The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Primus/Fable 15
¶ The xv fable is of the rauen and of the foxe
Hey that be glad and Joyefull of the
praysynge of flaterers oftyme repente
them therof / wherof Esope
reherceth to us 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 bright 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
flateryringe wordes of the foxe beganne to open
his bylle for to synge / And then the chese fylle
to the grounde / and the fox toke and ete hit /
And whan the rauen sawe that for his vayn
glorye he was deceyued wexed hevy 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
vayn glory