The Tale

or as the coal, And at the window she put out her hole, And Absolon him fell ne bet ne werse, But with his mouth he kiss’d her naked erse Full savourly. When he was ware of this, Aback he start, and thought it was amiss, For well he wist a woman hath no beard. He felt a thing all rough, and long y-hair’d, And saidë; “Fy, alas! what have I do?” “Te he!” quoth she, and clapt the window to; And Absolon went forth at sorry pace. “A beard, a beard,” said Hendy Nicholas; “By God’s corpus, this game went fair and well.” This silly Absolon heard every deal, And on his lip he gan for anger bite; And to himself he said, “I shall thee quite.” Who rubbeth now, who frotteth now his lips With dust, with sand, with straw, with cloth, with chips, But Absolon? that saith full oft, “Alas! My soul betake I unto Sathanas, But me were lever than all this town,” quoth he, “Of this despite awroken for to be. Alas! alas! that I have been y-blent.” His hotë love is cold, and all y-quent. For from that time that he had kiss’d her erse, Of paramours he settë not a kers, For he was healed of his malady; Full often paramours he gan defy, And weep as doth a child that hath been beat. A softë pace he went over the street Unto a smith, men callen Dan Gerveis, That in his forgë smithed plough-harnéss; He sharped share and culter busily. This Absolon knocked all easily, And said; “Undo, Gerveis, and that anon.” “What, who art thou?” “It is I, Absolon.” “What? Absolon, what? Christë’s sweetë tree, Why rise so rath? hey! benedicite , What aileth you? some gay girl, God it wote, Hath brought you thus upon the virëtote: By Saint Neot, ye wot well what I mean.” This Absolon he raughtë not a bean Of all his play; no word again he gaf, For he had morë tow on his distaff Than Gerveis knew, and saidë; “Friend so dear, That hotë culter in the chimney here Lend it to me, I have therewith to don: I will it bring again to thee full soon.” Gerveis answered; “Certes, were it gold, Or in a pokë nobles all untold, Thou shouldst it have, as I am a true smith. Hey! Christë’s foot, what will ye do therewith?” “Thereof,” quoth Absolon, “be as be may; I shall well tell it thee another day:” And caught the culter by the coldë stele. Full soft out at the door he gan to steal, And went unto the carpentérë’s