The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Tertius/Fable 13
¶ The xiij fable is of the wulues and of the sheep
Hanne men haue a good hede / and
a good defensour / or a good Capitayne
/ men oughte not to leue
hym / for he that leueth hym repenteth
hym after ward of hit / as
to vs reherceth this fable / Of the sheep whiche
had werre and descencion with the wolues / And
by cause that the wulues made to stronge werre
ageynst the sheep / the shepe thenne tooke for
theyr help the dogges / and the whethers also /
And thenne was the bataylle of the sheep so grete
and so stronge / & fought so vygorously ageynst
the wolues that they put them to flyȝt ¶ And
whanne the wolues sawe the strengthe of theyr
aduersaryes / they sent an ambassade toward the
sheep for to trete the pees with them / the whiche
Ambassade sayd to the sheep in this maner / yf
ye wylle gyue us the dogges / we shalle swere
vnto yow oure feythe / that we shalle neuer kepe
ne hold werre ageynst yow / And the sheep
ansuerd / yf ye wylle gyue vs your fayth / we
shalle be content / And thus they made pees to gyder / but the wulues kyld the dogges / whiche
were capytayns and protectours of the sheep /
And the dogges dyde but lytyll hurte to the wulues /
wherfore whanne the lytyl and yong wulues
were growen in theyr age / they came of eche
part and countrey / and assembled them to gyder /
and all of one accord and wylle sayd to theyr
auncestres and faders / we must ete vp alle the
sheep / And theyr faders ansuerd thus to them /
we haue made pees with them / Neuertheles the
yonge wolues brake the pees and ranne fyersly
vpon the sheep / and theyr faders wente after
them / ¶ And thus by cause that the sheep had
delyuerd the dogges to the wolues / the whiche
were theyr capitayns / and that they had none
that kepte them / they were all eten and deuoured
of the wulues / Therfore hit is good to
kepe well his capytayne / whiche may at a nede
gyue socor and helpe / For a trewe frend is
oftyme better at a nede than a Royalme / For
yf the sheep had kepte the loue of the dogges /
the wolues had neuer deuoured them / wherfore
it is a sure thynge to kepe wel the loue of his
protectour and good frende /