Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/161

 

theſayd Serpent ſayd / ¶ Ha my frend / whyther gooſt thow / And the labourer anſwerd to hym / I goo ere and plowe my ground / And the Serpent ſayd to hym / ſowe not to moche / For this yere ſhalle be raynfull^{[errata 1]} and grete habondaunce of waters ſhalle falle / But byleue not to hym / to whome thow haſt ſomtyme done ony euylle / And withoute ony wordes the labourer wente forthe on his waye / and byleued not the ſerpent / but made alle his ground to be cultyued and ered / and ſowed as moche corne as he myghte / In that ſame yere felle grete habondaunce of water / wherfore the ſayd labourer had but lytyl of his corne / For the mooſte parte of the corne that he had ſowen peryſſhed that ſame yere by cauſe of the grete rayne that felle that ſame yere / ¶ And the next yere after folowynge / as this labourer paſſyd before the repayre or dwellynge place of the ſayd Serpent and went for to ſowe his ground / the Serpent demaunded thenne of hym / My Frend whyther gooſt thow / ¶ And the labourer anſwerd / I goo for to ſowe my ground wyth corn and With other g[r]aynes ſuche as I hope that ſhalle ben neceſſary for me in tyme comynge / And thēne the Serpent ſaide to hym / My frend ſowe but lytyl corne / For the Somer next comynge ſſhalle be ſoo grete and ſoo hote / that by the dryenes and

1. Correction: raynfull should be amended to raynfall: detail