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This carpenter out of his slomber sterte, |
| And herde oon crien 'water' as he were wood, |
| 710 | And thoughte, "Allas, now comth Nowelis flood!" |
| He sit hym up withouten wordes mo, |
| And with his ax he smoot the corde atwo, |
| And doun gooth al; he foond neither to selle, |
| Ne breed ne ale, til he cam to the celle |
| 715 | Upon the floor, and ther aswowne he lay. |
| Up stirte hire Alison and Nicholay, |
| And criden "Out" and "Harrow" in the strete. |
| The neighebores, bothe smale and grete, |
| In ronnen for to gauren on this man, |
| 720 | That yet aswowne lay, bothe pale and wan, |
| For with the fal he brosten hadde his arm. |
| But stonde he moste unto his owene harm; |
| For whan he spak, he was anon bore doun |
| With hende Nicholas and Alisoun. |
| 725 | They tolden every man that he was wood, |
| He was agast so of Nowelis flood |
| Thurgh fantasie, that of his vanytee |
| He hadde yboght hym knedyng-tubbes thre, |
| And hadde hem hanged in the roof above; |
| 730 | And that he preyed hem, for Goddes love, |
| To sitten in the roof, par compaignye. |
| The folk gan laughen at his fantasye; |
| Into the roof they kiken and they cape; |
| And turned al his harm unto a jape. |
| 735 | For what so that this carpenter answerde, |
| It was for noght, no man his reson herde. |
| With othes grete he was so sworn adoun |
| That he was holde wood in al the toun; |
| For every clerk anonright heeld with oother. |
| 740 | They seyde, "The man is wood, my leeve brother"; |
| And every wight gan laughen at this stryf. |
| Thus swyved was this carpenteris wyf, |
| For al his kepyng and his jalousye; |
| And Absolon hath kist hir nether ye; |
| 745 | And Nicholas is scalded in the towte. |
| This tale is doon, and God save al the rowte! |
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This carpenter out of his sleep did start, |
| Hearing that "Water!" cried as madman would, |
| 710 | 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 |
| In bread or ale till he'd the journey made, |
| 715 | And there upon the floor he swooning lay. |
| Up started Alison and Nicholay |
| And shouted "Help!" and "Hello!" down the street. |
| The neighbours, great and small, with hastening feet |
| Swarmed in the house to stare upon this man, |
| 720 | 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 |
| By clever Nicholas and Alison. |
| 725 | 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, |
| And that he'd hung them near the roof above; |
| 730 | 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, |
| And so turned all his injury to a jape. |
| 735 | For when this carpenter got in a word, |
| 'Twas all in vain, no man his reasons heard; |
| With oaths imprenive he was so sworn down, |
| That he was held for mad by all the town; |
| For every clerk did side with every other. |
| 740 | They said: "The man is crazy, my dear brother." |
| And everyone did laugh at all this strife. |
| Thus screwed was the carpenter's goodwife, |
| For all his watching and his jealousy; |
| And Absalom has kissed her lower eye; |
| 745 | And Nicholas has burned his butt painfully. |
| This tale is done, and God save all the company! |
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