The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Poge/Fable 7
¶ The vij fable is of the Foxe of the Cock and of the dogges
lle the sallary or payment of them
that mokken other is for to be
mocqued at the last / as hit appiereth
by this present Fable / of
a Cock whiche somtyme sawe a
foxe comynge toward hym sore hongry and
famysshed / whiche Cock supposed Wel that he
came not toward hym / but for to ete somme
henne / for whiche cause the Cock maade al his
hennes to flee vpon a tree / And whan the foxe
beganne tapproche to the said tree / he began to
crye toward the cock good tydynges good tydynges
/ And after he salewed the cok ryght
reuerently / & demaunded of hym thus / O godsep
/ what dost thow ther soo hyghe / And thy
hennes with the / hast not thow herd the good
tydynges worthy and prouffitable for vs ¶ And
thenne the Cok ful of malyce ansuerd to hym /
Nay veryly godsep / but I praye the / telle and
reherce them vnto vs / Thenne sayd the foxe to
the cok / Certaynly godsep / they be the best
that euer ye herd / For ye may goo and come / talke and communyque emong alle beestes withoute
ony harme or dommage / And they shalle
doo to yow bothe pleasyr and alle seruyse to
them possible / for thus it is concluded and
accorded / and also confermed by the grete
counceyll of all bestes / And yet they haue made
commaundement that none be so hardy to vexe
ne lette in no wyse ony other / be it neuer soo
lytyll a beest / For the whiche good tydynges I
praye the / that thow wylt come doune / to
thende / that we may goo and synge / Te deum
laudamus / for Joye / And the cok whiche
knewe wel the fallaces or falshede of the foxe
ansuerd to hym in this manere / Certaynly my
broder and my good Frend thow hast brought to
me ryght good tydynges / wherof more than C
tymes I shalle thanke the / And sayenge these
wordes the Cock lyfte vp his neck / and his feet /
and loked farre fro hym / And the foxe sayd to
hym / what godsep / where aboute lokest thow /
And the Cok ansuerd to hym / Certaynly my
broder I see two dogges strongly and lyghtly
rennynge hytherward with open mouthes /
whiche as I suppose come for to brynge to vs
the tydynges whiche thou hast told to vs / And
thenne the Foxe whiche shoke for fere of the
two dogges sayd to the Cock / god be with you
my frend / It is tyme that I departe fro hens / or these two dogges come nerer / And sayinge these
wordes toke his waye / & ranne as fast as he
myght / And thenne the cock demaunded and
cryed after hym / godsep / why rennest thow
thus / yf the sayd pacte is accorded / thow oughtest
not to doubte no thynge Ha a godsep sayd the
Foxe from ferre / I doubte that these two dogges
haue not herd the decreet of the pees / And
thus whanne a begyler is begyled / he receyued
the sallary or payement / whiche he ought to
haue / wherfore lete euery man kepe hym self
ther fro