| | For whan he spak he was anon bore doun | |
| | With hende Nicholas and alisoun | |
| 645 | They tolde euery man that he was wood | |
| | So he was agast of Noes flood | |
| | Thorow fantesye that of his vanite | |
| | He hadde bought hym knedyng tubbis thre | |
| | And hadde hem hanged in the roof aboue | |
| 650 | And that he prayde hem for goddis loue | |
| | To sittyn in the roof per companye | |
| | The folk gan lawghen at his fantesye | |
| | In to the roof they kykyn and they gape | |
| | And turned al his harm in to a iape | |
| 655 | For what so euer this carpenter answerd | |
| | It was for nought noman his reson herde | |
| | With othis grete he was swore a doun | |
| | That he was holde wood in al the toun | |
| | For euery clerk right anon held with other | |
| 660 | They sayde the man was wood my leue brother | |
| | And euery wight gan lawghe at this strif | |
| | Thus swyuyd was the carpenteris wyf | |
| | For al his kepynge and al his Ielosye | |
| | And absolon hath kissed her nethir ye | |
| 665 | And Nicholas is scalded in the toute | |
| | This tale is doon and god saue al the route | |
| | ¶ Here endeth the Milleres tale . | |
| | ¶ And here begynneth the Reues prolog . | |
| | W | An folk hadde lawghyn at this nyce caas | |
| | Of absolon and of hende Nicholas | |
| | Diuers folk diuersly they sayden | |
