Of the hors / of the hunter and of the her

4.09. De equo, cervo et venatore
Caxton: Of the hors / of the hunter and of the hert /
None ought to put hym self in subiection for to auenge hym on other / For better is not to submytte hym self / than after to be submytted / as reherced to vs this fable / Of an hors whiche had enuye ouer an herte / by cause the herte was fayrer than he / and the hors by enuye went vnto an hunter / to whome he sayd in this manere / yf thow wylt byleue me / we shalle this day take a good proye / Lepe vpon my bak / and take thy swerd / and we shalle chace the herte / and thow shalt hytte hym with thy swerd / and kylle hym / and shalt take hym / and thenne his flesshe thow mayst ete / and his skynne thow mayst selle / And thenne the hunter moued by auaryce / demaunded of the hors / thynkest thow by thy feythe that we maye take the herte / of whom thow spekest to me of / And the hors answerd thus / Suffyse the / For ther to I shalle put al my dylygence and alle my strengthe / lepe vpon me / and doo after my counceylle / And thenne the Hunter lepte forthwith vpon the hors backe / And the hors beganne to renne after the herte / And whanne the herte sawe / hym come he fled / And by cause that the hert ranne faster / than the hors dyd / he scaped fro them / and saued hym / And thenne when the hors sawe and felte hym moche wery / and that he myght no more renne / he sayd to the hunter in this maner / alyght fro my back / For I may bere the no more and haue myst of my proye / Thenne said the hunter to the hors Syth thow arte entryd in to my handes / yet shalt not thow escape thus fro me / thow hast the brydel in thy mouthe wherby thow mayst be kepte stylle and arrested / And thow wylt lepe / the sadell shalle saue me / And yf thow wylt caste thy feet fro the / I haue good spores for to constrayne and make the goo whether thow wylt or not where as I wylle haue the / And therfore kepe the wel / that thow shewest not thy self rebelle vnto me /
Therfore it is not good to put and submytte hym self vnder the hand of other wenynge therby to be auenged of hym / ageynste whome men haue enuye / For who submytteth hym self vnder the myght of other / he byndeth hym self to hym
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The Horse and the Stag

086. THE HORSE AND THE STAG. A Horse had the whole range of a meadow to himself; but a Stag coming and damaging the pasture, the Horse, anxious to have his revenge, asked a Man if he could not assist him in punishing the Stag. “Yes,” said the Man, “only let me put a bit in your mouth, and get upon your back, and I will find the weapons.” The Horse agreed, and the Man mounted accordingly; but instead of getting his revenge, the Horse has been from that time forward the slave of Man.
Revenge is too dearly purchased at the price of liberty. [more info]

The Horse and the Wild Boar

4.04. THE HORSE AND THE WILD BOAR. While a Wild Boar was wallowing, he muddied the shallow water, at which a Horse had been in the habit of quenching his thirst. Upon this, a disagreement arose. The Horse, enraged with the beast, sought the aid of man, and, raising him on his back, returned against the foe. After the Horseman, hurling his javelins, had slain the Boar, he is said to have spoken thus: “I am glad that I gave assistance at your entreaties, for I have captured a prey, and have learned how useful you are;” and so compelled him, unwilling as he was, to submit to the rein. Then said the Horse, sorrowing: “Fool that I am! while seeking to revenge a trifling matter, I have met with slavery.”
This Fable will admonish the passionate, that it is better to be injured with impunity, than to put ourselves in the power of another. [more info]

The Horse and the Stag

034. THE HORSE AND THE STAG. The stag, with his sharp horns, got the better of the horse, and drove him clear out of the pasture where they used to feed together. So the latter craved the assistance of man; and in order to receive the benefit of it, he suffered him to put a bridle into his mouth, and a saddle upon his back. By this way of proceeding, he entirely defeated his enemy; but was mightily disappointed, when, upon returning thanks, and desiring to be dismissed, he received this answer: ‘‘No, I never knew before how useful a drudge you were: now I have found what you are good for, you may depend upon it I will keep you to it.” [more info]

The Horse and Boar

4.03. THE HORSE AND BOAR.
A Wild-Boar wallow’d in the flood,
And troubled all the stream with mud,
Just where a horse to drink repair’d—
He therefore having war declared,
Sought man’s alliance for the fight,
And bore upon his back the knight;
Who being skill’d his darts to throw,
Despatched the Wild-Boar at a blow.
Then to the steed the victor said,
“I’m glad you came to me for aid,
For taught how useful you can be,
I’ve got at once a spoil and thee.”
On which the fields he made him quit,
To feel the spur and champ the bit.
Then he his sorrow thus express’d:
“I needs must have my wrongs redress’d,
And making tyrant man the judge,
Must all my life become a drudge.”
This tale the passionate may warn,
To bear with any kind of scorn;
And rather all complaint withdraw
Than either go to war or law. [more info]

