The Miller's Tale
Folio 54r
1 of 20 folios
630
And þought allas now comeþ Noweles flood
He sette him vppe wiþoute wordes mo
And wiþ an ax he smot þe corde a tuo
And doū goþ al he fond neyþer to selle
No breed nor ale til he com to þe selle
635
Vpon þe floor and þer a swowen he lay
Vp sterte hire alisoū and Nicholay
And cried out and harrow in þe strete
The neighebores boþe smale and grete /
In ronnen for to gauren on þis man
640
That a swowen lay boþe pale and wan
For with þat falle he brosten haþ his arm
But stonde he moste vnto his oughne harm
For whan he spak he was anon bore doū
With heende Nicholas and alisoū
645
They tolden euery man þat he was wood
He was a gast so of þe Nowels flood
Thurgh fantasie þat of his vanite
He hadde y bought him knedyng tubbes þre
And hadde hem hanged in þe roof aboue
650
And þat he preyed him for goddes loue
To sitten in þe roof par companye
The folk gan laughen at his fantasie
And to þe roof þay loken and þei cape
And torned aƚƚ his harm vnto a Iape
655
For what so þis Carpenter answerde
It was for nougħt no man his resoū herde /
With oþes grete he was so sworn a doun
That he was holden wood in aƚƚ þat toun
For euery clerk anon right heeld with oþer
660
They seyde þe man is wood my leeue broþer
And euery wight gan laughen at his strif
Thus swyued was þe Carpunteres wijf
For aƚƚ his keepyng and his Ialousye /
And absolon haþ kist hir neþer yhe
665
And Nicholas is scalded in his toute //