There dwelt a miller hale and bold Beside the river Dee;He wrought and sang from morn to night, No lark more blithe than he;And this the burden of his song For ever used to be-"I envy nobody, no, not I, And nobody envies me!""Thou"rt wrong, my friend!" said old King Hal, "Thou"rt 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 the king,
Beside the river Dec?"
The miller smiled, and doffed his cap.
"I earn my bread," quoth he;
"I love my wife, I love my friends, I love my children three;l owe no penny I cannot pay; I thank the river DeeThat turns the mill that grinds the corn To feed my babes and me.""Good friend," said Hal, and sighed the while, "Farewell, and happy be;But say no more, if thou"dst be true,
That no one envies thee.
Drawn by W.S. Wemyss
"I envy nobody, no, not I."
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 Mackay
Author.-Charles Mackay (see "Tubal Cain").
General Notes.-Find the Dee with the town of Chester. There is another Dee in Scotland. Who was Old King Hal of the six wives? Name all the things that made the miller happy. What reason had the king to feel sad? Why are men of the type of the miller England"s proudest boast?
Suggestions for Verse-speaking.-Divide the class into two parts, the"millers" and the " Kings," and let each part speak alternate verses. This is a good poem for miming.