Dyalogus Creaturarum:

RENAISSANCE WOODCUTS & FABLES

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De Rustico et Apibus * Dyalogus.lxxxiiij

About the Countryman and the Bees: Dialogue 84

here once was a countryman who had a good many bees in his apiary, and made a good profit from them. But whenever he got stung taking the honeycomb, he got very angry and threatened to destroy the bees' homes and drive them away. Then it really happened one day: in pain from a particularly nasty sting, he knocked all the hives over and destroyed them. The bees said, "Dear Cottager, you just want to enjoy the sweet, without also tasting the bitter: we're leaving you, no more will you profit by us!"

SO the countryman was reduced to poverty, he who had lived in riches and affluence: and finally he understood the truth of the old motto,

	Eight Stories: About Laurus, the Sea-Eagle About the Pheasant and the Peacock About the Owl who wanted to rule over the Birds About the Countryman and the Bees About the Lion who built a Priory About the Donkey-Centaur who built a Palace About the Monkey who wrote Books About the Wolf and the Donkey
Introduction	Original editions	Johan Snell's printing