3: De Mure et Rana

The Mouse and the Frog

A mouse mistakenly trusts a frog to carry her across a lake, but when the frog tries to drown her, the resulting struggle attracts a kite, who devours them both. 

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Other versions: Perry 384 The Frog and the Mouse

This fable is particularly grim. In this version, the mouse isn't blamed for her gullibility, rather it is the frog who is chastised in the moral for hindering when he promised to help. Later versions of the fable, such as Robert Henryson's in the 1400s, focus on the mistakes that the mouse made; other versions, such as the earlier Marie de France (1200s), actually save the mouse from her ominous end to further emphasize the critique of the frog's character. 

1  rumpente lacū: ablative absolute, “with a pond interrupting.” Mūris iter is the direct object of the participle rumpente, “interrupting the journey of a mouse.” Mūris is a genitive modifying iter. 

1  venit obvia mūrī: the rāna loquāx is now the subject, “a talkative frog comes in the way of the mouse,” i.e. meets the mouse on the edge (of the pond).  Mūrī is a dative with obvia. 

2  pacta: participle, nominative in agreement with rāna. Opem is the direct object of pacta, “having negotiated help,” i.e., having offered to help. The participle has a concessive sense, when taken in conjunction with nocēre cupit. “Although she offered to help, she desired to harm.”  

3  omne genus pestis: direct object of superat, “overcomes every sort of disease.”  

3  verbīs: ablative of separation after dissona (classical usage would require ab). Dissona modifies mēns, “a mind discordant with its words.” 

4  sentēs ... polit: “smooths the thornbushes of the mind," i.e., conceals harmful intent beneath smooth talk.

5  confēderat: “joins," "ties."

6  nectere ... rumpere: "to tie together ... to break." The first verb is used literally, the second metaphorically. 

6  fune ... fraude: abl. of means. Note the parallelism (one literal, one metaphorical) and alliteration. 

7  pedī: dative with coit (a compound verb).  

7  coit ... recedit: "comes together ... retreats," i.e. hides. Another pairing of literal and metaphorical.

8  ille ... illa: “the one (the mouse) ... the other (the frog).” 

9  mergitur: "is plunged," i.e., dives. The frog is the subject.

9  ut ... demergat: pres. subj. in a purpose clause, "in order to sink," i.e. drown.

9  amīcō: "for his (erstwhile) friend," dative of disadvantage, masculine in keeping with the gender of the mus. 

10  faciēns: nom. present participle taking naufragium as a direct object, “making a shipwreck.” 

10  naufragat ipsa fidēs: “faith itself is shipwrecked,” another play on literal and metaphorical senses.

11  mergī: pres. pass. inf., “to be submerged.” 

11-12  obstat / naufragiō: naufragiō is a dative with a compound verb, obstat, “and thwarts the shipwreck.” 

12  vīrēs suggerit: "supplies strength," to make it to the surface, or perhaps to the shore, as suggested by iacet ... iacent below.

13  trucī ... ungue: "with its harsh talon.”

14  hic iacet ... ambo iacent: note the pun, “this one (the kite) lands ... the two (the mouse and frog) lie dead.” The kite lands and kills them both.

15  sīc pereant:  pres. subj. in a  jussive clause, “so may those die!”

15  sē prōdesse fatentur: “profess (falsely) that they are helping.” fateor is used for profiteor.

16  discat: pres. subj. jussive, “let him learn!” + indirect statement. 

16  in auctōrem ... suum: “against its own author.”

16  poenam redīre: pres. inf. in an indirect statement after discat, “learn that the punishment returns.”