The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Primus/Fable 20
¶ The xx fable maketh mencion of the swalowe / and other byrdes
E that byleueth not good counceyll /
may not fayll to be euylle counceylled
/ wherof Esope reherceth
to vs suche a fable / Of a plowgh
man / whiche sowed lynseed / and
the swalowe seyng that of the same lynseed men
myght make nettes and gynnes / wente and sayd
to al other byrdes / Come with me ye al & lete
vs plucke vp al this / For yf we leue hit growe /
the labourer shal mowe make therof gynnes[errata 1] and
nettes for to take vs al / Alle the byrdes despraysed
his counceyl / ¶ And thenne as the swalowe
sawe this / he wente and herberowed her in the
plowgh mans hows / ¶ And whanne the flaxe
was growen and pulled vp / the labourer made
grynnes and nettes to take byrdes / wherwith he
took euery day many other byrdes / and brought
them to his hows / to the whiche byrdes the
swalowe thenne sayd / I told yow wel / what
that shold happe therof / wherfore men ought
not to desprayse good councylle / For he that is
euyl aduysed and not wel counceyled shalle haue
moche payne
¶ Here fynysshed the fyrst booke of Esope /