The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Alfonce/Fable 9

by Petrus Alphonsi

¶ The ix fable is of the wulf / of the labourer / of the foxe / & of the chese

 

Omtyme was a labourer whiche^{[errata 1]} vnnethe myght gouerne and lede his oxen by cause that they smote with theyr feet / wherfore the labourer sayd to them / I pray to god that the wulf may ete yow / the whiche wordes the wulf herd / wherfore he hyd hym self nyghe them vnto the nyght / And thenne came for to ete them /  ¶ And whanne the nyght was come / the labourer vnbonde his oxen / and lete them goo to his hows /  ¶ And thenne whanne the wulf sawe them comynge homeward / he sayd / O thow labourer many tymes on this day thow dydest gyue to me thyn oxen / and therfore hold thy promesse to me /  ¶ And the labourer sayd to the wulf / I promysed to the nought at al / in the presence of whome I am oblyged or bound / I swore not neyther to paye the / and the wulf ansuerd / I shalle not leue the goo / withoute that thow hold to me that / that thow promysest and gauest to me /  ¶ And as they had soo grete stryf and descencion to gyder / they remytted the cause to be discuted or pleted before the Juge / And as they were seckynge^{[errata 2]} a Juge / they mette with the foxe / to whome they recounted or told alle theyr dyfferent and stryf /  ¶ Thenne sayd the Foxe vnto them / I shalle accorde yow bothe wel / and I shalle gyue on your cause or plee a good sentence / But I must speke with eche one of yow bothe a part or allone / And they were content /  ¶ And the Foxe wente and told to the labourer / thow shalt gyue to me a good henne / And another to my wyf / And I shalle hit soo make / that thow with alle thyn oxen shalt frely goo vnto thy hows / wherof the labourer was wel content /  ¶ And after the foxe wente and sayd to the wulf / I haue wel laboured and wrought for the / For the labourer shall gyue to the therfore a grete chese / and lete hym goo home wyth his oxen / And the wulf was wel content /

¶ And after the Foxe sayd to the wulf / come thow wyth me / and I shalle lede the / where as the chese is /  ¶ And thenne he ledde hym to and fro / here and there vnto the tyme that the mone shyned ful bryghtly / And that they came to a welle / vpon the whiche the Foxe lepte / and shewed to the wulf the shadowe of the mone / whiche reluced in the well / & sayd to hym / loke now godsep / how that chese is fayre / grete and brode / hye the now and goo doune & after take that chese /  ¶ And the wulf sayd to the Foxe / thow must be the fyrste of vs bothe / that shalle goo doune / And yf thow mayst not brynge hit with the / by cause of his gretenesse / I shalle thenne goo doune for to helpe the / And the Foxe was content / by cause two bokettys were there / of whiche as the one came vpward / the other wente dounward / and the foxe entryd in to one of the same bokettis / and wente doune in to the Welle / And whanne he was doune / he sayd to the wulf / godsep come hyther and helpe me / For the chese is so moche and soo grete that I maye not bere hit vp / and thenne the wulf was aferd of that the Foxe shold ete hit / entryd wythynne the other boket / and as faste as he wente dounward / the Foxe came vpward / and whan the wulf sawe the Foxe comynge vpward / he sayd to hym / My godsep ye goo hens / thow sayst trewe sayd the Fox / For thus hit is of the world / For when one cometh doune / the other goth vpward / and thus the foxe wente awey / and lefte the wulf within the welle / And thus the wulf lost bothe the oxen and the chese / wherfore hit is not good to leue that whiche is sure and certayne / For to take that whiche is vncertayne / For many one ben therof deceyued by the falsheed and decepcion of the Aduocate and of the Juges

1. Original: wgiche was amended to whiche: detail
2. Original: sechynge was amended to seckynge: detail