The Reeve's Tale
Folio 57r
9 of 13 folios
To grynde oure corn and carie it ham agayn
I pray you speedes vs heithen þat ȝe may
It schal be don quod Symkyn by my fay
115
What wil ȝe doon whil þat it is in hande
By god right by þe hoper wil I stande
Quoþ Iohan and se how gates þe corn gas Inne
Ȝit saugh I neuer by my fader kynne
How þat þe hoper wagged til and fra
120
Alayn answerde Ioħn and wiltow swa
Than wil I be byneþe by my croune
And se how gates þe mele falles \a/doune
In til þe trougħ þat sal be my disporte
Qd Ioħn in faatħ I may ben of ȝour sorte
125
I is as ille a melle as ere ȝe
This meller smylede at here nycete
And þougħt al þis nys don but for a wile
They wene þat no man hem may begyle
But by my þrift yit schal I blere here ye
130
For al þe sleigħt in here philosophie
The more queinte crekes þat þay make /
The more wol I stele whan I take
In stede of flour ȝit wol I yeue hem brenne /
The grettest clerkes ben nougħt þe wisest menne
135
As whilom to þe wolf þus spak þe mare
Of aƚƚ here arte counte I nouȝt a tare /
¶ Out of þe dore he goþ ful priuely
Whan þat he saugh his time softely
He lokeþ vp and doun til he haþ founde
140
The clerkes hors þer as it stood y bounde
Behynde þe mille vnder a leuesel
And to þe hors he goþ him faire and wel
He strepeþ of þe bridel right anoon
And whan þe hors was laus he gynneþ goon
145
Toward þe fen þare wilde mares renne
And forþ with wehe þorugh þikke and þorugħ þenne
This meller goþ agayn no word he sayde