The Dog and the Thief

2.03. De cane et fure
Caxton: Of the theef and of the dogge
Whanne that one gyueth ony thyng / men ought wel to take hede / to what ende hit is gyuen / wherof Esope reherceth suche a fable / Of a theef which came on a nyght within a mans hows for to haue robbed hym / And the good mans dogge beganne to bark at hym / And thenne the theef casted at hym a pyece of brede / And the dogge sayd to hym / thow casteth not this brede for no good wylle / but only to the ende / that I hold my pees / to thende that thow mayst robbe my mayster / And therfore hit were not good for me / that for a morsell of brede / I shold lese my lyf / wherfore goo fro hens / or els I shalle anone awake my mayster and alle his meyne / The dogge thenne beganne to bark / and the theef beganne to flee /
And thus by couetyse many haue oftyme receyued grete yeftes / the whiche haue ben cause of theyr dethe and to lese theyre heedes / wherfore hit is good to consydere and loke wel / to what entencion the yeft is gyuen / to thende that none may be bytrayd thurgh yeftes / Ne that by ony yeftes none maketh some trayson ageynst his mayster or lord
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