The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Liber Tertius/Fable 15
¶ The xv fable is of the wulf and of the dogge
yberte or freedome is a moche swete
thynge / as Esope reherceth by
this fable / of a wulf and of a
dogge whiche by aduenture mette
to gyder / wherfore the wulf demaunded
of the dogge / wherof arte thow so
fatte and fo playsaunt / And the dogge ansuerd
to hym / I haue wel kepte my lordes hows / &
haue barked after the theues whiche came in the
hows of my mayster / wherfore he and his meyny
gyue to me plente of good mete / wherof I am
fatte and playsaunt / and the wulf sayd thenne
to hym / It is wel sayd my broder / Certaynly
syth thow arte so wel atte thyn ease and farest so
wel I haue grete desyre to dwelle with the / to
thende that thow & I make but one dyner / wel
sayd the dogge / come on with me yf thow wylt
be as wel at thyn ease as I am / and haue thou
no doubte of no thynge / The wulf wente with
the dogge / and as they wente by the way / the
wulf beheld the dogges neck / whiche was al
bare of here / and demaunded of the dogge /
My broder why is thy neck so shauen / And the dog ansuered / it is by cause of my grete coler
of yron / to the whiche dayly I am fasted / And
at nyght I am vnbound for to kepe the hows the
better / Thenne sayd the wulf to the dogge /
This I wyshe ne nede not / For I that am in
lyberte / wylle not be put in no subiection / And
therefor for to fylle my bely / I wylle not be
subget / yf thou be acustommed for to be bound /
contynue thow in hit / and I shalle lyue as I
am wonte and acustomed / therfore there is no
rychesse gretter / than lybete / for lyberte is
better than alle the gold of the world /