Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 16 (nat, ningle, chould, numps, terry, dery…). Matches are highlighted.
Well, since you be so importu nate, my good man shall fill the pot and get him to bed, they that ply their work must keep good hours, one of you go lie with him, he is a clean skind man I tell you,
Full speech
Well, since you be so importu nate, my good man shall fill the pot and get him to bed, they that ply their work must keep good hours, one of you go lie with him, he is a clean skind man I tell you, without either spavin or windgall, so I am content to driven a way the time with and old wives winter's tale. Nay either hear my tale, or kiss my tail. Oh Lord I quite forgotten, there was a Conjurer, and this Conjurer could do anything, and he turned himself into a great Dragon, and carried the Kings Daughter away in his mouth to a Castle that he made of stone, and there he kept his I know not how long, till at last all the Kings men went out so long, that his two Brother's went to seek his. Oh I forget: she (he I would say) turned a proper young man to a Bear in the night, and a man in the day, and keeps by a cross that parts three several ways, & he made his Lady run mad: gods me bones who comes here? Enter the two Brother's. I this is he; and this man that came to him was a beggar, and dwelled upon a green. But soft, who comes here? Oh these are the harvest men; ten to one they sing a song of mowing. Oh this is one that is going to the conjurer, let him alone, here what he says. Oh this Jack was a marvelous fell low, he was but a poor man, but very well be loned: you shall see anon what this Jack will come to. Now this bargain my Master's must I make with you, that you will say hum & would to my tale, so shall I know you are awake. Once upon a time there was a King or a Lord, or a Duke that had a fair daugh ter, the fairest that ever was; as white as snow, and as red as blood: and once upon a time his daughter was stolen away, and he sent all his men to seek out his daughter, and he sent so long, that he sent all his men out of his Land. By the Mass son 'tis almost day, and my windows shuts at the Cocks crow. Oh man, this was the ghost of the poor man, that they kept such a coil to bury, & that makes him to help the wandering knight so much: But come let us in, we will have a cup of ale and a tossed this morning and so depart. Yes faith: When this was done I took a piece of bred and cheese, and came my way, and so shall you have too before you go, to your breakfast. Oh this is a choleric gentleman, all you that love your lives, keep out of the smell of his two hand sword: now goes he to the conjurer. So with that they kissed, and spoiled the edge of as good a two hand sword, as ever God put life in; now goes Corebus in, spite of the conjurer. Welcome Clunch & good fellows all that come with my good ma ̄ for my good men sake come on fit down here is a piece of cheese & a pudding of my own making.
Plot summary
Plot — The Old Wives Tale
PLOT Lost in the woods, three pages encounter Clunch the smith, and accept the hospitality of his cottage. One of them goes to bed with him while his wife, Madge, tells the others a tale. Delia, the daughter of the King of Thessaly, has been abducted by the sorcerer Sacrapant, who can only be killed by a dead man, and whose power depends on a light in a glass which can only be broken by a woman who is neither wife, widow, nor maid. Delia's two brothers come to England in search of her, and meet Erestus. They give him alms and he prophesies to them. He too is a victim of Sacrapant, who has transformed him into an old man by day and a bear by night, and driven his betrothed lady, Venelia, out of her mind. The brothers enter Sacrapant's domain, but are imprisoned by Furies and set to work digging for gold. Delia, forgetting her identity under the influence of a potion, is appointed as their overseer. Others are also searching for Delia. One is the wandering knight Eumenides, another the braggart Huanebango; the former gives generous alms to Erestus, but the latter refuses. Eumenides happens upon a fight between Wiggen and the parish officials, who are refusing to bury Wiggen's dead brother Jack; Eumenides resolves the dispute by giving all his remaining money to pay for the funeral. Huanebango attempts to force his way into Sacrapant's cell, and is ejected by the Furies; Sacrapant strikes him deaf and Corebus blind. Lampriscus has two daughters, one ugly in looks and the other in temperament. Erestus advises that they should fetch water from the well of life and there see their fortune. Zantippa, the ill-tempered one, maltreats the well's spirit, a head, but finds the unconscious, newly deaf Huanebango lying beside it: her future husband will be unable to hear her shrewish words. Celanta, the ill-faced one, becomes the blind Corebus' wife. She treats the head in the well better, and is rewarded with corn and gold. The despairing Eumenides meets Jack, and accepts him as a companion. At a tavern, the knight will not eat because he cannot pay, but finds his purse miraculously full of money. He vows to give Jack a half share in everything he gets on his travels. Jack renders Eumenides resistant to Sacrapant's magic by stopping his ears, then invisibly takes the enchanter's sword and garland. Sacrapant falls dead. Eumenides digs up the glass light, but is unable to break it; that falls to Venelia, who, being betrothed but unwed, is neither maid nor wife, and so…