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[^TEXT:  THE FOX AND WOLF IN THE WELL.
MIDDLE ENGLISH HUMOROUS TALES IN VERSE.
ED. G. H. MCKNIGHT.
NEW YORK: GORDIAN PRESS, 1971 (1913).
PP. 25.1 - 37.295^]

<P 25>
[} [\THE FOX AND WOLF IN THE WELL\] }]

[}OF +TE VOX AND OF +TE WOLF}]

   A vox gon out of +te wode go,
Afingret so, +tat him wes wo;
He nes neuere in none wise
Afingret erour half so swi+te.
He ne hoeld nou+ter wey ne strete,
For him wes lo+t men to mete;
Him were leuere meten one hen,
+Ten half anoundred wimmen.
He strok swi+te ouer-al,
So +tat he ofsei ane wal;
Wi+tinne +te walle wes on hous,
The wox wes +tider swi+te wous;
For he +tohute his hounger aquenche,
O+ter mid mete, o+ter mid drunche.
Abouten he biheld wel +gerne;
+To eroust bigon +te vox to erne.
Al fort he come to one walle,
And som +ter-of wes afalle,
<P 26>
And wes +te wal ouer-al to-broke,
And on +gat +ter wes I-loke;
At +te furmeste bruche +tat he fond,
He lep in, and ouer he wond.
+To he wes inne, smere he lou,
And +ter-of he hadde gome I-nou;
For he com in wi+t-outen leue
Bo+ten of haiward and of reue.

   On hous +ter wes, +te dore wes ope,
Hennen weren +terinne I-crope,
Fiue, +tat make+t anne flok,
And mid hem sat on kok.
+Te kok him wes flowen on hey,
And two hennen him seten ney.
"Wox," quod +te kok, "wat dest +tou +tare?
Go hom, crist +te +geue kare!
Houre hennen +tou dest ofte shome."
"Be stille, ich hote, a godes nome!"
Qua+t +te wox, "sire chauntecler,
+Tou fle adoun, and com me ner.
I nabbe don her nout bote goed,
I have leten +tine hennen blod;
Hy weren seke ounder +te ribe,
+Tat hy ne mi+gtte non lengour libe.
<P 27>
Bote here heddre were I-take;
+Tat I do for almes sake.
Ich haue hem letten eddre blod,
And +te, chauntecler, hit wolde don goed.
+Tou hauest +tat ilke ounder +te splen,
+Tou nestes neuere daies ten;
For +tine lif-dayes be+t al ago,
Bote +tou bi mine rede do;
I do +te lete blod ounder +te brest,
O+ter sone axe after +te prest."
"Go wei," quod +te kok, "wo +te bi-go!
+Tou hauest don oure kunne wo.
Go mid +tan +tat +tou hauest nou+te;
Acoursed be +tou of godes mou+te!
For were I adoun bi godes nome!
Ich mi+gte ben siker of o+tre shome
Ac weste hir houre cellerer,
+Tat +tou were I-comen her.
He wolde sone after +te +gonge,
Mid pikes and stones and staues stronge;
Alle +tine bones he wolde to-breke;
+Tene we weren wel awreke."

   He wes stille, ne spak namore,
Ac he wer+t a+turst wel sore;
<P 28>
+Te +turst hem dede more wo,
+Ten heuede ra+ter his hounger do.
Ouer-al he ede and sohvte;
On auenture his wiit him brohute,
To one putte wes water inne
+Tat wes I-maked mid grete ginne.
Tuo boketes +ter he founde,
+Tat o+ter wende to +te grounde,
+Tat wen me shulde +tat on opwinde,
+Tat o+ter wolde adoun winde.
He ne hounderstod nout of +te ginne,
He nom +tat boket, and lep +terinne;
For he hopede I-nou to drinke.
+Tis boket biginne+t to sinke;
To late +te vox wes bi+tout,
+To he wes in +te ginne I-brout.
I-nou he gon him bi-+tenche,
Ac hit ne halp mid none wrenche;
Adoun he moste, he wes +terinne;
I-kaut he wes mid swikele ginne.
Hit mi+gte han iben wel his wille
To lete +tat boket hongi stille.
Wat mid serewe and mid drede,
<P 29>
Al his +turst him ouer-hede.
Al +tus he com to +te grounde,
And water I-nou +ter he founde.
+To he fond water, +gerne he dronk,
Him +toute +tat water +tere stonk,
For hit wes to-+geines his wille.
"Wo wor+te," qua+t +te vox, "lust and wille,
+Tat ne can me+t to his mete!
+Gef ich neuede to muchel I-ete,
+Tis ilke shome neddi nou+te;
Nedde lust I-ben of mine mou+te.
Him is wo in euche londe,
+Tat is +tef mid his honde.
Ich am I-kaut mid swikele ginne,
O+ter soum deuel me broute her-inne.
I was woned to ben wiis,
Ac nou of me I-don hit hiis."

