Page:The Fables of Bidpai (Panchatantra).djvu/148

he caſt himſelf on them, thinking to haue gone from windowe to windowe, and ſo hedlong he fell to the grounde in ieopardie to breake his necke. But the Moone for the firſt time fauored him ſo that he killed not himſelfe, but brake his legges and one of his armes as God would haue it: ſo that oppreſſed with paine he cryed out alowde, lamenting his miſſehap chaunced to him, giuing to much credit to an others wordes. And thus not able to creepe nor goe, he pitifully lieth expecting death. The knight leaping out of his bed ran to the crie, and come to the place, he found this vnfortunate and wretched theefe lying on the grounde in womans apparell, and hee gaue him many a faire wounde to lighten the paine of his broken legges and arme, and forced him to tel what cauſe moued him to come to robbe his houſe. Thys miferable theefe aunſwered him (fearing leaſt hee would kill him) and tolde him the whole cauſe of his comming. But yet that that grieued him worſt of all was ſaide hee, that he was ſuch a fool and beaſt to beleeue his words: and he beſought him though he had at leaſt hurt him to much with his wordes, (which he had dearly bought and repented both), yet that he would vouchſafe not to hurt him in his deedes alſo.