The Man and the Trees

3.14. De homine et lignis
Caxton: Of the man and of the wood
He that gyueth ayde and help to his enemy is cause of his dethe / as recyteth this fable of a man whiche made an axe / And after that he had made his axe / he asked of the trees / and sayd / ye trees gyue yow to me a handle / And the trees were content / And whanne he had maade fast his handle to the axe / he began to cutte and throwe doune to the ground alle the trees / wherfore the oke and the Asshe sayd / yf we be cutte / hit is wel ryght and reason / For of oure owne self we ben cut and thrawen doune /
And thus hit is not good to put hym self in to the daunger and subiection of his enemye / ne to helpe hym for to be adommaged / as thou maist see by this presente fable / For men ought not to gyue the staf / by whiche they may be beten with
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The Wood and Clown

098. THE WOOD AND CLOWN.
The Clowne implord the tree,
A bitt of Wood, his Hatchett to repair,
The tree Consent, but the false Clowne betrayd
The generous Stock, and all in ruins layd.
Morall
Ungratefull People thus on Princes fall
And given some liberties rebell for all. [more info]

The Woods and the Axe

THE WOODS AND THE AXE. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Trees and the Axe

058. THE TREES AND THE AXE A Woodman came into a forest to ask the Trees to give him a handle for his Axe. It seemed so modest a request that the principal Trees at once agreed to it, and it was settled among them that the plain homely Ash should furnish what was wanted. No sooner had the Woodman fitted the staff to his purpose, than he began laying about him on all sides, felling the noblest Trees in the wood. The Oak now seeing the whole matter too late, whispered to the Cedar, “The first concession has lost all; if we had not sacrificed our humble neighbour, we might have yet stood for ages ourselves.”
When the rich surrender the rights of the poor, they give a handle to be used against their own privileges. [more info]

The Man and the Trees

6.05. THE MAN AND THE TREES. Those perish, who give assistance to their foes.
A certain Man, having made an axe, besought the Trees to afford him a handle from their wood that would prove firm: they all desired that a piece of Olive-tree should be given. He accepted the offer, and, fitting on the handle, set to work with the axe to hew down the huge trunks. While he was selecting such as he thought fit, the Oak is reported thus to have said to the Ash: “We richly deserve to be cut down.” [more info]

The Wood and the Clown

033. THE WOOD AND THE CLOWN. A country fellow came one day into the wood, and looked about him with some concern; upon which the trees, with a curiosity natural to some other creatures, asked him what he wanted. He replied, that he wanted only a piece of wood to make a handle to his hatchet. Since that was all, it was voted unanimously that he should have a piece of good, sound, tough ash. But he had no sooner received and fitted it for his purpose, than he began to lay about him unmercifully, and to hack and hew without distinction, felling the noblest trees in all the forest. Then the oak is said to have spoken thus to the beech in a low whisper, “Brother, we must take it for our pains.” [more info]

The Wood and the Clown

098. THE WOOD AND THE CLOWN. A country fellow came one day into the wood, and looked about him with some concern; upon which the trees, with a curiosity natural to some other creatures, asked him what he wanted. He replied, that he wanted only a piece of wood to make a handle to his hatchet. Since that was all, it was voted unanimously that he should have a piece of good, sound, tough ash. But he had no sooner received and fitted it for his purpose, than he began to lay about him unmercifully, and to hack and hew without distinction, felling the noblest trees in all the forest. Then the oak is said to have spoken thus to the beech in a low whisper, “Brother, we must take it for our pains.” [more info]

The Woods and the Woodman

12.16: THE WOODS AND THE WOODMAN.
A certain wood-chopper lost or broke
From his axe's eye a bit of oak.
The forest must needs be somewhat spared
While such a loss was being repair'd.
Came the man at last, and humbly pray'd
That the woods would kindly lend to him—
A moderate loan—a single limb,
Whereof might another helve be made,
And his axe should elsewhere drive its trade.
O, the oaks and firs that then might stand,
A pride and a joy throughout the land,
For their ancientness and glorious charms!
The innocent Forest lent him arms;
But bitter indeed was her regret;
For the wretch, his axe new-helved and whet,
Did nought but his benefactress spoil
Of the finest trees that graced her soil;
And ceaselessly was she made to groan,
Doing penance for that fatal loan.
Behold the world-stage and its actors,
Where benefits hurt benefactors!—
A weary theme, and full of pain;
For where's the shade so cool and sweet,
Protecting strangers from the heat,
But might of such a wrong complain?
Alas! I vex myself in vain;
Ingratitude, do what I will,
Is sure to be the fashion still.
[more info]

