Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The Fox and the Women

The Fox and the Women. A fox was walking by a farm when he saw a crowd of women feasting in complete silence on heaps of chicken, exquisitely roasted. The fox turned to the women and said, "What a great clamor there would be and how the dogs would bark at me if I were to do what you are doing!" A certain old woman replied, "You wretched creature: we are eating what is ours; you steal what belongs to others."

Vulpes et Mulieres. Vulpes, iuxta villam quandam transiens, conspexit catervam mulierum plurimas gallinas, opipare assatas, alto silentio comedentem. Ad quas conversa, "Qui clamores," inquit, "et canum latratus contra me essent, si ego facerem quod vos facitis!" Cui respondens quaedam anus "Pessima animalium," inquit, "nos quae nostra sunt comedimus; tu aliena furaris."

Notes. This is Abstemius 9. As usual with Abstemius, it is not found in Perry's inventory. There is an Aesop's fable about a wolf rebuking shepherds in similar circumstances, but I really like the way that Abstemius's version here pairs up the feminine vulpes with these female human counterparts.

No comments:

Post a Comment