The Canterbury Tales: The Miller's Tale Lines 708-746 Summary

Lines 708-746

• Hearing Nicholas's cry and thinking it refers to the flood, John cuts the ropes attaching his tub to the ceiling.
• John crashes to the floor, where he lies in a faint.
• Alisoun and Nicholas run out into the street, crying in a panic.
• Hearing the commotion, the neighbors run to the carpenter's house to see what's going on.
• The neighbors gape at John, who still lies in a faint and has broken his arm.
• John tries to explain what has happened, but he is interrupted by Nicholas and Alisoun.
• Nicholas and Alisoun tell the gathered crowd that John is crazy and so afraid of a flood that he bought three tubs in order to avoid drowning.
• The crowd laughs at John. The clerks of the town declare him crazy.
• Thus is John cuckolded, Absolon humiliated, and Nicholas branded.
• The narrator declares the tale concluded.