The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Primus/Fable 13
¶ The xiij fable is of the Egle and of the foxe
Ow the puyssant & myghty must doubte the feble Essope reherceth to vs suche a fable / Ther was an Egle whiche came ther as young foxes were / and took awey one of them / and gaf hit to his younge Egles to fede them with The foxe wente after hym & praid hym to restore and gyue hym ageyne his yong foxe / and the Egle said that he wold not / For he was ouer hym lord and maister/ ¶ And thenne the foxe fulle of shrewdnes and malyce beganne to put to gyder grete habondaunce of straws round aboute the tree / where vpon the egle and his yonge were in theyr nest/ and kyndeled it with fyre / ¶ And whan the smoke and the flambe began to ryse vpward / the Egle ferdfulle and doubtyng the dethe of her lytylle egles restored ageyne the younge foxe to his moder ¶ This fable sheweth vs / how the myghty men oughte not to lette in ony thynge the small folke / For the lytyle ryght ofte may lette and trouble the grete