The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Alfonce/Fable 5
¶ The v fable is of the feythe of the thre felawes
Fte it happeth that the euyll whiche
is procured to other cometh to
hym whiche procureth it / as hit
apperyth by thre[errata 1] felawes / of the
whiche tweyn were burgeys / &
the thyrd a labourer / the whiche assembled them
to gydre for to go to the holy sepulcre / This
thre felawes made so grete prouysyon of flour for
to make theyr pylgremage / in suche wyse / that
it was all chauffed / and consumed / excepte only
for to make one loef only / And whan the
Burgeis sawe thende of theyre floure they sayd
to gyder / yf we fynde not the maner and cautele
for to begyle this vylayn / by cause that he
is a rygt grete gallaunt / we shalle deye for hongre /
wherfore we must fynde the maner and facyone
that we may haue the loof whiche shall be maad
of alle oure floor / And therfore they concluded
to gyder and sayd / whanne the loof shalle be putte
within the ouen we shalle go and lye vs for to
slepe / and he that shalle dreme best / the loof shall he his / And by cause that we bothe ben
subtyle and wyse / he shalle not mowe dreme
as wel as we shalle / wherof the loof be ours /
wherof alle they thre were wel content / and al
byganne to slepe /
¶ But whanne the labourer or vylayne knewe and perceyued all theyre fallace / and sawe that his two felawes were a sleep / he wente and drewe the loof oute of the ouen and ete hit / ¶ And after he feyned to be a slepe / and thene one of the burgeys rose vp / and sayd to hys felawes / I haue dremed a wonder dreme / For two Angels haue taken & borne me with grete Joye before the dyuyn mageste / And the other burgeys his felawe awoke and sayd / Thy dreme is merueyllous and wonderfull / but I suppose that the myn is fayrer / than thyn is / For I haue dremed that two Angels drewe me on hard ground for to lede me in to helle / And after they dyd awake the vylayne whiche as dredeful sayd / who is there / and they ansuerd / we be thy felawes / And he sayd to them / how be ye soo soone retourned / And they answerd to hym / how retorned / we departed not yet fro hens / And he sayd to them by my feythe / I haue dremed that the Angels had led one of yow in to paradys or heuen / and the other in to helle / wherfor I supposed / that ye shold neuer have comen ageyne / And therfore I aroos me fro sleep / and by cause I was hongry / I wente and drewe oute of the ouen the loef and ete hit / For ofte hit happeth that he whiche supposeth to begyle somme other / is hym self begyled.