   +Te vox wep, and reuliche bigan.
+Ter com a wolf gon after +tan
Out of +te depe wode bliue,
For he wes afingret swi+te.
No+ting he ne founde in al +te ni+gte,
Wer-mide his honger aquenche mi+gtte.
<P 30>
He com to +te putte, +tene vox I-herde;
He him kneu wel bi his rerde,
For hit wes his nei+gebore,
And his gossip, of children bore.
A-doun bi +te putte he sat.
Quod +te wolf, "Wat may ben +tat
+Tat ich in +te putte I-here?
Hertou cristine, o+ter mi fere?
Say me so+t, ne gabbe +tou me nout,
Wo haue+t +te in +te putte, I-brout?"
+Te vox hine I-kneu wel for his kun,
And +to eroust kom wiit to him;
For he +toute mid soumme ginne,
Him-self houpbringe, +tene wolf +terinne.
Quod +te vox, "Wo is nou +tere?
Ich wene hit is sigrim +tat ich here."
"+Tat is so+t," +te wolf sede,
"Ac wat art +tou, so god +te rede?'

   "A," quod +te vox, "ich wille +te telle;
On alpi word ich lie nelle.
Ich am reneuard, +ti frend,
And +gif ich +tine come heuede I-wend,
Ich hedde so I-bede for +te,
+Tat +tou sholdest comen to me."
<P 31>
"Mid +te?" quod +te wolf, "War to?
Wat shulde ich ine +te putte do?"
Quod +te vox, "+Tou art ounwiis,
Her is +te blisse of paradiis;
Her ich mai euere wel fare,
Wi+t-outen pine, wi+touten kare;
Her is mete, her is drinke,
Her is blisse wi+touten swinke;
Her nis hounger neuermo,
Ne non o+ter kunnes wo;
Of alle gode her is I-nou."
Mid +tilke wordes +te volf lou.

   "Art +tou ded, so god +te rede,
O+ter of +te worlde?" +te wolf sede.
Quod +te wolf, "Wenne storue +tou,
And wat dest +tou +tere nou?
Ne be+t nout +get +tre daies ago,
+Tat +tou and +ti wif also,
And +tine children, smale and grete,
Alle to-gedere mid me hete."
"+Tat is so+t," quod +te vox,
"Gode +tonk, nou hit is +tus,
+Tat ihc am to criste vend.
Not hit non of mine frend.
I nolde, for al +te worldes goed,
Ben ine +te worlde, +ter ich hem fond.
<P 32>
Wat shuldich ine +te worlde go,
+Ter nis bote kare and wo,
And liuie in ful+te and in sunne?
Ac her be+t ioies fele cunne;
Her be+t bo+te shep and get."
+Te wolf haue+t hounger swi+te gret,
For he nedde +gare I-ete;
And +to he herde speken of mete,
He wolde ble+teliche ben +tare.
"A!" quod +te wolf, "gode I-fere,
Moni goed mel +tou hauest me binome;
Let me adoun to +te kome.
And al ich wole +te for-+geue."
"+Ge," quod +te vox, "were +tou I-sriue,
And sunne heuedest al forsake,
And to klene lif I-take,
Ich wolde so bidde for +te,
+Tat +tou sholdest comen to me."

   "To wom shuldich," +te wolfe seide,
Ben I-knowe of mine misdede?
Her nis no+ting aliue,
+Tat me kou+te her nou sriue.
<P 33>
+Tou hauest ben often min I-fere,
Woltou nou mi srift I-here,
And al mi liif I shal +te telle?"
"Nay," quod +te vox, "I nelle."
"Neltou," quod +te wolf, "+tin ore,
Ich am afingret swi+te sore;
Ich wot to ni+gt ich wor+te ded,
Bote +tou do me somne reed.
For cristes loue be mi prest."
+Te wolf bey adoun his brest,
And gon to siken harde and stronge.
"Woltou," quod +te vox, "srift ounderfonge,
Tel +tine sunnen on and on,
+Tat +ter bileue neuer on."

