Storytime - The youth and the millstone

Today’s tale demonstrates that jokes about the burden of marriage have been knocking about for centuries. 

“There was once a crazy boy, a really wild youth, who did not want to marry just one girl, but insisted on three. Everyone tried to reason with him. His father, mother and elder brother urged him, if only for their sake, to marry only two, and to start with the younger girl; then, when a full month had passed, he could marry the older one. On that basis, he got married. 

When the first month was up, his family asked him what he thought of his elder brother’s taking just one girl, no more, to be his lawful wedded wife. The youth replied that there was no need for that, since he had a wife who would more than suffice for both of them. The family should tell his brother that, and shouldn’t bother about marrying him to another girl. The father of this foolish youth, a worthy man, had a mill with a fine large millstone. 

Before the boy was married, he was so strong that he could easily stop the stone with his foot, even when it was revolving very quickly. His great strength and boldness, before his marriage, made the stone seem light; after a month of marriage, he wanted to try his strenght as before, and went along to the mill one day. He tried to stop the stone, just as he had done in the past, but it knocked his legs from under him and threw him flat on the ground. The foolish youth picked himself up, cursing the wheel heartily: ‘All right, my fine millstone, just wait till you’re married!’”

If you struggle to understand the humour, don't worry. I did too.

Notes

 

Image: Jean D'Arras, Roman de Mélusine, BL Harley 4418, f. 36

Taken from Medieval Comic Tales, ed. D. Brewer (Cambridge, Boydell & Brewer Press: 1973) p. 40 and originally from the thirteenth century, Libro de Buen Amor, by Juan Ruiz (Archpriest of Hita, c. 1330)