Caxton's translation (1484)
Of the lyon and of the boole
It is not alweye tyme to auenge hym self of his enemye / As it appiereth by this fable of a bole / whiche somtyme fledde before a lyon / And as the bole wold entre within a cauerne for to saue hym / a gote wente ageynste hym for to kepe and lette hym that he shold not entre in it / to whome the bole sayd / It is not tyme now to auenge me on the / for the lyon chaseth me / but the tyme shalle come that wel I shalle fynde the /
For men ought not to doo to hym self dommage for to be auengyd of his enemy / but oughte to loke tyme and place couenable for to doo hit
Townsend's translation (1887)
The Bull and the Goat
A Bull, escaping from a Lion, hid in a cave which some shepherds had recently occupied. As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in the cave sharply attacked him with his horns. The Bull quietly addressed him: "Butt away as much as you will. I have no fear of you, but of the Lion. Let that monster go away and I will soon let you know what is the respective strength of a Goat and a Bull."
- It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in distress.