The Trees and the Axe

173. THE TREES AND THE AXE. A MAN came into a forest and asked the Trees to provide him a handle for his axe. The Trees consented to his request and gave him a young ash-tree. No sooner had the man fitted a new handle to his axe from it, than he began to use it and quickly felled with his strokes the noblest giants of the forest. An old oak, lamenting when too late the destruction of his companions, said to a neighboring cedar, “The first step has lost us all. If we had not given up the rights of the ash, we might yet have retained our own privileges and have stood for ages.” [more info]

The Wood and the Man

45. THE WOOD AND THE MAN
A country man, once in the woods looking 'round,
Above at the trees and beneath at the ground,
Attracted attention from every fine tree
And each wondered what his intention could be.
At length one tall tree much more brave than the rest,
Said: "I pray you, dear sir, make known your request."
He said he was hunting a piece of ash wood,
To make an axhandle, if so be it he could.
The trees all agreed, and not a bit daunted,
Said, "Why to be sure, if that's all he wanted,"
But his ax thus made ready, as swift as the breeze,
He swung it around and soon levelled the trees.
The oak to the pine whispered: "These are queer gains,
But yet, brother, we must take it for our pains."
Don't be over hasty in sharpening a knife,
For one who is willing to shorten your life.
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The Man and the Wood

27. THE MAN AND THE WOOD. A Man came into a Wood one day with an axe in his hand, and begged all the Trees to give him a small branch which he wanted for a particular purpose. The Trees were good-natured and gave him one of their branches. What did the Man do but fix it into the axe head, and soon set to work cutting down tree after tree. Then the Trees saw how foolish they had been in giving their enemy the means of destroying themselves. [more info]

The Trees and the Axe

186. THE TREES AND THE AXE. A Woodman went into the forest and begged of the Trees the favour of a handle for his Axe. The principal Trees at once agreed to so modest a request, and unhesitatingly gave him a young ash sapling, out of which he fashioned the handle he desired. No sooner had he done so than he set to work to fell the noblest Trees in the wood. When they saw the use to which he was putting their gift, they cried, "Alas! alas! We are undone, but we are ourselves to blame. The little we gave has cost us all: had we not sacrificed the rights of the ash, we might ourselves have stood for ages." [more info]

The Woods and the Woodman

084. THE WOODS AND THE WOODMAN.
A certain wood-chopper lost or broke
From his axe's eye a bit of oak.
The forest must needs be somewhat spared
While such a loss was being repair'd.
Came the man at last, and humbly pray'd
That the woods would kindly lend to him—
A moderate loan—a single limb,
Whereof might another helve be made,
And his axe should elsewhere drive its trade.
O, the oaks and firs that then might stand,
A pride and a joy throughout the land,
For their ancientness and glorious charms!
The innocent Forest lent him arms;
But bitter indeed was her regret;
For the wretch, his axe new-helved and whet,
Did nought but his benefactress spoil
Of the finest trees that graced her soil;
And ceaselessly was she made to groan,
Doing penance for that fatal loan.
Behold the world-stage and its actors,
Where benefits hurt benefactors!—
A weary theme, and full of pain;
For where's the shade so cool and sweet,
Protecting strangers from the heat,
But might of such a wrong complain?
Alas! I vex myself in vain;
Ingratitude, do what I will,
Is sure to be the fashion still.
[more info]

The Trees and the Woodman

25. THE TREES AND THE WOODMAN.
The Trees ask of Man what he lacks.
"One bit, just to handle my axe?"
All he asks — well and good:
But he cuts down the wood,
So well does he handle his axe.
GIVE ME AN INCH AND I'LL TAKE AN ELL
[more info]