The Miller's Tale
Folio 53v
3 of 20 folios
Ey cristes foo what wol ȝe don þer with
595
Ther of qd absolon be as be may
I schal wel telle it þe to morwe day
And caughte þe culter by þe colde stele
Ful softe out aþ þe dore he gan to stele
And went vnto þe carpenteres wal
600
He koughede ferst and knokkede þer wiþ al
Vpon þe wyndow right as he dede ere /
This alisoū answerde who is þere
That knokkeþ so I warant it a þeef
Why nay quod he god woot my sweete leef
605
I am þin absolon þi dereling
Of gold qd he I haue þe brought a ryng
My moder yaf it me so god me saue /
Ful fyn it is and þer to wel y graue
This wol I yiuen þe if þou me kisse
610
This Nicholas was risen for to pisse /
And þought he wolde amenden al þe Iape /
He schulde kisse his ers or þat he scape
And vp þe wyndow dide he hastily /
And out his ers he putte priuily
615
Ouer þe buttok to þe haunche bon
And þer wiþ spak þis clerk þis absolou
Spek swete brid I not wher þou art
This Nicholas anon leet flee a fart
As gret as it hadde ben a þonder dent
620
That wiþ þe strook he was almost y blent
And he was redy wiþ his Iren hoot
And Nicholas in þe ers he smoot
Of goþ þe skyn an hande brood aboute /
The hoote culter brenned so his toute /
625
And for þe smerte he wende for to dye
As he were wood for woo he gan to crye /
Help water water help for goddes herte
This Carpunter out of his slomber sterte
And herde on cryen watir as he were wood