Alphabet of tales : an English 15th century translation of the Alphabetum narrationum of Etienne de Besançon, from Additional MS. 25,719 of the British Museum / by Etienne de Besançon

CCCXXXIII.
Fures quandoque associant se in furtis suis.

In a town̛ in Normundie þar̛ standis a kurk with-oute þe town̛, vppon̛ a hyƚƚ; and ij thevis mett þer in ane evynyng, and þai made counand̛ at þe tane of þaim þat night sulde go stele a lambe, an þe tother sulde go stele nuttis. And he þat had̛ furste sped̛ sulde furste com̛ vnto þe kurk̘, & þer abide his felow in þe porcℏ. And he þat stale þe nuttis was sped̛ belife, & come furste, & satt down̛ & abade his felow, & krakkid̛ nuttis in þe kurk-porche & ete þaim. So with-in nyght, late, þe clerk come to þe kurk to ryng curfur. And onone as he come in þe porche & harde

at one was þer, & he trowed̛ it had bene þe Devuƚƚ; and als faste as he cuthe he ran̛ home vnto þe prestis howse & was passand̛ ferd̛, & said̛ þe Devuƚƚ was in þe kurk-porche. So þer was in þe howse a halte man̛, & he scornyd̛ þe clerk̘, & said̛ þat he dughte nott. So þer was a noder yong strong felow, & þis halte man̛ said̛ vnto hym̛, and he wolde bere hym̛ to þe kurk in his nekk̘, he sulde go luke whether þe Devuƚƚ war in þe kurk-porche or nay. And he said̛ yis. And þis halte crepyƚƚ was sett vpp in hys nek̘, & he bare hym̛ vnto þe kurk̘. And þis thief at was in þe kurk-porche saw a man̛ com̛ & a thyng in his nekk, & he trowed̛ it had bene his felow at had broght a lambe. And when̛ he was nerehand̛ at þe porche dure, he cryed̛ vnto hym̛ & sayd̛; " Est ne crassus? Is it not fatt?" And so þis yong felow at bere þis crippiƚƚ hard̛ what he said̛, & ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛; "Whethur he be fatt or lene I saƚƚ lefe it with the." And with þat he keste hym̛ fro hym̛, & ran̛ hame als faste as he cuthe. And þis cripyƚƚ gadurd̛ his strentℏ vnto hym̛, & began̛ at ryn̛ home alsso. And yit he was furste at þe howse þan̛ þe yong man̛ at bar̛ hym̛. And evur after he went on̛ his fete þat stude not on̛ þaim vij yere before.

• ...Furis societas periculosa est. Supra de Angelo et heremita.