Aleyn the clerk, that herde this melodye,
He poked John, and seyde, "Slepestow?
Herdestow evere slyk a sang er now?
Lo, swilk a complyn is ymel hem alle;
A wilde fyr upon thair bodyes falle!
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. With everyone bedded down in the same room, Alan is unable to sleep because of the loud snoring of Symkyn and his wife and daughter. He hopes a wild fire will descend on the bodies of the three. This foreshadows John and Alan’s revenge when have sex with the miller’s wife and daughter and beat him up.