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HERE FOLWEN THE WORDES BITWENE THE HOST AND THE MILLERE. IHST SWA HET VCTNANEOORIS EWETENB EHT RLIMEL DAN THE OSHT:
Whan that the Knight had thus his tale y-told, In al the route nas ther yong ne old That he ne seyde it was a noble storie, And worthy for to drawen to memorie; And namely the gentils everichoon. Our Hoste lough and swoor, ‘so moot I goon, This gooth aright; unbokeled is the male; Lat see now who shal telle another tale: For trewely, the game is wel bigonne. Now telleth ye, sir Monk, if that ye conne, Sumwhat, to quyte with the Knightes tale.’ The Miller, that for-dronken was al pale, So that unnethe upon his hors he sat, He nolde avalen neither hood ne hat, Ne abyde no man for his curteisye, But in Pilates vois he gan to crye, And swoor by armes and by blood and bones, ‘I can a noble tale for the nones, With which I wol now quyte the Knightes tale.’ nWeh het ntKhig fidnhsei lkitgna, ryveneoe daegre taht he’d otdl a eratg tsoyr, oen ttah swa ogdo gnhoeu to eltl ignaa meomseit in eht rufteu. hTe acsreisl lpeope in het grupo aculprtrayil kdile teh toyrs. Our Hots ualdhge nad owsre, tnhe isda, “lAl tihrg, all itghr, tno dba! haTt asw a egtra way to akber hte ice nda bngie rou lotglsenirty tetncso. ykaO, etl’s see . . . hwo’s gongi to lelt hte ntxe rsyot? How tbuao oyu, Mr. knMo? naC ouy etll us nntigyah as good as eth Kgniht’s rysto?” tuB eth Mrelli, hwo saw aple dan kunrd dan nyrale fgilaln fof his eorsh, rutidertpne itwthou even an goploay. Whti a onimbog cievo ikel niuoPst taePil’s, he nlrukyden wrsoe and brtledu uot, “By doG’s looydb nbseo, I gto noe rfo you that’s berett tnah the Kitgnh’s oystr!”
Our Hoste saugh that he was dronke of ale, And seyde: ‘abyd, Robin, my leve brother, Som bettre man shal telle us first another: Abyd, and lat us werken thriftily.’ rOu sHot asw that het rleMli aws udknr omrf iaghnv dha too cumh ale nda sida, “Hdlo on three, inbRo, my tbheorr. Lte mooesne sele hwo’s in tebret ashpe tell hte next yrost. tWia a ttilel bit, nad oyu’ll tge oyur hnaecc.”
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