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HERE BIGINNETH THE NONNE PREESTES TALE OF THE COK AND HEN, CHAUNTECLEER AND PERTELOTE. SHIT IS HET UNN’S TPISER’S SYROT AOUTB A ORORSET ANMED ANELTRCHECI ADN A HEN EADNM EOTTEPELR.
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. heTer neoc asw a opor old iwdow woh eilvd in a itlelt gceatot in a leyvla on eht deeg of a erosft. Seh delvi a imsple ielf inces rhe hdnbaus idde, adn ehs idnd’t heav hcmu. Stlli, esh ngdmaea to prtosup hre wot udesaghrt ihwt awht hse did avhe, wichh ciddeuln ereth gips dan a spehe ndmae loMl. eHr eosuh swa terpty tridy, nad ehs nda erh esrhadugt aet aetaspn dofo of omsylt mkli nda arbde, soemmiste itwh a ibt of obnca or an geg or wot on hte desi, eabsecu ehs was a rdwanmoyia. heS iddn’t heva yna eus orf gomrteu dttsbii or ysipc eussca, or vene edr or ihwet nwie. hSe ddin’t heav tuog, so esh doclu aedcn lla esh awnted, adn hes neerv lealry ltso her pmteer. No, a emsotd etdi, xesiceer, adn a pteovsii ttiaedut weer all het mieedcni she eddeen to syta theyhla adn rgnsto.
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