56: De Simia et Vulpe

An ape is upset about her ugly buttocks and tries to convince a vixen to give part of her tail to her backside so that it might be more beautiful. The ape’s logic argues that the vixen’s tail is just a useless weight to her anyway and she can certainly spare part of it. The vixen replies that she is happy with her tail, which she considers to be light and short. The moral notes that something which a greedy person might try to downplay can be important to a poor man.

Perry 533

Porrigit aures: “extends its ears,” in this case probably “offers its ears.”

Mente, sed aure: “does not receive the prayers with its mind, but with its ears” abl. of means.

Natis…ornem: “So that I may decorate the ugliness of my buttocks” purpose clause.

Sufficeret: “(a small part of your tail) would suffice” imp. subj. 

Quid prodest: “what good is it to….” 

Nimiā caudā: “with too great a tail” abl of means.

campōs īnsculpere: “to carve the plain.” 

Quod mihi prōdesset: “the thing which could be a benefit to me.” imp. potential subj. 

Nimio pondere: lit., “about (its) excessive weight” abl. after de, but works well as, “because of its excessive weight.” 

Queror: deponent verb “I complain.”

Verrat: “I prefer that (my tail) may sweep;” pres. subj. in a noun clause after malo.

quam sit..quam tegat: “rather than it be.. rather than a…cover” pres subj. in comparison clause.

immundās natēs: direct object of tegat. 

rēs bene munda: subject of tegat. I.e. the tail. 

Avare: “greedy one” vocative.

id nimium minimoque minus: “the thing that (is) an excess and (an amount) less than the least,” a paradoxical statement. The ape claims that the piece of tail is both an excess (nimium) to the fox and also a very small thing. Minimō is an abl. of comparison with minus.  

ditaret: “could enrich,” impf. potential subj.

Quod nimium minimō crēdis minus: “that which you believe is an excess is less than the least.” This line harkens back to the previous line.