merry that he whirled and capered to show off his steps to Alisoun,
quite forgetful of the lighted torch he was carrying, until the flame
blew aside in the wind and caught one of Alisoun's ribbons which
began to burn. "Water, water!" cried the wife. "Water!" called
Nicholas, and others near, thinking that a thatch must be afire,
called loudly; "Water, water!"

The din was so loud that it waked the carpenter in his tub, where he
had slumbered heavily the whole day through. Hearing the shout he
thought the flood had come at last. With a cry of fear, he quickly
took out his knife and cut through the cords. Down fell the tub to
the floor, with such a crash that the poor old man broke his arm and
fainted.

The neighbours all gathered to see what had happened, but the
carpenter got no sympathy. "He is mad!" said Nicholas and Alisoun;
"mad with fear of Noah's flood!" The neighbours laughed as they
looked at the tubs. "What a stupid old man!" they said. "He must be
mad indeed!"

So for all his care the carpenter got a broken arm, and Nicholas and
Alisoun had a jolly day at the plays.

* * * * *

This tale of Nicholas and the carpenter made us all laugh, except
Oswald the Reeve. He was annoyed, of course, since a carpenter was
befooled in the Miller's story. He looked sourly on us now, with his
spare pinched face. His hair was shaved close and his legs were long
and thin. All his dress was poor, even his sword was rusty, and