The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Other Aesop's/Fable 4
¶ The fourthe fable is of the catte and of the chyken
E whiche is fals of kynde / & hath bcgonne to deceyue Ibme other/ euer he wyl use his craft / As it appiereth by this present Fable of a kat whiche somtyme toke a chyken / the whiche he beganne strongly to blame / for to haue fonde somme cause that he myght ete hit / and sayd to hym in this manere / Come hyther thou chyken / thow dost none other good but crye alle the nyght / thow letest not the men slepe / And thenne the chyken ansuerd to hym / I doo hit for theyre grete prouffite / And ouer ageyne the catte sayd to hym / yet is there wel wors / For thow arte an inceste & lechour For thow knowest naturelly both thy moder and thy doughter And thenne the chyken sayd to the cat / I doo hit by cause that my mayster maye haue egges for his etynge / And that hys mayster for his prouffyte gaf to hym bothe the moder and the doughter for to multyplye the egges / And thenne the catte sayd to hym / by my feythe godsep thow hast excusacions ynough / but neuertheless thow shalt passe thurgh my throte / for I suppose not to faste this day for alle thy wordes / ¶ And thus is it of hym whiche is custommed to lyue by rauyn / For he can not kepe ne absteyne hym self fro hit / For alle thexcusacions[errata 1] that be leyd on hym.