¶ The eyght fable is of the diſcyple / and of the ſheep /
Diſcyple was ſomtyme / whiche
toke his playſyre to reherce and
telle many fables / the whiche
prayd to his mayſter / that he
wold reherce vnto hym a long
fable / To whome the mayſter anſuerd / kepe and
beware wel that hit happe not to vs / as it happed
to a kyng and to his fabulatour And the diſcyple
anſuerd / My mayſter I pray the to telle to me
how it befelle / And thenne the mayſter ſayd to
his deſcyple / ¶ Somtyme was a kynge whiche
hadde a fabulatour / the whiche reherced to
hym at euery tyme / that he wold ſleep fyue
fables for to reioyſſhe the kynge / and for to
make hym falle in to a ſlepe / It befelle thenne
on a daye / that the kynge was moche ſorowful
and ſo heuy / that he coude in no wyſe falle a
ſlepe / And after that the ſayd fabulatour had
told and reherced his fyue fables / the kynge
deſyred to here more / And thenne the ſayd
fabulatour recyted vnto hym thre fables wel
ſhorte / And the kynge thenne ſayd to hym / I