The Canterbury Pilgrims | Page 9

lived at Oxford and took in students to board with him. Among them was one named Nicholas, as proper a man as one could wish to see. He kept his room all strewed with sweet herbs. At his bed's head, neatly arranged on shelves, were his books and calculating pebbles, for he studied astrology and could foretell the weather. A red cloth covered his press and on the wall hung his little harp. He was a gay fellow and loved merry-making, yet looked as gentle and dainty as a maiden. The carpenter was an old man, and had just married a wife of eighteen, named Alisoun. She was as pretty a woman as you could find in the whole country-side. Dressed up in all her finery she was as gay as a bird. Her girdle was silk and her apron as white as snow. Her smock was white and broidered with black silk, and her brooch as large as the base of a shield. The ribbon of her cap matched her embroidery, and her eyebrows were black and arched. But the most tempting thing about her was the way she looked at one. A very primrose she was, on my faith; as fair as an apple tree in blossom. Nicholas loved her well enough, and others too; but her husband would let her go nowhere but to church and never allowed her to take part in any festivities.
All went smoothly, however, till the time for the yearly plays came round, when the stories of Adam, Joseph and Herod, and many another Bible hero, are performed in the market-place. Such times are holidays for all. Everybody goes to the plays, and all the young people take part in them. Alisoun longed to go, but she knew it was no good asking her, tyrannical husband.
One day, while her husband was away at Osney, she told Nicholas of her desire, and cried to him because she was kept so strictly at home. Nicholas was sorry for her. "What is the good of being a scholar if I cannot outwit a carpenter?" he said. "I will find a way out." They made their plan between them and carried up into Nicholas's room enough food for two or three days. Neither, that day nor the next did Nicholas come down to meals, until at last the carpenter began to get anxious. "Have you called Nicholas?" he said to his wife. "Why, yes!" she said. "I have sent my maid to knock and there is no answer." "Perhaps he is ill," answered the carpenter. "Life is very uncertain these days. Why, but yesterday I saw a corpse carried to the churchyard, and another last week. I do hope no harm has befallen the young man." Then he sent his man to see what he could do. The man knocked but got no answer. Then he noticed a hole in the bottom of the door by which the cat used to go in and out, and stooping down he looked through. Nicholas was sitting in a chair with his head back, staring at something. Down went the man and told what he had seen. "Alas!" said the carpenter, "he is certainly mad. This is what comes of his studies. I have heard tell of another astronomer who was so busy looking at the stars that he fell into a clay pit. I fear something like that has happened to Nicholas. I will go and see about it." He took the servant with him, and together they lifted the door right off its hinges, and down it fell with a bang on the floor.
Nicholas never moved and seemed to hear nothing. "Dear me!" said the carpenter, "he is certainly mad." He went up and touched him; still Nicholas did not move. Then the carpenter began to utter a spell:
"Christ and Benedict the saint, Keep us safe from elv��s quaint, From witches and fairies of the night, Peter's sister, guard us quite."
As he finished Nicholas began to groan and to 'move about. "Ah, he is better," said the carpenter. "But what ails you now?" "It is a terrible thing that I have learnt!" said Nicholas. "Send away your man and I will tell you all as far as I may." So with many lamentations he began. "By my art I have learnt that the end of mankind is at hand. Once more there will be a flood such as there was in the days of Noah, and this flood will begin no later than the day after tomorrow." The carpenter began to wail. "Oh, what will become of us! Must we all drown? Alas, alas!" "There is one way to be saved," said the scholar, "which I will tell you as it was revealed to me. Get a tub