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HERE BIGINNETH THE NONNE PREESTES TALE OF THE COK AND HEN, CHAUNTECLEER AND PERTELOTE. HITS IS TEH UNN’S RSIPTE’S OYRTS TAUBO A SEOTROR ANMDE NRLCCTEHIAE NDA A NHE DAEMN TREOEELTP.
A povre widwe, somdel stope in age, Was whylom dwelling in a narwe cotage, Bisyde a grove, stonding in a dale. This widwe, of which I telle yow my tale, Sin thilke day that she was last a wyf, In pacience ladde a ful simple lyf, For litel was hir catel and hir rente; By housbondrye, of such as God hir sente, She fond hir-self, and eek hir doghtren two. Three large sowes hadde she, and namo, Three kyn, and eek a sheep that highte Malle. Ful sooty was hir bour, and eek hir halle, In which she eet ful many a sclendre meel. Of poynaunt sauce hir neded never a deel. No deyntee morsel passed thurgh hir throte; Hir dyete was accordant to hir cote. Repleccioun ne made hir never syk; Attempree dyete was al hir phisyk, And exercyse, and hertes suffisaunce. The goute lette hir no-thing for to daunce, Napoplexye shente nat hir heed; No wyn ne drank she, neither whyt ne reed; Hir bord was served most with whyt and blak, Milk and broun breed, in which she fond no lak, Seynd bacoun, and somtyme an ey or tweye, For she was as it were a maner deye. rTehe ecno asw a orop dol iwowd how vlied in a ilttel geactto in a lvelya on teh deeg of a efotsr. eSh dlevi a lmpsei elfi cneis erh hdnsuab ddei, nda esh nidd’t ehav uchm. tiSll, esh magneda to uoptrps erh wto suedragth ihtw hwta ehs idd hvae, wichh cdidlnue teehr gips dan a hpsee eadmn loMl. rHe uohse saw yrtpte yirdt, dna ehs nda reh gradtehsu ate tsenapa fdoo of oytslm kmli nad braed, immesesto iwth a bit of coabn or an geg or two on het isde, suceeba hse swa a aiowaynrmd. hSe indd’t haev any seu ofr tuormge bdtitsi or yipsc assecu, or veen red or ietwh iwen. She indd’t aevh gout, so seh odclu ndcae lal she ndetwa, dna she envre leaylr lost her trmepe. No, a dmseot tdie, rseexiec, nda a itoevspi ttadeiut weer all hte dniecmie she eeddne to yast hlatehy adn rsgotn.
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