32 THE MASTER OF GAME

olde so that hure teeth be wexen vp al at hure
ryght after pe othere smale teth which they had
first, for pei tochen ii tymes in pe yere whan pei
be whelpes pe first tethe pei cast whan pei ben
half yere olde, and eeke hire hookes and pan ober
teth commen to hem al newe be which pei bere al
her lyfe tyme and nat casteb. And whan pei be
woxen vp agayn at her ryght pan pei leuen her
fadir and her modir and gon at her auenture, but
natwithstondyng p* pei goo fer pei abide not longe
fro eipere other and 3if it falle p' pei mete with
her fader and her modir pe which han norsshed
hem they wil make hem joye and grete reuerence
alway and also I do you to wete p‘ whan a becch
and a wolf of her kynde han take felowship
togidre pei abide comonly euermore togidre and
though pat pei somtyme goo seche here fedyng pat
oon ferre from pat other they they (sic) wil be to
gidre at ny3t 3if pei may or at the ferrtest or iii
daies eende, And suche wolfes so in felowship
togidre geten mete to her welpes as wel pe fadir
as pe moder sauf only pat pe wolf etep first al his
fille and pan he berethe pe remenaunt to his
whelpes. The bicche of hem dothe not soo for
she bereth her welpes alle hur mete and etep with
hem and 3if pe wolf is withe be whelpes whan her
modir cometh and she brynge eny ping and pe
wolf hap not ynow he take pe fedyng from hur
and from her and from her whelpes and etep his
fille first and pan he leuep hem pe remenaunt, 3if per
leue ou3t and 3if ther be noght yleft deye for
hunger 3if pei wil, for he recchep but litel so that
his bely be fulle, And when pe modir seep pat
and hath be fer to seche hur mete she leuep pe
mete a grete way pennes for her whelpes, and pan
she commep to see if pe wolf is wip hem, and if
he be pere she abideth so long to he be agoo and
pan she bryngethe hem hur mete, But also pe
wolf is so malicious whan he seep hur come with-
out fedyng pat he goop and wyndep at hur mosell
and 3if he wynde pat she hath brought eny ping
he takep hure with his tethe and betep hure so
pat she most shewe him wher she hap left hure
fedyng and whan pe buche perseyuep that be wolf
dop so whan she turnep to here whelpes, she
commep all pe couerte and sheweth hure not in to
pe tyme p' she perceyue 3if pe wolf is with hem,
And if he be pere she hidep hure ynto the tyme
that he be gon to his raveyn for pe grete hunger
pat he hathe, and whan he is a goo pan she bryngeth
here whelpes, her fedyng for to ete and pis is soth,
some men seyn pat she bathes hure body and heed
because pat pe wolf shuld wynde no ping of hure
fedyng, whan she commeth agayne but perof make
I noon affrmacion. Ther bene oper heuy wolfes
of here nature be which be not so in felawship

old if so be that their teeth are fully grown
after their other small teeth which they had first,
for they teethe twice in the year when they are
whelps. The first teeth they cast when they are
half a year old and also their hooks. Then other
teeth come to them which they bear all their life-
time and never cast. When they are full grown
then they leave their father and mother and go
on their adventures, but notwithstanding that they
go far they do not stay long away from each other
and if it happens that they meet with their father
and with their mother the which hath nourished
them they are very joyful and always give them
great reverence. And also I would have you know
that when a wolf or a bitch of the same kind hath
fellowship together they generally stay evermore
together, and though they sometimes go to seek
their feeding the one far from the other they will
be together at night if they can or at the farthest
in three days. And such wolves in fellowship together
get meat for their whelps the father as well as the
mother, except that the wolf eats first his fill and
then bears the remnant to his whelps. The bitch
does not do so for she bears all her meat to her
whelps and eats with them. And if the wolf is
with the whelps when the mother comes and she
brings anything and the wolf has not enough he
takes the feeding from her and her whelps, and
eateth his fill first, and then he leaves them the
remnant, if there be any, and if there be not any
left they die of hunger, if they will, for he recketh
but little so that his belly be full. And when the
mother sees that, and has been far to seek her meat
she leaves her meat a great way thence for her
whelps, and then she comes to see if the wolf is
with them, and if he be there she stays till he is
gone and then she brings them her meat. But
also the wolf is so malicious that when he sees her
come without food he goes and winds her muzzle,
and if he winds she hath brought anything he takes
her by the teeth and biteth her so that she must
show him where she has left her food. And when
the bitch perceives that the wolf does this when
she returneth to her whelps she keeps in the covert
and does not show herself if she perceives that the
wolf is with them, and if he is there she hides her-
self until he has gone to his prey on account of his

great hunger, and when he is gone she brings her
whelps her food for them to eat. And this is

truth.
Some men say that she bathes her body and

her head so that the wolf should wind nothing of
her food, when she comes to them, but of this I
make no affirmation.

There are other heavy wolves of this nature, the
which be not so in fellowship, they do not help

 

 

 

WOLF HUNTING