The Thief and the Dog

09. THE THIEF AND THE DOG.
A prowling Thief, on plunder bent,
To rob a house at midnight went,
But roused an honest watchful Dog,
Whose barking much annoyed the rogue:
With bread he sought the Dog's alliance,
But still he fiercer barked defiance,
As if, by insult more enraged,
He felt his honour was engaged:
"You dirty scoundrel," barked the brute,
"To think a gift would make me mute!
Men may be bribed, but Dogs disdain
To barter honesty for gain."
A faithful servant scorns a bribe.
Virtue is the only nobility.
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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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The Thief and the Dog

120. THE THIEF AND THE DOG. A Thief coming to rob a house would have stopped the barking of a Dog by throwing sops to him. “Away with you!” said the Dog; “I had my suspicions of you before, but this excess of civility assures me that you are a rogue.”
A bribe in hand betrays mischief at heart. [more info]

The Thief and the Dog

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

The Thief and the Dog

107. THE THIEF AND THE DOG. A thief, coming to rob a certain house in the night, was disturbed in his attempts by a fierce vigilant dog, who kept barking at him continually. Upon which the thief, thinking to stop his mouth, threw him a piece of bread; but the dog refused it with indignation, telling him, that before he only suspected him to be a bad man, but now, upon his offering to bribe him, he was confirmed in his opinion: and that, as he was entrusted with the guardianship of his master's house, he should never cease barking while such a rogue as he lay lurking about it. [more info]

The Faithful Dog

1.23. THE FAITHFUL DOG. The man who becomes liberal all of a sudden, gratifies the foolish, but for the wary spreads his toils in vain.
A Thief one night threw a crust of bread to a Dog, to try whether he could be gained by the proffered victuals: “Hark you,” said the Dog, “do you think to stop my tongue so that I may not bark for my master’s property? You are greatly mistaken. For this sudden liberality bids me be on the watch, that you may not profit by my neglect.” [more info]

The Faithful House-Dog

1.22. THE FAITHFUL HOUSE-DOG.
A Man that’s gen’rous all at once
May dupe a novice or a dunce;
But to no purpose are the snares
He for the knowing ones prepares.
When late at night a felon tried
To bribe a Dog with food, he cried,
“What ho! do you attempt to stop
The mouth of him that guards the shop?
You ’re mightily mistaken, sir,
For this strange kindness is a spur,
To make me double all my din,
Lest such a scoundrel should come in.” [more info]

The Thief and the Dog

2.53. THE THIEF AND THE DOG. A Thief coming to rob a certain house in the night, was disturbed in his attempts by a fierce vigilant dog who kept barking at him continually. Upon which the thief, thinking to stop his mouth, threw him a piece of bread: But the dog refused it with indignation; telling him, that before, he only suspected him to be a bad man; but now, upon his offering to bribe him, he was confirmed in his opinion; and that, as he was entrusted with the guardianship of his master's house, he should never cease barking while such a rogue as he lay lurking about it.
MORAL. Nothing can alter the honest purposes of the man, who despises an insidious bribe; and whose mind is proof against temptation. [more info]

The Thief and the House-Dog

205. THE THIEF AND THE HOUSE-DOG. A THIEF came in the night to break into a house. He brought with him several slices of meat in order to pacify the House-dog, so that he would not alarm his master by barking. As the Thief threw him the pieces of meat, the Dog said, “If you think to stop my mouth, you will be greatly mistaken. This sudden kindness at your hands will only make me more watchful, lest under these unexpected favors to myself, you have some private ends to accomplish for your own benefit, and for my master’s injury.” [more info]