The Horse and the Stag

094. THE HORSE AND THE STAG. The Stag with his sharp horns got the better of the Horse, and drove him clear out of the pasture where they used to feed together. So the latter craved the assistance of man, and, in order to receive the benefit of it, suffered him to put a bridle into his mouth and a saddle upon his back. By this way of proceeding he entirely defeated his enemy; but was mightily disappointed when, upon returning thanks, and desiring lo be dismissed, he received this answer: "No, I never knew before how useful a drudge you were; now I have found what you are good for, you may depend upon it I will keep you to it." [more info]

The Horse and the Stag

202. THE HORSE AND THE STAG. AT ONE TIME the Horse had the plain entirely to himself. Then a Stag intruded into his domain and shared his pasture. The Horse, desiring to revenge himself on the stranger, asked a man if he were willing to help him in punishing the Stag. The man replied that if the Horse would receive a bit in his mouth and agree to carry him, he would contrive effective weapons against the Stag. The Horse consented and allowed the man to mount him. From that hour he found that instead of obtaining revenge on the Stag, he had enslaved himself to the service of man. [more info]

The Horse and the Stag

04.13: THE HORSE WISHING TO BE REVENGED UPON THE STAG.
The horses have not always been
The humble slaves of men.
When, in the far-off past,
The fare of gentlemen was mast,
And even hats were never felt,
Horse, ass, and mule in forests dwelt.
Nor saw one then, as in these ages,
So many saddles, housings, pillions;
Such splendid equipages,
With golden-lace postilions;
Such harnesses for cattle,
To be consumed in battle;
As one saw not so many feasts,
And people married by the priests.
The horse fell out, within that space,
With the antler'd stag, so fleetly made:
He could not catch him in a race,
And so he came to man for aid.
Man first his suppliant bitted;
Then, on his back well seated,
Gave chase with spear, and rested not
Till to the ground the foe he brought.
This done, the honest horse, quite blindly,
Thus thank'd his benefactor kindly:—
'Dear sir, I'm much obliged to you;
I'll back to savage life. Adieu!'
'O, no,' the man replied;
'You'd better here abide;
I know too well your use.
Here, free from all abuse,
Remain a liege to me,
And large your provender shall be.'
Alas! good housing or good cheer,
That costs one's liberty, is dear.
The horse his folly now perceived,
But quite too late he grieved.
No grief his fate could alter;
His stall was built, and there he lived,
And died there in his halter.
Ah! wise had he one small offence forgot!
Revenge, however sweet, is dearly bought
By that one good, which gone, all else is nought.
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The Horse and the Stag

46. THE HORSE AND THE STAG
A little young horse, a frolicsome sorrel,
With a great big stag got into a quarrel.
The little young horse, though he could boast and could brag,
Found himself, in a fight, no match for the stag.
So he called to his aid a friendly young man,
Saying, "We can whip him, I am certain we can."
A bit on the horse, a saddle on his back,
And the man mounted thus, killed the stag in his track.
The horse was delighted and loudly he neighed.
Then to the young man very humbly he prayed:
"I thank you, and wish now again to be idle;
Would you please to rid me of saddle and bridle?"
"O, no!" said the man, "by this ride I can see,
How very much use you can be unto me."
Unless until death you want something to rue,
Let not friend or foe put a bridle on you.
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The Horse, Hunter, and Stag

32. THE HORSE, HUNTER, AND STAG. A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the Horse came to a Hunter to ask his help to take revenge on the Stag. The Hunter agreed, but said: "If you desire to conquer the Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your jaws so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon you as we follow after the enemy." The Horse agreed to the conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him. Then with the aid of the Hunter the Horse soon overcame the Stag, and said to the Hunter: "Now, get off, and remove those things from my mouth and back."
"Not so fast, friend," said the Hunter. "I have now got you under bit and spur, and prefer to keep you as you are at present."
If you allow men to use you for your own purposes, they will use you for theirs. [more info]

The Horse and Hart

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

The Horse and the Stag

12. THE HORSE AND THE STAG. There was a Horse who had a meadow all to himself until a Stag came and began to injure the pasture. The Horse, eager to punish the Stag, asked a man whether there was any way of combining to do this. "Certainly," said the Man, "if you don't object to a bridle and to my mounting you with javelins in my hand." The Horse agreed and was mounted by the Man, but instead of being revenged on the Stag, he himself became a servant to the Man. [more info]

Horse and Man

16. HORSE AND MAN.
When the Horse first took Man on his back,
To help him the Stag to attack,
How little his dread,
As the enemy fled,
Man would make him his slave and his hack.
ADVANTAGES MAY BE DEARLY BOUGHT
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