It falls oft who would have all, loses all.

 

Capitlo xxxiij. How Ysegrym the Wolf complained against the Fox.

My Lord
I pray you take heed
this false thief 
betrayed my wife once
foul and dishonestly
it was so on a winter's day
they went together 
through a great water
and he bear my wife a hand
that he would teach her take fish with her tail
and that she should let it hang in the water a good while
and there should so much fish cleave to it
that four of them should not eat it

the fool
my wife
supposed he had said truth
and she went in the mire
up to the belly
ere she came into the water
and when she was in the deepest of the water
he bade her hold her tail still
til the fish came
she held her tail so long
it was frozen hard in the ice
and could not pluck it out
and when he saw 
he sprang after her
alas
so knavishly
I am ashamed to tell it
she could not defend herself
the silly beast
she stood so deep in the mire
hereof he cannot say nay
for as I went upon the bank
I saw him beneath
alas!
what pain suffered I
then in my heart!
I had almost for sorrow lost my five wits
and cried so loud as I might

Reynard!
what do ye there?

and when he saw me so nigh
leaped he off and went his way

I went to her in great heaviness
and went deep
into that mire
and that water
ere I could break the ice
and much pain suffered she
ere she could have out her tail
and yet left a gobbet of her tail behind her
and we were like both thereby to lose our lives
for she sobbed and cried so loud
for the smart she had ere she came out
that the men of the village came out with staves and bills
with flails and pitchforks
and the wives with their distaffs
and cried 

slay!
slay!
and smite down right!

I was never in my life so afraid
for so hard was our escape
we ran so fast we sweat
there was a villain
who laid about us with a pike
which hurt us sore
he was strong and swift afoot
had it not for night
certainly we had been slain

the foul old quines would fain beat us
they said we had bitten their sheep
they cursed us with many a curse
then came we into a field full of broom and brambles
there hid we us from the villains
and they dare not follow us further by night
but returned home

see 
my Lord
this foul matter
this is murder
rape and treason
which ye ought to do justice thereon sharply

Reynard answered
and said

if this were true
it should go nigh my honour and worship
God forbid it should be found true
but is well true I taught her how she should
in a place catch fish
and showed her a good way for to go out into the water
without going in the mire
but she ran with such desire
when she heard me name the fish
she neither way no path held
but went into the ice wherein she was forlorn
and that was because she abode too long
she had fish enough if she could be pleased with measure
it falls oft
who would have all
loses all
over-covetous was never good
for the beast cannot be satisified
and when I saw her in the ice so fast
I went to help her
snd heave and shove
and prick her here and there
to have brought her out
but it was all pain lost
for she was too heavy for me

then came Ysegrym
and saw how I shoved and pricked
and did all my best
and he a foul churl
foul and ribauld slandered me with her
as these foul unthrifts be wont to do

but
my dear Lord
it was none otherwise
he belies me falsely
peradventure his eyes dazzled
as looked from above down
he cried and cursed me
and swore many an oath
I should dear pay 
when I heard him so curse and threaten
I wemt my way
and let him curce and menace til he was weary
and then went he and heave and shove
and help his wife out
and then he leaped and ran
and she also
for to get them a-heat
and to warm them
or else they should have died for cold
and whatsoever I have said afore or after
that is clearly all truth
I would not for a thousand mark of fine gold
lie to you one lying
it were not fitting for me
whatever fall to me
I shall say the truth
like as my elders have always done
since the time first we understood reason
and if ye be in doubt of anything I have said
otherwise than truth
give me respite of viij. days
that I may have counsel
and I shall bring such information 
in good faith and sufficient record
that ye shall all your counsel also
what have I to do with the Wolf?
it is before clearly enough shown
that he is a foul villainous caitiff
an unclean beast
when he dealed and departed the swine

so it is now known to you all
by his own words
that is a defamer of women
as much as in him is
ye may well mark every each
who should lust to do that game
to one so steadfast a wife
being in so great peril of death
now ask ye his wife
if it be so as he says
if she will say the truth
I wote well she shall say as I do

then spake Erswynde
the Wolf's wife

ach fell Reynard!
no man can keep himself from thee
thou can so well utter thy words
and thy falseness
and treason set forth
but it shall be evil rewarded in the end
how brought thou me once to the well
where the two buckets hang by one cord
running through one pulley
which went one up and another down
thou sat in that one bucket beneath
in the pit in great dread
I came thither
and heard thy sigh and sorrow
and asked how thou came there
thou said that thou had there 
so many good fishes
eaten out of the water
that thy belly would burst

I said

tell me how I shall come to thee

then said thou

aunt
spring into that bucket
that hangs there
and ye shall come anon to me

I did so
and I went downward
and ye came upward
then was I all angry

thou said

thus fares the world
that one goes up
and another goes down

then sprang ye forth
and went your way
and I abode there alone
sitting a whole day
sore a-hungered and a-cold
and thereto had I many a stroke
ere I could get thence

said the Fox

aunt
though the strokes did you harm
I had rather ye had them than I
for ye may better bear them
for one of us must needs have had them
I taught you good
will ye understand it
and think on it
that ye another time take better heed
and believe no man over hastily
is he friend or cousin
for every man seeks his own profit
they be now fools that do not so
and especially when they be in jeopardy of their lives