1. Reading Lesson

The Miller Of The Dee

There dwelt a miller, hale and bold,

Beside the river Dee; He worked and sang from morn till night -

No lark so blithe as he; And this the burden of his song

Forever used to be: "I envy nobody - no, not I,

And nobody envies me!"

"Thou'rt wrong, my friend," said good King Hal;

"As wrong as wrong can be; For could my heart be light as thine,

I'd gladly change with thee. And tell me now, what makes thee sing,

With voice so loud and free, While I am sad, though I'm a king,

Beside the river Dee?"

The miller smiled and doffed his cap:

"I earn my bread," quoth he; "I love my wife, I love my friend,

I love my children three; I owe no penny I cannot pay;

I thank the river Dee, That turns the mill that grinds the corn

That feeds my babes and me."

"Good friend," said Hal, and sighed ths while,

"Farewell! and happy be! But say no more, if thou'dst be true,

That no one envies thee. Thy mealy cap is worth my crown;

Thy mill, my kingdom's fee;

Such men as thou are England's boast,

O miller of the Dee !"

- Charles Mackat.

2. Study

Read the poem through.

In what country did this miller live? How does the poem tell it?

What five things are told about the miller in the first stanza? Why is he compared to the lark?

What does envy mean? Why did the king envy the miller? Should you expect him to do so? Why?

What reasons did the miller give for being contented? Do you think they are enough?

In what way was the miller's cap worth the king's crown?

What did the king mean by the last two lines?

3. Word Studies

1. Words that mean nearly the same are called synonyms. Write synonyms for these words: thou.

dwelt.

hale.

blithe quoth farewell.

Use the synonyms in sentences like these:

The miller dwelt by the river. The miller lived by the river.

2. Explain these: burden of his song a light heart.

England's boast earn my bread

4. Written Composition

Describe the life of the miller and that of the king. Tell why the king envied the miller. Make a title for your composition.