Page:The Fables of Bidpai (Panchatantra).djvu/169

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There was an Ape in our Maiters woodes, which made manie pretie toys and deuies with his handes, for I that carried home the woode from thence awe it, and therefore I can be witnee of it. But one day being buie to meddle with an Arte he had no kill of in teade of a fihe he caught a frogge. I ay therefore that a laboring man of oures went one daye to the woode, and hewed out a lode of woode, which laying on my backe I caried home. It fortuned one daye that he cloue certaine logges or billets not very bigge: and to make them fitte for burdens he hewed them with a long axe, riuings them with wedges out of hand, that the woode opened, o that giuing fower trokes with the Betell he layde them on the ground in peeces. Nowe this bleed Ape got him up to the top of an oke and looked diligently after what maner this labourer hewed his woode in o mall pieces, and was verie deirous (as it eemed) to proue it with his owne handes if he coulde likewie doe the ame, and he had his deire. The woode cleauer hauing clouen one halfe aunder, left it euen o, and went and layde him downe in the hadowe to take a nappe: o that the wedges and axe remayned in the woode.