The Reeve's Tale
Folio 52r
8 of 10 folios
295
An gan to wake & went hir oute to pisse
And cam a gaine & gan hir cradel misse
An groped here & þere bot sche fonde none
Allas qd sche .I. had al most mys gone
I hadde al moste gone to þe clerkes bedde
300
Ey benedicite þan had .I. foule I. spedde
And forþe sche goþe til sche þe cradel fonde
Sche gropeþ alwey forþer wiþ hire honde
And fonde þe bedde & þouht nouht bot goode
Be cause þat þe cradel by it stode
305
And neste where sche was for it was derke
Bot faire & wele sche crepe in to þe clerke
And liþe ful stiƚƚ . & wolde haue cauht a slepe
Wiþ in a while þis Iohñ þe clerk vp lepe
And on þis goode wife he leiþe on sore
310
So mery a fitte ne had sche not fuƚƚ ȝore
He pikeþ harde & depe as he were madde
Þis Ioly lif hane þese tuo clerkes ladde
Til þat þe þredde koke be gan to singe
Aleyne wex wery in þe dawneinge
315
For he had swonken aƚƚ þe longe nyht
And seide fare wele Malyn swete whight
The daie is come .I. maie no longer bide
Bot euere mo where so .I. go or ride
.I. am þine owen clerke so haue .I. sele
320
Nowe dere lemman qd sche go fare wele .
Bot or þou go oo þinge .I. wil þe telle
Whan þat þou wendest homwarde be þe melle
Riht att þe entre of þe dore be hinde
Thou schalt a cake of halfe a buscheƚƚ finde
325
That was ymaked of þin owen mele
Whiche þat .I. helpe my sir for to stele
And goode lemin an & god þe saue & kepe
And wiþ þat worde almost he gan to wepe
Aleine vprist & þouht or þat . it dawe
330
.I. wil go crepen inne be my felawe
And fonde þe cradel wiþ his honde a none
Be god þouht al wrange .I. haue mys gone
Myne hede is toty of my swynke to nyhte
Þat makeþ me þat .I. go nouht arihte
335
.I. wote wele be þe cradel .I. haue mys go
Here liþe þe mellere & his wif al so