ABSTRACT
The Millers Tale ends with a peal of laughter from the deluded carpenter’s neighbours, and the laughter is taken up by Chaucer’s pilgrims: Whan folke hadde laughen at this nyce casOf Absolon and hende Nicholas, Diverse folk diversely they seyde, But for the moore part they loughe and pleyde. John envies his friend’s successful venture, and gloomily foresees his own inglorious role in the story which Aleyn will boastfully tell to all their other friends. To prevent this fate, he determines to be adventurous in his turn, and quietly removes the cradle to the foot of his own bed. This is less logical but more dramatic than the account in the French fabliau versions, where he moves the cradle because he has seen the miller’s wife get up and go out of the room.
