The Flea and the Man

6.15. De pulice
Caxton: Of the flee and of the man
He that dothe euyl / how be hit that the euylle be not grete men ought not to leue hym vnpunysshed / As it appyereth by this fable / Of a man whiche took a flee whiche bote hym / to whome the man sayd in this manere / Fle why bytest thow me / and letest me not slepe / And the flee ansuerd It is my kynd to doo soo / wherfore I praye the that thow wylt not put me to dethe / And the man beganne to lawhe / & sayd to the flee / how be it / that thow mayst not hurte me sore / Neuertheles / to the behoueth not to prycke me / wherfore thow shalt deye /
For men ought not to leue none euyll vnpunysshed how be hit that hit be not grete
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The Flea and the Man

039. THE FLEA AND THE MAN. A Flea bit a Man, and bit him again, and again, till he could stand it no longer, but made a thorough search for it, and at last succeeded in catching it. Holding it between his finger and thumb, he said—or rather shouted, so angry was he—"Who are you, pray, you wretched little creature, that you make so free with my person?" The Flea, terrified, whimpered in a weak little voice, "Oh, sir! pray let me go; don't kill me! I am such a little thing that I can't do you much harm." But the Man laughed and said, "I am going to kill you now, at once: whatever is bad has got to be destroyed, no matter how slight the harm it does."Do not waste your pity on a scamp. [more info]