¶ The fyrste fable maketh mencion of the mulet / of the foxe / and of the wulf
En Calle many folke Aſſes / that
ben wel ſubtyll / And ſuche
wenen to knowe moche / and to
be a grete clerke that is but an
aſſe / As hit appiereth by thys
fable / Of a mule whiche ete graſſe in a medowe
nyghe to a grate foreſt / to whome came a foxe
whiche demaunded of hym / What arte thow /
And the mule anſuerd I am a beeſt / And the
foxe ſayd to hym / I ne demaunde ne aſke of
the that / but I aſke who was thy fader / ¶ And
the mule anſuerd / my grete fader was a hors /
And the foxe ſayd ageyne I ne demaunde to the
that / but only that thow telleſt me / who thow
arte named / And the mule ſayd to the foxe /
I ne wote / by cauſe I was lytyll whanne my
fader deyde / Neuertheles to thende that my
name ſhold not be forgoten / my fader made hit
to be wreton vnder my lyfte foote behynde /
wherfore uf[errata 1] thow wylt knowe my name / goo
thow and loke vnder my foote / ¶ And whanne
the foxe vnderſtood the fallace or falſhede / he
