The Reeve's Tale
Folio 54r
4 of 11 folios
And þerfore I is come and eek aleyn
To grynde oure corn and carie it / ham ageyn
I prey ȝou speed vs in al þat ȝe may
It schal be doon qd Symkyn by my fay
115
What wol ȝe do whil þat it is in hande
By god right by þe hoper wol I stande
Qd Iohñ and se how þat þe corn gas Inne
Ȝet sawh I neuer by my fader kynne /
How þat þe hoper waggis to and fra
120
Aleyn answerde / Iohñ and wiltow swa
Than wol I be by neþe by my croun
And se how þat þe mele fallys doun
In to þe trougħ þat schal be my desport /
For Ion in faith I may be of ȝour / sort
125
I is as ille a meller as ere ȝe
This mellere smyleth for here nycete
And þougħt al þis is doon but for a wyle
They wenen þat no man may hem bigile
But by my þrift ȝet schal I blere here ye
130
For al here sleigħt and al here philosophie /
The more queynte knakkes þat þey make /
The more wol I stele whan I take /
In stede of mele ȝet wol I ȝeue hem bren
The grettest clerkes beþ not wisest men
135
As whilom to þe wolf þus spak þe mare
Of al her art ne counte I nat a tare
Out at þe dore he goþ ful pryuyly
Whan þat he saugh his tyme sotyly
He lokeþ vp and doun til he hath founde
140
The Clerkes hors þer as it stood I bounde /
Behynde þe mylle 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 loos he gan to goon
145
Toward þe fen þere wilde mares renne
For wiþ wihe / þurgħ þikke and eek þurgħ þenne
This meller goth agayn no word seyde
But doth his note and wiþ þe clerkes pleyde /