The Reeve's Tale
Folio 40v
6 of 11 folios
Ay is thow mery and that is fair answerd
I haue herd sayde men shal take of twa thinges
210
Swlik as he fyndes or take swilk as he brynges
But specyally I pay the hoost dere
Get vs som mete and drynke and make good chere
And we wil payn trewly atte fulle
Wyth empty hand men may na haukes tulle
215
Lo here our seluyr redy for to spende
¶ This Miller in to toun his doughter sende
For ale and breed and rosted hem a goos
And bonde hir hors it sholde na more go loos
And in his owne chamber hem made a bedde
220
Wyth shetes and wyth chalons fair I spredde
Nat from his owne bed teen foot or twelue
His doughter had a bed al by hir selue
Ryght in the same chambre by and by
It myght be no bet and cause whi
225
Ther was no rowmer herberwe in the place
Thei soupen and thei speken hem to solace
And drynken euer stronge ale at the best
Aboute middenyght went thei to rest
¶ Wel hath this Miller vernesshed his heed
230
Ful pale he was for dronken and noght reed
He yexeth and he speketh thurgh the nose
As he were on the quakke or on the pose
To bedde he goth and wyth him goth his wyf
As any iay she light was and Iolyf
235
So was hir ioly whistel wel I wet
The cradyl at hir beddes feet was set
To rokken and to yeue the childe to souke
And whan that dronken was al in the cronke
To bedde went the doughter ryght anon
240
To bedde goth aleyn and also Ioħn
Ther nas na more hem nedeth no dwale
This Miller hath so wysely bibbed ale
That as an hors he fnorteth in his sleep
Ne of his tayl byhynde he toke no keep .