DEmaunde . who bare the best burden that euer was borne . ℟ . That bare the asse whan our lady fled with our lorde in to egypte . ¶ Demaunde . where became the asse that our lady rode vpon . ℟ . Adams moder de de ete her . ¶ Demaunde . who was Adams moder . ℟ . The erthe . ¶ Demaunde . what space is from the hyest space of the se to the depest . ℟ . But a stones cast ¶ Demaunde . whan autecryst is come in to this worlde what thynge shall be hardest to hym to knowe . ℟ . A hande barowe / for of that he shall not knowe whiche ende shall goo before . ¶ Demaunde . How many calues tayles behoueth to reche frome the erthe to the skye . ℟ . Nomore but one & it be longe ynough . ¶ Demaunde ● How many holy dayes be there i the yere the neuerfall on the sondayes . ℟ . There be eyght that is to were the thre holy dayes after Eester . iii. after whytsondaye / the holy ascencyon daye / and corpus crysty daye . ¶ Demaunde . whiche ben the trulyest tolde thynges in the worlde . ℟ . Those be the steyres of chambres and houses . ¶ Demaunde . whiche parte of asergeaū te loue ye best to warde you . ℟ . His heles . ¶ Demaunde . whiche is the best wood and leest brente . ℟ Vynes . ¶ Demaunde . whiche is the moost profytable beest & that men eteth leest of . ℟ . That is bees . ¶ Demaunde . whiche is the brodest water and leest Ieoperdye to passe ouer . ℟ . The dewe . ¶ Demaunde . what thynges is it that the more that one drynketh the lesse he shall pysse . ℟ . It is fartes & fyestes / for Who that drynketh a hondreth thousande they shall neuer pysse a droppe . ¶ Demaunde what thynge is it that neuer was nor ne●●● shall be . ℟ . Neuer mouse made her nest in a cattes ere . ¶ Demaunde . why dryue men dogges out of the chyrche . ℟ . Bycause they come not vp and offre . ¶ Demaunde . why come dogges so often to the chyrche . ℟ . Bycause whan they se the aulters couered they wene theyr maysters goo thyder to dyner . ¶ Demaunde . why dooth a dogge thourne hym thryes aboute or the he lyeth hym downe . ℟ . Bycause he knoweth not his beddes hede frome the fete . ¶ Demaunde . why doo men make an ouen in the towne . ℟ . For bycause they can not make the towne in the ouen . ¶ Demaunde . what beest is it that hath her tayle bytwene her eyen . ℟ . it is a catte whan she lycketh her arse . ¶ Demaunde . whiche is the moost cleynelyest leaf amonge all other leues . ℟ . it is holly leues / for noo body wyll not wype his arse with them . ¶ Demaunde . who was he that lete the fyrst farte at rome . ℟ . That was the arse . ¶ Demaunde . How may a man knowe or perceyue acowe in a flocke of shepe . ℟ . By syghte . ¶ Demaunde . what thynge is it that hathe hornes at the arse . ℟ . It is a sacke . ¶ Demaunde . what almes is worst bestowed that men gyue . ℟ . That is to a blynde man / for as he hathe ony thynge gyuen hym / he wolde with good wyll se hym hanged by the necke that gaue it hym . ¶ Demaunde . wherfore set the● vpon chyrche steples more a cocke than a henne . ℟ . yf men sholde sette there a henne seh wolde laye egges / and tehy wolde fall vpon mennes hedes . ¶ Demaunde what thynge is it that hathe none ende . ℟ . A bowle . ¶ Demaunde . what wode is it that ne●… 〈…〉 reste vpon . ℟ . The claper of a lazers dysshe . D●●aūde how wolde ye saye two pater nosters for your frendes soule / and god neuer made but one pater noster . ℟ . Saye one two tymes . Demaunde whiche ben the moost profytable sayntes in the chyrche . ℟ . They that stonde in the glasse wyndowes / for they kepe out the wynde for wastynge of the lyght . Demaunde . what people be they the neuer go a processyon . ℟ . They be those that rynge the belles ein the meane season . Demaunde what is it the freseth neuer . ℟ . That is hote water . Demaunde . what thynge is that / that is moost lykest vnto a hors . ℟ . That is a mare . ¶ Demaunde . wherfore be there not as many women conteyned in the daunce of poules as there be men . ℟ . By cause a women is so ferefull of herte that she had leuer daunce amonge quycke folke than deed . ¶ Demaunde whiche is the clenlyest occupacyon that is . ℟ . That is a dauber / for he may neyther shyte nor ete tyll he hath wasshed his handes . ¶ Demaunde . what daye in the yere ben the flyes moost aferde . ℟ . That is on palme sonday whan they se euery body haue an handeful of palme in theyr hande / they wene it is to kyll theym with . ¶ Demaunde what tyme of the yere may maydens moost with theyr honeste fyest in the chyrche . ℟ . In lent season / for than euery sayntes nose and face is couered so that they smell no thynge ¶ Demaunde . what thynge is it the lesse it is the more it is dredde . ℟ . A brydge . ¶ Demaunde . wherfore is it that yonge chyldren wepe as soone as euer they ben borne . ℟ . Bycause theyr moder is noo more mayden . ¶ Demaunde . wherfore is it that an asse hathe so grete 〈◊〉 . ℟ . Bycause het moder put no begyn on her heed in her yought . ¶ Demaunde what is it that is a wryte and is no man / and he do the that no man can / and yet it serueth bothe god and man , ℟ . That is a be . ¶ Demaunde . whiche was fyrst the henne or the egge . ℟ . The henne whan god made her . ¶ Demaunde . why do the an oxe or a cowe lye . ℟ . Bycause she can not fytte . ¶ Demaunde what people be they that loue not in no wyse to be prayed for . ℟ . They be beggers & poore people whan men say god helpe them whan they aske aimes . ¶ Demaunde How many strawes go to a gose nest . ℟ . None for lacke of fete . ¶ Demaunde . what tyme in the yere bereth a gose moost feders . ℟ . whan the gander is vpon her backe . ¶ Demaunde what was he that flewe the fourth parte of the worlde . ℟ . Cayne whan that he slewe his broder abell in the whiche tyme was but foure persones in the worlde . ¶ Demaunde . what was he that was be goten or his fader / and borne or his moder / and had the maydenhede of his beldame . ℟ . That was Abell ¶ Demaunde . what thre thynges be they that the worlde is moost mayntened by . ℟ . That is to were by wordes erbes and stones . why with wordes man worshyppeth god / and as of erbes that is all maner of corne that man is fedde with / and as stones one is that gryndeth the corne and the other encreaseth the worlde . De. what is the aege of a felde mous . ℟ . Ayere And a hedge may stande thre mous lyues / and the lyfe of a dogge is the terme of thre hedges standynge & the lyfe of a hors is thre dogges lyues / and the lyfe of a man is thre hors lyues / and the lyfe of a gose is thre mennes lyues / and the lyfe of a swanns 〈…〉 and the lyfe of a swalowe is thre swanne lyues and the lyfe of an egle is thre swalowes lyues / and the lyfe of a serpent is thre egles lyues / and the lyfe of a rauen is thre serpentes lyues / and the lyfe of a harte is thre rauens lyues / and an oke groweth . v. hondreth yere / and it standeth in one state fyue hondreth yere and it fadeth fyue hondreth yere besyde the rote why the doubleth thre tymes eueryche of the thre aeges a foresayd . ¶ Demaunde . A man had thre doughters of thre aeges / whiche doughters he delyuered to sell certayne apples / and he toke to the eldest doughter . l. apples / and to the seconde . xxx . apples / and to the yongest ten apples / and all these thre solde in lyke many for a peny / and brought home in lyke moche money now how many solde eche of them for a peny . ℟ . The yongest solde fyrst seuen for a peny / and the other two systers solde after the same pryce / than the eldest syster had one odde apple lefte / and the seconde syster two / and the yongest thrs apples / now these apples lyked the byer soo well that in contynent he came agayne to the yongest syster and bought of her thre apples after thre pens a pece / than had she ten pens / and the seconde thoughte she wolde kepe the same pryce / and solde her two apples for thre pens a pece and than had she ten pens / & the eldest solde her one apple for thre pens / & than had she ten pens / thus solde they in lyke many apples for a peny and broughte home in lyke moche money . ¶ Demaunde . what man is he that geteth his lyuynge bacwarde . res . That is rope maker . ¶ Demaunde . what people be the that geteth theyr lyuynge moo●● merylyest . ℟ . Tho be prestes & fullers / for one syngeth and the other daunceth . ¶ Demaunde . what is he that made all and solde all / & he the bought all loste all ℟ . Asmyth made an alle and solde it / and the shomaker the bought it lost it . ¶ Demaunde whether is it bett to lyue by thefte or by almes dedes . ℟ . The rewarde of thefte is to behanged / and yf thou lyue by almes dedes that is by beggers tordes ⁂

¶ Thus endeth the Demaundes Ioyous Enprynted at London in Flete strete at the sygne of the sonne by me wynkynde worde . In the yere of our lorde a M. CCCCC . and xi . ⁂