33: De Vulpe et Ciconia

Rather than portraying one character as a villain and one as a hero, this fable portrays a matching of wits. A fox invites a stork over for a meal, but only serves liquid food, so the stork is unable to eat it. The stork in turn invites the fox over, but serves food at the bottom of a glass jar, so that the fox is unable to reach the food. 

Perry 426

vulpe vocante:, “the fox calling”; ablative absolute.

vulpe iocante: “the fox playing a joke”; ablative absolute.

cum bibat: “when that one drinks that food”; pres. subj. in a cum circumstantial clause.

ista…illa: “that one…that one”; “ista” used in a contemptuous or negative tone, suggesting something (the fox’s actions) the narrator disapproves of; illa (“the stork”).

bibit dolorem: “he drinks grief,” i.e., because he is unable to drink with his long beak.”

in vulpem: “against the fox.”

mora pauca: “are a small delay”; predicate nominative with pauci dies. 

Haec…haec: “this one (the fox)...this one (the story).”

vase vitreo: “in a jar of glass”; ablative of place where.

fōrmula vāsis: “the shape of the vessel,” i.e., with a long narrow neck (so that the fox’s short muzzle may not reach the food); nom.

laudat nitor: “the splendor praises.”

oculō: “to the eye”; dat. reference.

Hās: refers back to the opes. In this case making reference to the food. 

orī: “to the mouth”; dat. disadvantage.

Fōrmula: sc. vasis. 

visus odorque: “the sight and odor (each) double.”

ieiuna: “the wolf returns hungry”; nom. Pred. with redit. 

telo suo: “is wounded by her own weapon,” i.e., by her own joke; ablative of means.

quod faceres: “what you would not do to yourself”; impf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.

fecisse: “beware to have done to another”; pf. inf. after caveto.

caveto: “let him beware”; 3rd person imperat.

ne facias: “don’t cause wounds”; pres. subj. in a prohibition.

quae potes ipse patī: repeat the ne with this clause, “which you yourself would (not) be able to endure.”