De Rustico et Cerere

Title: De Rustico et Cerere: The Farmer and Ceres

Source: Abstemius 2 (You can see a 1499 edition of Abstemius online, but I am doing my transcription from the 1568 edition of Aesopi fabulae in the EEBO catalog.)

Parallels: The Abstemius fables are "original," without a source in the classical fable tradition.

Latin Text:

Impetravit a Cerere rusticus quidam ut triticum absque aristis nasceretur, ne metentium triturantiumque manus laederet. Quod ubi inaruit, a minutis avibus depastum est. Tum rusticus, "Quam indigna (inquit) patior, qui parvae commoditatis causa emolumenta quam maxima perdidi." Fabula indicat parva incommoda maiori utilitate pensanda.

Here is a segmented version to help you see the grammatical patterns:

Impetravit a Cerere
rusticus quidam
ut triticum
absque aristis nasceretur,
ne metentium triturantiumque manus laederet.
Quod ubi inaruit,
a minutis avibus depastum est.
Tum rusticus,
"Quam indigna (inquit) patior,
qui parvae commoditatis causa
emolumenta quam maxima
perdidi."
Fabula indicat
parva incommoda
maiori utilitate pensanda.

Translation:

A certain country-man begged a favor from Ceres, asking that the wheat grow without its beard, so that it would not injure the hanads of the people as they reaped and threshed the grain. When it was dry, it was eaten by the little birds. Then the country-man said, "What a disgrace I have suffered - for the sake of a tiny advantage, I have lost the greatest possible gain." The fable shows that a small inconvenience is compensated for by a greater usefulness.

[This translation is meant as a help in understanding the story, not as a "crib" for the Latin. I have not hesitated to change the syntax to make it flow more smoothly in English, altering the verb tense consistently to narrative past tense, etc.]

Sir Roger L'Estrange included the fables of Abstemius in his amazing 17th-century edition of Aesop's fables. here is L'Estrange's translation:

A Certain Farmer complain'd that the Beards of his Corn cut the Reapers and the Thrashers Fingers sometimes, and therefore he desir'd Ceres that his Corn might grow hereafter without Beards. The Request was granted, and the little Birds eat up all his Grain. Fool that I was (says he) rather to loose the Support of my Life, than venture the Pricking of my Fingers.
There must be no Refining upon the Works of Providence; for he that thinks to mend them, forfeits his Right to the Blessing and Benefit of them.

Illustration: I don't know of an illustrated edition of Abstemius's fables, alas.

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