Alein spake first; “All hail, Simon, in faith, How fares thy faire daughter, and thy wife.” “Alein, welcome,” quoth Simkin, “by my life, And John also: how now, what do ye here?” “By God, Simon,” quoth John, “need has no peer*. *equal Him serve himself behoves that has no swain*, *servant Or else he is a fool, as clerkes sayn. Our manciple I hope* he will be dead, *expect So workes aye the wanges* in his head: *cheek-teeth <8> And therefore is I come, and eke Alein, To grind our corn and carry it home again: I pray you speed us hence as well ye may.” “It shall be done,” quoth Simkin, “by my fay. What will ye do while that it is in hand?” “By God, right by the hopper will I stand,” Quoth John, “and see how that the corn goes in. Yet saw I never, by my father’s kin, How that the hopper wagges to and fro.” Alein answered, “John, and wilt thou so? Then will I be beneathe, by my crown, And see how that the meale falls adown Into the trough, that shall be my disport*: *amusement For, John, in faith I may be of your sort; I is as ill a miller as is ye.” This miller smiled at their nicety*, *simplicity And thought, “All this is done but for a wile. They weenen* that no man may them beguile, *think But by my thrift yet shall I blear their eye,<9> For all the sleight in their philosophy. The more *quainte knackes* that they make, *odd little tricks* The more will I steal when that I take. Instead of flour yet will I give them bren*. *bran The greatest clerks are not the wisest men, As whilom to the wolf thus spake the mare: <10> Of all their art ne count I not a tare.” Out at the door he went full privily, When that he saw his time, softely. He looked up and down, until he found The clerkes’ horse, there as he stood y-bound Behind the mill, under a levesell:* *arbour<11> And to the horse he went him fair and well, And stripped off the bridle right anon. And when the horse was loose, he gan to gon Toward the fen, where wilde mares run, Forth, with “Wehee!” through thick and eke through thin. This miller went again, no word he said, But did his note*, and with these clerkes play’d, *business <12> Till that their corn was fair and well y-ground. And when the meal was sacked and y-bound, Then John went out, and found his horse away, And gan to cry, “Harow, and well-away! Our horse is lost: Alein, for Godde’s bones, Step on thy feet; come off, man, all at once: Alas! our warden has his palfrey lorn.*” *lost This Alein all forgot, both meal and corn; All was out of his mind his husbandry*. *careful watch over “What, which way is he gone?” he gan to cry. the corn* The wife came leaping inward at a renne*, *run She said; “Alas! your horse went to the fen