The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Primus/Fable 17
¶ The xvij fable is of the asse and of the yong dogge
one ought to entermete hym of that
what he can not do wherof Esope
recyted suche a fable / Of an asse
whiche was in the hows of a lord /
whiche lord had a lytyle dogge /
whiche he loued wel / and gaf hym mete and
ete vpon his table / And the lytyle dogge loked
and chered / and lepte vpon his gowne / And to
alle them that were in the hows he made chere / wherfor the asse was enuyous and sayd in hym
self / yf my lord and his meyny loue this myschaunt
beste by cause that he chereth and maketh
feste to euery body / by gretter reason they ought
to loue me vf I make chere to them / Thenne
sayd he in hym self/ Fro henforth I shall take
my disporte and shall make Joye and playe
with my lord / and wyth his meyny / And ones
as the asse was in this thoughte and ymagynacion
/ hit happed that he sawe his lord whyche
entryd in to his hows / the asse beganne thenne
to daunse and to make feest and songe with his
swete voys / and approched hym self toward his
lord & went & lepte vpon his sholders / and
beganne to kysse and to lykke hym / The lord
thenne beganne to crye oute with a hyghe voys
and sayd / lete this fowl and payllard / whiche
hurteth and byteth me sore / be bete and putt
awey / The lordes seruauntes thenne toke anone
grete staues / and beganne to smyte vpon the
poure asse / and so sore corryged and bete hym /
that after he had no luste ne courage to daunse /
ne make to nonne chere ne feste / and therfore
none ought to entermete hym self for to doo a
thynge / whiche as for hym impossyble is to be
done / For the vnwyse displeseth there / where
as he supposeth to please