an illustration for the fable (image source):

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