Friday, September 18, 2009

Story #7 Duo Caeci

Two Blindmen

In Rome there were two blind men. Daily one (of them) cried through the streets of the city, "He is helped well whom the Lord desires to help." The other however cried, "He is helped well whom the Emperor desires to help." Day by day the two blind men cried these words. The emperor heard the two blind men. Immediately he ordered a baker to make bread and fill it with money (coins). Then to the blind man who trusted in the power of the emperor this bread, heavy with money, was given. When the blind man felt the weight of the bread, he was angry. "I am not able to eat this bread," he cried. "It is like (to) a rock."

"Today," said the other beggar, "I received a few coins. I will glady buy your bread for a cheap price. Do you wish to sell it to me?"

The first blind man gladly sold the bread at the least price. "Now," he thought, "I will be able to buy good bread." The blind man who bought the bread heavy with money hurried home. "God is good," he said. "God gave me this bread at a cheap price." Immediately he broke the bread which he was hungering. Behold, in the bread he found many coins (much money). With great joy he gave thanks to God. "He is helped well whom God wishes to help. Now I have much money. Now it is no necessary that I beg."

Day after day, the other blind man was begging. Whereupon the emperor called him and asked, "Where is the bread which was given to you?" But he answered, "I sold the bread to my comrade because it seemed like a rock to me."

"Truly," said the emperor, "He is helped well whom God desires to help."

Story #6 Servus Sapiens

The Wise Servant

Once a certain lord said to his servant, "Go to the shopkeepers in the market place and buy for us the best meats." Swiftly the servant came to the marketplace and entered into a shop. "Do you have tongues today?" he asked. "Certainly (indeed)," responded the shopkeeper. "We have the best tongues from (of) cattle. They are even cheap." The servant bought the tongues and hastened home. When the lord saw the tongues, he was angry but said nothing.

After a few days again he said, "Go to market and buy for us the worst meats for sale in the shop." So again the servant bought all the tongues of animals which he had been able to find. Then he cooked (prepared) the tongues and gave them to his lord. The lord was very angry. "Why," he asked, "always do you buy tongues? If I want the best meat you buy tongues. If I desire the worst meat, you also buy tongues. Do you mock me?"

"Why are you angry, Lord. Truly there is no fleshy limb (member) better than a good tongue and on the contrary none worse than a bad tongue." With these words, the servant proved his prudence and wisdom.


Exercises
1. Why did the lord send the servant to the shops? Dominus servum ad tabernus carnes emere missit. (The lord sent the servant to buy meat at the shops.)
2. Where were the shops? Tabernae in forum erant. (The shops were in the marketplace.)
3. Why was the lord angry? Dominus iratus erat quia servum eum irridere putabat. (The lord was angry because he thought (that) the servant mocked him.) This answer uses the construction required for indirect address: accusative plus the infinitive (servum and irridere)
4. How does the servant prove his understanding/wisdom? Servus scientiam probavit quia linguam bonam esse et quoque malos dixit. (The servant proves wisdom because he says (that) the tongue is good but also bad.) This answer also used the construction for indirect address: accusative plus the infinitive. (linguam and esse)
5. What did St. James say about the tongue?