   "Sone," quod +te wolf, "wel I-faie,
Ich habbe ben qued al mi lifdaie;
Ich habbe widewene kors,
+Terfore ich fare +te wors.
A +tousent shep ich habbe abiten,
And mo, +gef hy weren I-writen.
Ac hit me of-+tinke+t sore.
Maister, shal I tellen more?"
<P 34>
"+Ge," quod +te vox, "al +tou most sugge,
O+ter elles-wer +tou most abugge."
"Gossip," quod +te wolf, "for+gef hit me,
Ich habbe ofte sehid qued bi +te,
Men seide +tat +tou on +tine liue
Misferdest mid mine wiue;
Ich +te aperseiuede one stounde,
And in bedde togedere ou founde.
Ich wes ofte ou ful ney,
And in bedde to-gedere ou sey.
Ich wende, al-so o+tre do+t,
+Tat ich I-seie were so+t,
And +terfore +tou were me lo+t;
Gode gossip, ne be +tou nohut wro+t.'

   "Vuolf," quod +te vox him +to,
"Al +tat +tou hauest her bifore I-do,
In +tohut, in speche, and in dede,
In euche o+teres kunnes quede,
Ich +te for+geue at +tisse nede."
"Crist +te for+gelde!" +te wolf seide.
"Nou ich am in clene liue,
Ne recche ich of childe ne of wiue.
Ac sei me wat I shal do,
And ou ich may comen +te to."
<P 35>
"Do?" quod +te vox. "Ich wille +te lere.
I-siist +tou a boket hongi +tere?
+Tere is a bruche of heuene blisse,
Lep +terinne, mid I-wisse,
And +tou shalt comen to me sone."
Quod the wolf, "+tat is li+gt to done."
He lep in, and way sumdel;
+Tat weste +te vox ful wel.
+Te wolf gon sinke, +te vox arise;
+To gon +te wolf sore agrise.
+To he com amidde +te putte,
+Te wolfe +tene vox opward mette.
"Gossip," quod +te wolf, "Wat nou?
Wat hauest +tou I-munt? weder wolt +tou?"
"Weder, Ich wille?" +te vox sede.
"Ich wille oup, so god me rede!
And nou go doun, wi+t +ti meel,
+Ti bi+gete wor+t wel smal.
Ac ich am +terof glad and bli+te,
+Tat +tou art nomen in clene liue.
+Ti soule-cnul ich wille do ringe,
And masse for +tine soule singe."
+Te wrecche bine+te no+ting ne vind,
Bote cold water, and hounger him bind;
To colde gistninge he wes I-bede,
Wroggen haue+t his dou I-knede.
<P 36>
   +Te wolf in +te putte stod,
Afingret so +tat he ves wod.
Inou he cursede +tat +tider him broute;
+Te vox +ter of luitel route.
+Te put him wes +te house ney,
+Ter freren woneden swi+te sley.
+To +tat hit com to +te time,
+Tat hoe shulden arisen Ine,
For to suggen here houssong,
O frere +tere wes among,
Of here slep hem shulde awecche,
Wen hoe shulden +tidere recche.
He seide, "Arise+t on and on,
And kome+t to houssong heuereuchon."
+Tis ilke frere heyte ailmer;
He wes hoere maister curtiler.
He wes hof+turst swi+te stronge;
Ri+gt amidward here houssonge
Al-hone to +te putte he hede;
For he wende bete his nede.
He com to +te putte, and drou,
And +te wolf wes heui I-nou.
+Te frere mid al his maine tey
So longe +tat he +tene wolf I-sey!
For he sei +tene wolf +ter sitte,
He gradde, "+Te deuel is in +te putte!"
<P 37>
   To +te putte hy gounnen gon,
Alle mid pikes and staues and ston,
Euch mon mid +tat he hedde;
Wo wes him +tat wepne nedde.
Hy comen to +te putte +tene wolf opdrowe;
+To hede +te wreche fomen I-nowe,
+Tat weren egre him to slete
Mid grete houndes, and to bete.
Wel and wro+te he wes I-swonge,
Mid staues and speres he wes I-stounge.
+Te wox bicharde him, mid Iwisse,
For he ne fond nones kunnes blisse,
Ne hof duntes for+geuenesse. (\explicit.\)        



