Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/189

 

And thenne the eldeſt of the three bretheren ſpake and ſayd / I ſhalle take fro the pere tree alle that is croked and vpright / And the ſecond ſayd / I ſhalle take fro the pere tree alle that is grene and drye / And the thyrd ſayd I ſhalle haue alle the rote / the pulle or maſte and alle the branches of the pere tree / ¶ And thenne the Juge ſayd to them / He that thenne ſhalle haue the moſt parte of the tree / lete hym be Juge / For I no none other may know ne vnderſtande who ſhalle haue the more or leſſe parte / And therfore he that can or ſhalle proue more openly / that he hath the moſt parte ſhal be lord of the tree / ¶ And after the Juge demaunded of them / how that theyr fader had deuyſed to them the gote / And they ſayd to hym / he that ſhalle make the fayreſt prayer and requeſt muſt haue the gote / And thene the fyrſte broder made his requeſt / and ſayd in this manere / wold god that the goot were now ſoo grete that ſhe myght drynke alle the water whiche is vnder the cope of heuen / And that whanne ſhe hadde dronken it / ſhe ſhold yet be ſore thurſty   ¶ The fecond ſayd / I ſuppoſe that the gote ſhalle be myn / For a fayrer demaunde or requeſt than thyn is I ſhalle now make / ¶ I wold / that alle the hempe / and alle the Flaxe and alle the wulle of the worlde were made in