You can find more Latin stories at Centum.LauraGibbs.net,
and more Tiny Tales at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.
and more Tiny Tales at 100Words.LauraGibbs.net.
Mures, felem timentes, consultant.
"Quid faciemus?" dicunt.
"Quomodo se a fele tueri possumus?" quaerunt.
Mures singuli consilia multa proponunt,
sed nihil omnibus placet.
Postremo mus unus dicit,
"Tintinnabulum feli annectamus!
Tum statim audiemus felem venientem,
et facile effugiemus."
Omnes mures laeti sunt.
Hoc consilium omnibus placet.
Mures omnes consilium approbant,
et consilii auctorem laudant.
Ei dicunt,
"Quam prudens es!
Iam tu feli annecte tintinnabulum."
Sed consilii auctor eis respondet,
"Ego vero consilium dedi.
Alius operam sumat!"
Quis feli tintinnabulum annectet?
"Nolo!" dicit unus.
"Nolo!" dicit alius.
"Nolo!" dicunt mures omnes.
Consilium ergo irritum est.
Fabula docet:
Dictum citius quam factum.
Dictionary help:
a — alius — annectamus — annecte — annectet — approbant — auctor — auctorem — audiemus — citius — consilia — consilii — consilium — consultant — dedi — dicit — dictum — dicunt — docet — effugiemus — ego — ei — eis — ergo — est — et — fabula — faciemus — facile — factum — fele — felem — feli — hoc — iam — irritum — laeti — laudant — multa — mures — mus — nihil — nolo — omnes — omnibus — operam — placet — possumus — postremo — proponunt — prudens — quaerunt — quam — quid — quis — quomodo — respondet — se — sed — singuli — statim — es — sumat — sunt — timentes — tintinnabulum — tu — tueri — tum — unus — venientem — vero
Here is the version of the fable in Mille Fabulae et Una:
Mille Fabulae et Una: 206. Mures, Feles, et Tintinnabulum.
Mures aliquando consultabant quomodo se a fele tueri possent. Multa proponebantur a singulis muribus, sed nihil placebat. Postremo unus dixit, “Tintinnabulum feli annectendum est; tum statim audiemus cum veniet, facileque effugiemus.” Omnes mures laeti praedicant prudentem consilii auctorem. “Iam tu,” inquiunt, “annecte tintinnabulum.” “Ego vero,” respondet ille, “consilium dedi; alius operam sumat.” Irritum consilium fuit, quoniam qui feli annecteret tintinnabulum non reperiebatur. Dictum citius quam factum.
And here is an English version of the fable. This is not a translation; it's another version of the same story in 100 English words.
100-Words: Belling the Cat
And here is an English version of the fable. This is not a translation; it's another version of the same story in 100 English words.
100-Words: Belling the Cat
The mice held a council. "Something must be done about the cat!" said the chief of the mice.
"But what shall we do?"
The mice debated many proposals, and finally they decided that a bell might work.
"All in favor of belling the cat, say aye!"
The mice all shouted aye with great enthusiasm.
"All opposed?"
None of the mice was opposed.
"Next order of business," said the mouse-chief. "Who is going to put the bell on the cat?"
Silence.
And so the fine plan failed, all because there was no mouse who would put the bell on the cat.