Page:The fables of Aesop, as first printed by William Caxton in 1484, with those of Avian, Alfonso and Poggio. Vol 2.djvu/33



Etter worthe is to lyue in pouerte urely / than to lyue rychely beyng euer in daunger / Wherof Eope tellelh uche a fable / There were two rats wherof the one was grete and fatte / and held hym in the celer of a Ryche man And the other was poure and lene /   ¶ On a daye this grete and fat ratte wente to porte hym in the feldes and mette by the way the poure rat / of the whiche he was receyued as well as he coude in his poure cauerne or hole / and gaf from of uche mete as he had / Thenne ayd the fatte ratte come thow wyth me / And I halle gyue wel other metes / He went with hym in to the / and enterd bothe into the celer of the ryche man / the whiche celer was full of alle goodes / And when they were within the grete rat preented and gaf to the poure rat of the delycious metes / aying thus to hym / Be mery and make good chere / and ete and drynke Joyouly /   ¶ And as they were etynge / the of the place came in to the celer / & the grete rat fled anon in to his hole / &