Renaissance Darwin Award

So I was browsing the Medieval manuscripts blog [as you do] and I came across this AWESOME Renaissance Darwin award entry.

Miniature of a man chopping down the tree on which he sits as an illustration of the proverb 'chopping the branch that supports you' which I suppose is another version of biting the hand that feeds you.  Now I've done a bit of tree felling and if he's using the axe with such insouciant abandon in such a position he's actually lucky to have any toes left AND to have made a straightish cut. 
It's from Pierre Sala's Petits livre d'Amour [Paris and Lyon], 1st quarter of the 16th century and courtesy of the British Library public domain tag.  Great resource!  Go and look at the blog, it's something special. 

Miniature of a man cutting down a tree on which he sits (an illustration of the proverb: 'chopping down the branch that supports you'), from Pierre Sala’s Petit Livre d’Amour, France (Paris and Lyon), 1st quarter of the 16th century, Stowe MS 955, - See more at: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/08/get-ready-to-save-as-new-uploads-to-the-catalogue-of-illuminated-manuscripts.html#sthash.0u0uazdK.dpuf

Miniature of a man cutting down a tree on which he sits (an illustration of the proverb: 'chopping down the branch that supports you'), from Pierre Sala’s Petit Livre d’Amour, France (Paris and Lyon), 1st quarter of the 16th century, Stowe MS 955, - See more at: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/08/get-ready-to-save-as-new-uploads-to-the-catalogue-of-illuminated-manuscripts.html#sthash.0u0uazdK.dpuf

Miniature of a man cutting down a tree on which he sits (an illustration of the proverb: 'chopping down the branch that supports you'), from Pierre Sala’s Petit Livre d’Amour, France (Paris and Lyon), 1st quarter of the 16th century, Stowe MS 955, - See more at: http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/08/get-ready-to-save-as-new-uploads-to-the-catalogue-of-illuminated-manuscripts.html#sthash.0u0uazdK.dpuf