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Aesop's Fables: Caxton (1484)

3.17. Of the Ape and of the foxe
(Perry 533)

Of the poure and of the Ryche Esope reherceth suche a fable / Of an ape / whiche prayd the foxe to gyue hym somme of his grete taylle for to couere his buttoks therwith / sayenge thus to hym / what auaylleth to the soo long a taylle / hit doth but wagge / And that whiche letteth the / shalle be prouffitable and good for me / The foxe said to hym I wold that hit were yet lenger / For rather I wold see hit al to fowled and dagged / than hit shold bere to yow suche honour / as to couere thy fowle buttoks therwith /
And therfore gyue thou not that thynge of whiche thow hast nede of / to the ende that afterward thow myster not of hit


Caxton published his edition of Aesop's fables in 1484. There are modern reprints by Joseph Jacobs (D. Nutt: London, 1889) and more recently by Robert Lenaghan (Harvard University Press: Cambridge, 1967). Lenaghan's edition is available at amazon.com.