Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 5
V. The Ungrateful Serpent.[1]
"Suche oon passyng bi the woode fonde a serpent of shepardis strayned and to stokkes bounden, whom in maner loosed cured to chaufe.[2] The serpent chauffed aboute the faverer bigan to gnawe and bite and somoche the bond hard he constreyned. Than the man saide: 'What doestow? Whi yieldistow evil for goode?' The serpent saide: 'I do my nature and kynde.' Quod he; 'And I have don wele to the, and that evil doestow only to me?' So they strivyng wern cald to the jugement of the fox. To whom whan he was com [and] was shewed al the matier bi order, than the fox saide: 'This cause can I nat deme bi heryng, but as it was at the first bitwixt yow I may see it at eye.' Than was the serpent bounde ageyn as she was afore. 'Now,' quod the fox, 'thow serpent, if thow maist eschape, departe.' Whiche to the man: 'To loose the serpent nil thow nat labour.' Whether hastow nat Red, 'who that loosith the dowte, vpon hym shalbe the falle'."[3]
The Arabik saide to his sone: "If thow be[4] any tyme and maist lightly be delyvered, abide nat to long; for while thow abidest haply ther may falle a more grevous blame, as fil to the gibbous or courbed of the versifiour." "And how," quod the sone? [The fader]: