Of the rauen and of the foxe
They that be glad and Ioyefull of the praysynge of flaterers oftyme repente them therof / wherof Esope reherceth to vs suche a fable / A rauen whiche was vpon a tree / and held with his bylle a chese / the whiche chese the fox desyred moche to haue / wherfore the foxe wente and preysed hym by suche wordes as folowen / O gentyll rauen thow art the fayrest byrd of alle other byrdes / For thy fethers ben so fayr so bryght and so resplendysshynge / and can also so wel synge yf thow haddest the voys clere and small thow sholdest be the moost happy of al other byrdes / And the foole whiche herd the flaterynge wordes of the foxe beganne to open his bylle for to synge / And thenne the chese fylle to the grounde / and the foxe toke and ete hit / and whan the rauen sawe that for his vayn glorye he was deceyued wexed heuy and sorowfull / And repented hym of that he had byleued the foxe /
And this fable techeth vs / how men ought not to be glad ne take reioysshynge in the wordes of caytyf folke / ne also to leue flatery ne vaynglory
This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.