Scintilla has slightly adapted this text from a medieval Latin version of Aesop's Fables that was widely used in European schools from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. The following vocabulary and grammatical aids are intended to help modern individuals in the early stages of their study of Latin to read and enjoy the story. The story is written in a poetic meter called dactylic hexameter.

sopio, -ire, ivi, itum: put to sleep [sopito is the perfect passive participle, "having been put to sleep, sleeping"]
blandior, -iri, -itus sum, deponent verb [passive in form but active in meaning]: please, be agreeable to [+ dative]
cursito, -are, -avi, -atum: run about, run to and fro
hic, adverb: here
promptus, -a, -um, perfect passive participle of promere: ready to [+ complementary infinitive]
cohors, -tis, f.: company
premo, -mere, -ssi, -ssum: press, touch [apparently one of the hapless mice ran over the sleeping lion and woke him up]
ille, -a, -ud, pronoun: that one [here referring to the mouse]
precor, -ari, -atus sum, deponent verb: pray, beg, entreat
prex, -ecis, f.: prayer, entreaty
libro, -are, -avi, -atum: weigh out, balance carefully [the mouse in fact speaks like a well-trained orator, using logical structures, rhetorical figures, wordplay, etc.]
supplico, -are, -avi, -atum: humbly petition, sue for forgiveness [+ dative]
ante, adverb: before [before the lion can eat him]
moveo, -ere, -vi, motum: begin, commence [object is haec + verba understood; animo should be translated as "courage"]
perimo, -ere, -emi, -emptum: kill, destroy [perempto is perfect passive participle]
laus, laudis,, f.: praise [genitive of the whole with quid]
emo, -ere, emi, emptum: buy, procure
summus, -a, -um, superlative adjective: highest
pudeo, -ere, -ui or puditum est: cause shame, shame [generally used impersonally, here the infinitive phrase vincere parva is the subject: literally, "to conquer little things shames the highest beings"]
nex, necis, f.: murder, death
dignor, -ari, -atus sum, deponent verb: consider someone [accusative] worthy of something [ablative]; this form is present subjunctive in a conditional clause, "if...should consider...worthy"
deducus, -oris, n.: shame, disgrace
decus, -oris, n.: honor, glory
vinco, -ere, vici, victum: conquer [here present subjunctive in a conditional clause, "if...should conquer"]
minimus, -a, -um, superlative adjective: least, smallest
sic vincere vinci est: here and in the next several lines infinitives are used like nouns, as subjects and objects of verbs: "to conquer this way is to be conquered"
decet, decuit, impersonal verb: it is fitting or seemly, it is right or proper
edo, esse, edi, essum: eat, devour [here the infinitive acts like a noun, predicate nominative with sit, which is present subjunctive of sum in an implied condition: "if it should be an honor to devour"]
fio, fieri, factus sum, irregular verb: be made, become [linking verb; fiet is future indicative]
a, ab, preposition + ablative: from, on account of
minor, minus, comparative adjective: smaller, less
pretium, -ii, n.: value, worth
pendeo, -ere, pependi: hang, depend [+ de = depend upon]
tantus, -a, -um, adjective: so great; often with quantus, -a, -um, "as great...as"
grates, f. pl., usually only in nominative and accusative: thanks (especially used in relation to the gods)
reddo, -ere, -idi, -itum: deliver, give back, repay
possum, posse, potui: to be able [possit is present subjunctive in a conditon, "if...should be able"]
spondeo, -ere, spopondi, sponsum: promise, pledge
ops, opis, f.: help
solus, -a, -um, adjective: single [solus dies is best taken as predicate nominative with fit]
rete, -is, n.: net
subeo, -ire, -vi, -itum: go under, plunge into
prosum, prodesse, -fui: be useful to, benefit [+ dative; here leoni is understood as object in this line and the next]
utor, uti, usus sum, deponent verb: use, make use of [+ ablative object; here the infinitive phrase viribus uti is subject of prodest]
damnum, -i, n.: harm, injury
loquor, loqui, locutus sum, deponent verb: speak, talk about [here the infinitive phrase damna loqui is subject of prodest]
reperio, -ire, -repperi, repertum: find
locus, -i, m.: place [neuter forms are also used in the plural; here the word means "circumstances"]
rodo, -ere, -si, -sum: gnaw
penso, -are, -avi, -atum: repay
res, rei, f.: thing
possum, posse, potui: to be able [here the complementary infinitive facere is understood]
prudentia, -ae, f.: skill, proficiency
do, dare, dedi, datum: give [dans is the present active participle modifying leo, and the relative pronoun cui is used instead of the personal pronoun; translate this phrase "The lion, in giving kindness to the mouse,..."]
ne, adverb: not [here used to negate the imperative verb]
potens, -tentis, present active participle of possum: here used as a verbal noun with facere understood and parva as object: "one who is able to do small things"
quis, quid, indefinite pronoun: someone, something [here best translated as though it were subject of potest: "For someone can..., even if he..."]
obsum, obesse, obfui: harm
nequeo, -ire, -ivi, -itum: be unable, cannot