Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 2.djvu/541

Rh fables in six books, distinguished by the name of Esop, was published in Germany."—,

From a work of this kind, probably the same, the following fable has been extracted, derived, no doubt, from the.

"None ought to render evil for good; and they that help ought not to be hurt, as this fable sheweth, of a dragon which was within a river; and as the river was diminished of water, the dragon abode at the river, which was all dry; and thus for lack of water he could not stir him. A labourer, or villain, came that way, and demanded of the dragon, saying, What doest thou here? And the dragon said, Here I am without water, without the which I cannot move; but if thou wilt bind me, and set me upon thy asse, and lead me into a river, I shall give thee abundance of gold and silver; and the villain, for covetousnesse bound him, and led him into a river: and when he had unbound him, he demanded of him his salary or payment. The dragon said to him, because thou hast unbound me, thou wilt be paid; and because that I am now hungry, I will eat thee. And the villain answered and said, for my labour wilt thou eat and devour me? And as they strived together, the fox being within the forest, and