silvīs ambulāns ferās saepe occīdit. Ōlim, cum vespere prīmō domum nōn redīsset, vīcīnī, veritī nē[1] puer ab Indīs aut ferīs esset interfectus, frequentēs convēnērunt, complūrīsque diēs errāvērunt per silvās, sī ūllō modō eum invenīre possent; quī postrēmō pervēnērunt ad casam rāmīs caespitibusque[2] aedificātam ā puerō ipsō, quī frūstum carnīs in ignem porrigēns humī sine timōre[3] sōlus sedēbat. Nam ē viā nōn errāverat; sed cōnsultō sē longius[4] contulerat in silvās, quod procul ab oppidīs sine comitibus etiam tum[5] libenter habitābat[6].
Paucīs post annīs pater[7] multa mīlia passuum ad loca longinqua cōnstituit in silvās[8] ēmigrāre, quod ipsī[9] quoque urbēs oppidaque minimē grāta erant. Quās[10] ad sēdēs novās ubi perventum est, puer, cum pater frātrēsque arborēs excīderent agrōsque ad satūs[11] accipiendōs parārent, ferīs interfectīs carnem ē silvā cotīdiē domum reportābat[12]. Interdum noctū quoque vēnātus[13] esse dīcitur: quō quidem tempore[14] facibus[15] ārdentibus ūtī solēbat; lūmina enim, ut[16] saepe ab[17] explōrātōribus audīvimus, ad ferās ē latebrīs ēliciendās magnō ūsuī[18] sunt.
- ↑ nē: cf. the note on p. 61, l. 6.
- ↑ rāmīs caespitibusque: abl. of means with aedificātam, translate freely “of”.
- ↑ sine timōre: cf. timeō, i.e. unconcerned.
- ↑ longius: absolute comparative.
- ↑ etiam tum: i.e. even when so young.
- ↑ libenter habitābat: i.e. he had a liking for living.
- ↑ pater: sc. eius.
- ↑ in silvās: acc., because of the verb of motion (ēmigrāre), we would say “in the woods”.
- ↑ ipsī: construe with grāta, him.
- ↑ Quās: this.
- ↑ satūs: satus, -ūs: m., crop.
- ↑ reportābat: note the tense.
- ↑ vēnātus: note the case (and that dīcitur is personal).
- ↑ quō quidem tempore: i.e. at night; freely, on such occasions. In translating, quidem may be omitted.
- ↑ facibus: fax, facis: f., for syntax, cf. quā, p. 7, l. 2, torch.
- ↑ ut: as.
- ↑ ab: from.
- ↑ magnō ūsuī: cf. the note on praesidiō, p. 65, l. 4.
