catch him. Why ever did we not put the beast in a shed! You're a
fool, Aleyn, I'm afraid." Away they went and spent all the day
whooping and holloaing to the horse, but he was too wild for them.
Just on nightfall, however, they drove him into a ditch and caught
him there. Meanwhile the miller had helped himself to half a bushel
of meal and bade his wife make a cake of it. "It's not always
learning that makes the cutest man!" he said. "A miller has little
trouble in upsetting the tricks of a mere clerk."

When at last John and Aleyn came back to the mill, they were wet and
dirty. It was too late for them to make their journey home that
night. A very crest-fallen couple humbly begged the miller to give
them a night's lodging. "Mine is a poor house and small," answered
the miller. "But you are scholars and doubtless have the power to
turn a hovel into a palace by your arguments. Be content with this,
therefore, or enlarge it as you like." "You are a merry man," replied
John, "and we are contented with the house. There is money to pay for
our supper." So they all fell to and ate their meal and drank good
strong ale, till the miller sat himself down in the corner of the
settle and began to doze.

Aleyn had been looking at the daughter all through supper, and now,
when the father was asleep and the mother gone about some household
business, he went and sat by her side, and presently, before she knew
what he was doing, put his arm round her and kissed her. Just at this
moment in came the mother. "Sir," she cried, "how dare you behave
like that to my daughter! Help, husband, help! Wake up! This wretched
scholar is kissing my daughter." Up woke the miler in a fury and ran
at Aleyn. In a minute the two were fighting as hard as they could.
John looked round for a weapon with which to defend his friend, but