Hubbard

( Mother ). Mother Hubbard’s Tale , by Edmund Spenser, is a satirical fable in the style of Chaucer, supposed to be told by an old woman (Mother Hubbard) to relieve the wearine of the poet during a time of sickne . The tale is this: An ape and a fox went into partnership to seek their fortunes. They resolved to begin their adventures as beggars, so Master Ape dre ed himself as a broken soldier, and Reynard pretended to be his dog. After a time they came to a farmer, who employed the ape as shepherd, but when the rascals had so reduced the flock that detection was certain, they decamped. Next they tried the Church, under advice of a priest; Reynard was appointed rector to a living, and the ape was his parish clerk. From this living they were obliged also to remove. Next they went to court as foreign potentates, and drove a splendid busine , but came to grief ere long. Lastly, they saw King Lion asleep, his skin was lying beside him, with his crown and sceptre. Master Ape stole the regalia, dre ed himself as King Lion, usurped the royal palace, made Reynard his chief minister, and collected round him a band of monsters, chiefly amphibious, as his guard and court. In time Jupiter sent Mercury to rouse King Lion from his lethargy; so he awoke from sleep, broke into his palace, and bit off the ape’s tail, with a part of its ear. Since which, all apes but half their ears have left, And of their tails are utterly bereft. As for Reynard, he ran away at the first alarm, and tried to curry favor with King Lion; but the king only exposed him and let him go (1591). Hubbard (Old Mother) went to her cupboard to get a bone for her dog, but, not finding one, trotted hither and thither to fetch sundry articles for his behoof. Every time she returned she found Master Doggie performing some extraordinary feat, and at last, having finished all her errands, she made a grand curtsey to Master Doggie. The dog, not to be outdone in politene , made his mistre a profound bow; upon which the dame said, “Your servant!” and the dog replied, “Bow, wow!”— Nursery Tales .