The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Other Aesop's/Fable 8
¶ The eyght fable is of the catte and of the rat
E whiche is wyse / and that ones
hath ben begyled / ought not to
truste more hym that hath begyled
hym As reherceth this Fable of a
catte whiche wente in to a hows /
where as many rats were / the whiche he dyd
ete eche one after other / ¶ And whanne the
rats perceyued the grete fyersnes and crudelyte
of the catte / held a counceylle to gyder where
as they determyned of one comyn wylle / that
they shold no more hold them ne come nor goo
on the lowe floore . wherfore one of them moost
auncyent profered and sayd to al the other suche
wordes / ¶ My bretheren and my frendes / ye
knowe wel / that we haue a grete enemye / whiche
is a grete persecutour ouer vs alle / to whome we
may not resyste / wherfor of nede we must hold
our self vpon the hyghe balkes / to thende that
he may not take vs / Of the whiche proposycion
or wordes the other rats were wel content and
apayd / and byleuyd this counceylle / And whanne
the kat knewe the counceylle of the rats / he
hynge hym self by his two feet behynd at a pynne of yron whiche was slyked at a balke / feynynge
hym self to be dede / And whanne one of the
rats lokynge dounward sawe the katte beganne
to lawhe and sayd to the cat / O my Frend yf
I suppoled that thow were dede / I shold goo
doune / but wel I knowe the so fals & peruers /
that thow mayst wel haue hanged thy self / faynynge
to be dede / wherfore I shall not goo doune /
And therfore he that hath ben ones begyled by
somme other / ought to kepe hym wel fro the
same