29

thow with wylis,

And with thy mony mowis 20 me to mat ? 21 It is ane auld dog, doutles, that thow begilis: Thow wenis to draw the stra befoir the

'Schir,' said the fox, 'God wait, I mene not that;

For and I did, it war weill worth that ye In ane reid raip 22 had tyit me till ane tre.

'Bot now I se he is ane fule, perfay,23 That with his maister fallis in ressoning; I did bot till assay 24 quhat ye wald say; God wait, my mynd was on ane uther thing; I sall fulfill in all thing your bidding, Quhat ever ye chairge, on nichtis or on dayis.'

'Weill,' quod the wolf, 'I wait weill quhat thow sayis.

70

'Bot yit I will thow mak to me ane aith,
For to be leill attour all levand leid.' 26
'Schir,' said the foxe, 'that ane word makis
me wraith,

For now I se ye haif me at ane dreid; 27
Yit sall I sweir, suppois it be not neid,
Be Iuppiter, and on pane of my heid,
I salbe trew to yow, quhill 28 I be deid.'

With that ane cadgear, with capill 29 and with creillis,80

Come carpand 31 furth; than Lowrence culd him spy.

The fox the flewar 2 of the fresche heiring feillis,

And to the wolf he roundis 83 prively: 'Schir, yone ar hering the cadgear caryis by; Thairfoir I rid 84 that we se for sum wayis To get sum fische aganis thir fasting dayis.

'Sen I am stewart, I wald we had sum stuff, And ye ar silver seik, Thocht we wald thig lische chuff,87

36

I wait richt weill; yone verray chur

13 baiting-place. 14 flayed. 17 toes. 18 strange thing.

15 leapt.

19

20 makes. 21 stir. 22 curse.

• busy.

10 lay 12 glad.

16 way.

24 pedlar. 17 palms. 82 Then. 35 plug, lid. good purpose. 42 reached. 45 A blow;

33 seized.

34 has taken careful note. 26 ere he stopped. 37 threw. 38 to 39 aware. 40 in a loud voice. 41 from.

43 blow. 44 hole.

23 stealing poultry.

46 rest.

'Now, surelie, schir, mycht we that hering fang,16

it wald be fische to us thir fourtie dayis.' Than said the wolf, 'Now God nor that I hang,1 16

171

Bot to be thair I wald gif all my clays,17 To se gif that my wappynnis 18 micht it rais.' 'Schir,' said the foxe, 'God wait, I wischit yow oft,

Quhen that my teith micht not beir it on loft.

1 trembled for vexation. ? I well deserved to miss that fox.

3 pole. 4 swindler. ⚫ angry. holly.

7 defence. 8 brave. ⚫ fellow. 10 indeed. 11 idea. 12 thrice. 18 weight. 14 tugged. 15 get hold of. God grant that I hang. 17 clothes. 18 weapons, teeth.

'Now,' quod the wolf, 'I sweir the be my thrift,

I trow yone cadger carle he will me beir.' 'Schir,' said the foxe, 'on loft he will yow lift,

Upoun his creillis, and do him litill deir.29
Bot ane thing dar I surelie to yow sweir, 201
Get ye that hering sicker 29 in sum place,
Ye sall not fair in fisching 80 mair quhill
pasche.

'I sall say In principio upoun yow,
And cros your corpis frome the top to tay;
Wend quhen ye will, I dar be warrand now
That ye sall die na suddane deith this day.'
With that the wolf gird up sone and to gay,31