Asinus equum rogat,
"Amice, parum hordei tui da mihi.
Iam paene mortuus sum fame!"
Equus respondet,
"Libenter facerem, si possem,
et large tibi tribuerem,
pro dignitate mea.
Solemniter promitto:
cum ad praesepia vespere venerimus,
folliculum tibi dabo, farre plenum."
Asinus tunc ei dicit,
"Si rem tam parvam negas,
certe scio:
tu in re maiori nihil facies."
Fabula docet:
Saepe is, qui magna promittit,
etiam parva negat -
tenax in pollicitando,
sed in dando nolens.
This story is based on 257. Equus, Asinus, et Hordeum.
Click here for a SLIDESHOW of all the Harrison Weir images. This is an illustration for a different fable, but it suits this one, too, I think!
equus - horse
asinus - donkey
et - and
hordeum - barley
rogo - ask
amicus - friend
parum - a little
tuus - your, yours
do - give
ego - I, me
iam - now, already
paena - almost
morior - die
fames - hunger
respondeo - answer, reply
libenter - gladly, willingly
facio - do, make
si - if
possum - can, be able
et - and
large - lavishly, abundantly
tu - you
tribuo - divide, allot, bestow
pro - according to, in front of
dignitas - worth, worthiness
meus - my, mine
solemniter - solemnly
promitto - grant, promise
cum - when
ad - to, toward
praesaepe - manger, stall
vesper - evening
venio - come
folliculum - bag, sack
far - grain, grits, meal
plenus - full
tunc - then
is - he/she/it
dico - say
res - thing
tam - so
parvus - small, little
nego - deny, refuse, say no
certe - surely, for certain
scio - know
in - in, into
maior - greater, bigger
nihil - nothing
facio - do, make
fabula - story, fable
doceo - teach
saepe - often
qui - who, which, that
magnus - great
etiam - and, also, even
tenax - persistent, tenacious
pollicito - promise
sed - but
nolo - not want, will not
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