The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Auian/Fable 15
¶ The xv fable is of the busshe / and of the aubyer tree
One for his beaute ought not to
despreyse some other / For somtyme
suche one is fayre that
soone wexeth lothely and fowle /
and to hyghe falleth vnto lowe /
as it apperyth by this fable / Of a fayr tree
whiche mocqued and scorned a lytyl busshe /
and sayd / ¶ Seest thow not / my fayre fourme
and my fayre fygure / And that of me men
byldeth[errata 1] fayre edefyces as palays and castellis /
galeyes & other shippes for to saylle on the see /
And as he auaunced & preysed hym self thus /
came there a labourer with his axe for to hewe
and smyte hym to the ground / And as the
labourer smote vpon the fayre tree / the busshe
sayd / Certaynly my broder yf now thow were
as lytel / as I am / men shold not hewe ne smyte
the doune to the erthe / And therfore none
oughte to reioysshe hym self of his worship /
For suche is now in grete honour and worship /
that herafter shalle falle in to grete vytupere
shame and dishonour