The fables of Aesop by William Caxton (Jacobs)/Vol. II/Other Aesop's/Fable 8

For other English-language translations of this work, see The Cat and the Mice.

¶ The eyght fable is of the catte and of the rat

 

E whiche is wyse / and that ones hath ben begyled / ought not to truste more hym that hath begyled hym  As reherceth this Fable of a catte whiche wente in to a hows / where as many rats were / the whiche he dyd ete eche one after other /  ¶ And whanne the rats perceyued the grete fyersnes and crudelyte of the catte / held a counceylle to gyder where as they determyned of one comyn wylle / that they shold no more hold them ne come nor goo on the lowe floore . wherfore one of them moost auncyent profered and sayd to al the other suche wordes /  ¶ My bretheren and my frendes / ye knowe wel / that we haue a grete enemye / whiche is a grete persecutour ouer vs alle / to whome we may not resyste / wherfor of nede we must hold our self vpon the hyghe balkes / to thende that he may not take vs / Of the whiche proposycion or wordes the other rats were wel content and apayd / and byleuyd this counceylle / And whanne the kat knewe the counceylle of the rats / he hynge hym self by his two feet behynd at a pynne of yron whiche was slyked at a balke / feynynge hym self to be dede / And whanne one of the rats lokynge dounward sawe the katte beganne to lawhe and sayd to the cat / O my Frend yf I suppoled that thow were dede / I shold goo doune / but wel I knowe the so fals & peruers / that thow mayst wel haue hanged thy self / faynynge to be dede / wherfore I shall not goo doune / And therfore he that hath ben ones begyled by somme other / ought to kepe hym wel fro the same