wold fayne here one wel longe / And thenne ſhalle I leue wel the ſlepe / The fabulatour thenne reherced vnto hym ſuche a fable / Of a ryche man whiche wente to the market or feyre for to bye ſheep / the which man bought a thowſand ſheep / And as he was retornynge fro the feyre / he cam vnto a Ryuer/ and by cauſe of the grete waiues of the water he coude not parte ouer the bridge / Neuertheles he wente ſoo longe to and fro on the Ryuage of the ſayd Ryuer / that at the laſt he fonde a narowe way / vpon the whiche myght paſſe ſcant ynough thre ſheep attones / And thus he parted and had them ouer one after another / And hyderto reherced of this fable / the fabulatour felle on ſlepe / And anon after the kynge awoke the fabulatour / and ſayd to hym in this manere / I pray the that thow wylt make an ende of thy fable / And the fabulatour anſuerd to hym in this manere Syre this Ryuer is right grete / and the ſhip is lytyl / wherfore late the marzhaunt doo paſs ouer his ſheep / And after I ſhalle make an ende of my fable / And thenne was the kynge wel appeaſed and pacyfyed / ¶ And therfore be thow content of that I haue reherced vnto the / For there is folke ſuperſtycious or capaxe / that they may not be contented with fewe wordes
