But when thou hast for her, and thee, and me, Y-gotten us these kneading tubbës three, Then shalt thou hang them in the roof full high, So that no man our purveyance 1100 espy: And when thou hast done thus as I have said, And hast our vitaille fair in them y-laid, And eke an axe to smite the cord in two When that the water comes, that we may go, And break an hole on high upon the gable Into the garden-ward, over the stable, That we may freely passë forth our way, When that the greatë shower is gone away. Then shalt thou swim as merry, I undertake, As doth the whitë duck after her drake: Then will I clepe, 1101 ‘How, Alison? How, John? Be merry: for the flood will pass anon.’ And thou wilt say, ‘Hail, Master Nicholay, Good-morrow, I see thee well, for it is day.’ And then shall we be lordës all our life Of all the world, as Noë and his wife.