The Canterbury Tales | The Miller’s Tale - Page 6
But he was ready with his iron hot
And Nicholas right in the arse he got.
Off went the skin and hand’s-breath broad, about,(625)
The coulter burned his bottom so, throughout,
That for the pain he thought that he should die.
And like one mad he started in to cry,
“Help! Water! Water! Help! For God’s dear heart!”
This carpenter out of his sleep did start,(630)
Hearing that “Water!” cried as madman would,
And thought, “Alas, now comes down Noel’s flood!”
He struggled up without another word
And with his axe he cut in two the cord,
And down went all; he did not stop to trade(635)
In bread or ale till he’d the journey made,
And there upon the floor he swooning lay.
Up started Alison and Nicholay
And shouted “Help!” and “Hello!” down the street.
The neighbors, great and small, with hastening feet(640)
Swarmed in the house to stare upon this man,
Who lay yet swooning, and all pale and wan;
For in the falling he had smashed his arm.
He had to suffer, too, another harm,
For when he spoke he was at once borne down(645)
By clever Nicholas and Alison.
For they told everyone that he was odd;
He was so much afraid of “Noel’s” flood,
Through fantasy, that out of vanity
He’d gone and bought these kneading-tubs, all three,(650)
And that he’d hung them near the roof above;
And that he had prayed them, for God’s dear love,
To sit with him and bear him company.
The people laughed at all this fantasy;
Up to the roof they looked, and there did gape,(655)
And so turned all his injury to a jape.
For when this carpenter got in a word,
’Twas all in vain, no man his reasons heard;
With oaths impressive he was so sworn down
That he was held for mad by all the town;(660)
For every clerk did side with every other.
They said: “The man is crazy, my dear brother.”
And everyone did laugh at all this strife.
Thus futtered was the carpenter’s goodwife,
For all his watching and his jealousy;(665)
And Absalom has kissed her nether eye;
And Nicholas is branded on the butt.
This tale is done, and God save all the rout
And Nicholas right in the arse he got.
Off went the skin and hand’s-breath broad, about,(625)
The coulter burned his bottom so, throughout,
That for the pain he thought that he should die.
And like one mad he started in to cry,
“Help! Water! Water! Help! For God’s dear heart!”
This carpenter out of his sleep did start,(630)
Hearing that “Water!” cried as madman would,
And thought, “Alas, now comes down Noel’s flood!”
He struggled up without another word
And with his axe he cut in two the cord,
And down went all; he did not stop to trade(635)
In bread or ale till he’d the journey made,
And there upon the floor he swooning lay.
Up started Alison and Nicholay
And shouted “Help!” and “Hello!” down the street.
The neighbors, great and small, with hastening feet(640)
Swarmed in the house to stare upon this man,
Who lay yet swooning, and all pale and wan;
For in the falling he had smashed his arm.
He had to suffer, too, another harm,
For when he spoke he was at once borne down(645)
By clever Nicholas and Alison.
For they told everyone that he was odd;
He was so much afraid of “Noel’s” flood,
Through fantasy, that out of vanity
He’d gone and bought these kneading-tubs, all three,(650)
And that he’d hung them near the roof above;
And that he had prayed them, for God’s dear love,
To sit with him and bear him company.
The people laughed at all this fantasy;
Up to the roof they looked, and there did gape,(655)
And so turned all his injury to a jape.
For when this carpenter got in a word,
’Twas all in vain, no man his reasons heard;
With oaths impressive he was so sworn down
That he was held for mad by all the town;(660)
For every clerk did side with every other.
They said: “The man is crazy, my dear brother.”
And everyone did laugh at all this strife.
Thus futtered was the carpenter’s goodwife,
For all his watching and his jealousy;(665)
And Absalom has kissed her nether eye;
And Nicholas is branded on the butt.
This tale is done, and God save all the rout
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