The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Quintus/Fable 6
¶ The vj fable is of the hegoote and of the wulf
He feble ought not to arme hym
ageynst the stronge / As recyteth
this present fable of a wulf / whiche
some tyme ranne after a hegoot /
and the hegoot for to saue hym
lept vpon a rocke / and the wulf besyeged hym /
¶ And after whan they had duelled there two
or thre dayes / the wulf beganne to wexe hongry /
and the hegoote to haue thurst / And thus the
wulf went for to ete / and the hegoot went for to drynke / And as the hegoot dranke he sawe
his shadowe in the water / and speculynge and
beholdynge his shadowe profered and sayd suche
wordes within hym sels / Thou hast so fayre
legges / so fayr a berd / and so fayre hornes / and
hast fere of the wulf / yf hit happed that he
come ageyne / I shalle corryge hym wel / and
shalle kepe hym wel / that he shalle haue no
myght ouer me / ¶ And the wulf whiche held hys peas
/ and herkened what he sayd / toke hym
by the one legge thus sayenge / what wordes ben
these whiche thow proferest & sayst brorder Hegoote / ¶ And whanne the hegote sawe that
he was taken / he beganne to saye to the wulf /
Ha my lord / I saye no thynge / and haue pyte
of me / I knowe wel / that it is my coulpe / And
the wulf toke hym by the neck and strangled
hym / ¶ And therfore it is grete folye whan
the feble maketh werre ageynst the puyssant and
stronge.