The Miller of the Dee-Charles Mackay

 THE MILLER OF THE DEE

There dwelt a miller hale and bold

Beside the river Dee;

He worked 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 am 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 and 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 say true,

That no man 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 MACKAY 

Summary: In the poem, 'The Miller of the Dee', the poet Charles Mackay describes about a miller who lives by the river Dee. He works hard and sings joyfully, and his song is always about how he envies no ones and no one envies him. The King, who is envious of the miller's carefree attitude, asks him why he is so happy. The miller replies that he is happy because he has a loving family, a steady job, and owes no debt. The King realizes that a person's happiness is not determined by their wealth or status, but by their attitude towards life.