wall He coughed first, and knocked therewithal Upon the window, light as he did ere.
This Alison answered; “Who is there That knocketh so? I warrant him a thief.” “Nay, nay,” quoth he, “God wot, my sweetë lefe, I am thine Absolon, my own darling. Of gold,” quoth he, “I have thee brought a ring, My mother gave it me, so God me save! Full fine it is, and thereto well y-grave: This will I give to thee, if thou me kiss.” Now Nicholas was risen up to piss, And thought he would amenden all the jape; He shouldë kiss his erse ere that he scape: And up the window did he hastily, And out his erse he put full privily Over the buttock, to the haunchë bone. And therewith spake this clerk, this Absolon, “Speak, sweetë bird, I know not where thou art.” This Nicholas anon let fly a fart, As great as it had been a thunder dent; That with the stroke he was well nigh y-blent; But he was ready with his iron hot, And Nicholas amid the erse he smote. Off went the skin an handbreadth all about. The hotë culter burned so his tout, That for the smart he weened he would die; As he were wood, for woe he gan to cry, “Help! water, water, help for Goddë’s heart!”
This carpenter out of his slumber start, And heard one cry “Water,” as he were wood, And thought, “Alas! now cometh Noë’s flood.” He sat him up withoutë wordës mo’, And with his axe he smote the cord in