Canterbury tales

this stupid old woman ?'
'Why are you so angry?' asked the devil. 'You and the cooking pot are mine 
now. She gave you to me. Tonight you'll be in hell with me. You can learn about 
devils there and about how we do our work!'
Suddenly the devil jumped on the summoner and caught him. Then he carried 
him down to hell. There's a place for summoners in hell, and it's always very full!
The friar finished his story and looked at all the pilgrims.
'Think hard about my story,' he said. 'We must hope that God will keep us 
from the devil!'
Then the summoner told his story about the friar. But it wasn't a very 
interesting story so I haven't put it in this book.
The Nun's Priest's Tale
Chaunticleer and the Fox
There was a nun on the pilgrimage called Madam Eglantine. A priest was travelling 
with her to help her on the journey. His name was John.
The knight said, 'We've had enough sad stories. Let's have a happy story now! You, 
priest — can you tell us a happy story ?'
The nun's priest, John, thought for a minute and then answered, 'I'll try.'
So he told the story of Chaunticleer and Pertelote. Chaunticleer was a cock, and 
Pertelote was a hen.
This is the story.
A long time ago, there was a poor old woman who lived in a small house in the 
country. Near her house was a wood.
The old woman was very poor, so she couldn't buy any food. She only ate the 
things that she grew in her garden, and the eggs from her hens.
The hens lived in the garden during the day. Chaunticleer, the cock, was the lord of 
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the hens. The name Chaunticleer means 'sing beautifully' and he had a wonderful 
voice. Every morning he sang when the sun came up. During the day he sang every 
hour. So the old woman didn't need a clock — she could always tell the time by the 
cock.
Chaunticleer was the lord of seven hens. His wife was called Pertelote. She was 
very wise and she knew her husband very well. He told her everything and 
they often sang love songs together.
At night, Chaunticleer and the hens slept on the roof of the old woman's house.
One morning, just before the sun came up, Chaunticleer was sitting on the roof 
with Pertelote and the other hens. He was making a terrible noise, like someone who 
is very frightened. When Pertelote heard him, she felt frightened too.
'Oh, dear heart! she cried. 'What's the matter? Did you sleep badly?'
'Don't be angry with me, my love,' answered her husband. 'I've had a very bad 
dream and I still feel frightened. I thought I was in great danger. Please God, bring me 
something good and not danger.'
'What was your dream about, dearest?' asked Pertelote in a worried voice.' Tell me 
about it.'
' I dreamed that I was walking in our garden. Suddenly I saw an animal that looked 
like a dog. It wanted to kill me! It looked terrible — it was yellow and red with black 
ears. And it had two burning eyes that were looking straight at me! I've never felt so 
afraid in all my life. That's why I was crying out in my sleep.'
'Oh, I thought I had a brave husband!' cried Pertelote. 'But you're not the kind of 
husband that a woman wants. How can a brave man be afraid of dreams? You're 
having bad dreams because you eat too much!'
Pertelote knew a lot about health. She was as good as a doctor.
' You're ill, you know. That's why you dreamed about danger. When we fly down to 
the ground this morning, I'll show you some plants. You must eat them to get better.'
Chaunticleer was angry with his wife.
' She can't tell me what to do!' he thought.' I haven't eaten too much. And I'm 
not ill. Dreams mean something.'
He said to his wife,' Thank you for your lesson, but there are many wise books about 
dreams. These books say that all dreams mean something. And I know many true 
stories about dreams.'
Chaunticleer was a great talker and he read a lot of books He started to tell his wife 
about three dreams which came true This is the first dream.
One day, two pilgrims came to a town where there were a lot of people. It was very 
crowded, so there weren't many places to stay. In the end they had to sleep in different 
places. One man slept in a comfortable house, and the other man slept in a 
farmhouse.
In the night, the man in the comfortable house dreamed that his friend was 
calling him. His friend was crying,' Help! Help! There are dangerous animals in my 
room! They're going to kill me! Come quickly!'
The friend had the same dream three times.
The third time, the man in the farmhouse cried,' It's too late! I'm already dead! 
They've killed me and hidden my body. Go to the west gate of the town. You'll find 
my body there.'
So the friend went to the west gate, and there he found the body.
Chaunticleer said, 'You see, dreams have meanings. Now, I'll tell you another story.'
This was his second story.
Two men wanted to sail across the sea, but they had to wait for the right wind.
They went to stay in a city near the sea, and decided to sail early the next day. 
They went to bed in the same room. They were happy that they could start their 
journey soon.
But in the night one of the men dreamed that he saw a man in heir room. This man 
said to him,' If you sail tomorrow, you'll lie. Stay here, in the city, for one more day. 
Then you'll be safe.'
The man woke up and told his friend the story, but his friend laughed at him. He 
didn't believe that the dream was true.
'The wind's right today,' he said. 'You stay here if you want to wait. I'm leaving. 
Dreams mean nothing! Goodbye!'
He walked away and the man never saw his friend again. The ship sailed onto some 
rocks, and all the men in it were killed.
Then Chaunticleer told Pertelote his third story. It was about the King of Mercia's son.
This little boy was only seven years old. He dreamed that he was in great danger. 
He told a kind woman about his dream but she didn't believe him. Nobody believed 
his dream.
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A few days later, the king's sister killed the little boy.
Chaunticleer finished his stories and said,' My dear Pertelote, I feel better now. I'm
not frightened. Let's fly down to the garden.'
The cock and his wife both flew down from the roof and Chaunticleer called all his 
hens to him. He felt like a king and he wasn't afraid.
It was a beautiful morning. When Chaunticleer sang, his voice sounded happy and 
strong. He happily told the world what time it was.
'Madam Pertelote,' he said, 'listen to the birds. They sound wonderful! And look at 
the flowers. They look lovely after their long winter's sleep. My love, my heart is full of 
happiness.'
But then a terrible thing happened.
A fox lived in the little wood near the old woman's house. He came into the garden 
during the night and hid quietly behind the trees until it was midday.' That's the best 
time to catch poor Chaunticleer,' he thought to himself.
'Oh, Chaunticleer,' the nun's priest said, 'it was a bad day for you! You came 
down from your safe roof into the dangerous garden! You tried to forget your 
dream - but it was true!
' It was a mistake for Chaunticleer to listen to his wife. Women are often wrong. But 
I'm a nun's priest, so I mustn't say too much against women!'
Pertelote was sitting happily in the sun with all her sisters round her. Chaunticleer 
stood near them, singing loudly.
Then the cock heard a noise and turned quickly. There was the fox! He 
stopped singing immediately. He felt very, very frightened.
'Dear sir,' said the fox, 'why have you stopped singing? I'm your friend. I don't 
want to hurt you. You sing beautifully, like your mother and father. They've both 
been to my house. They were very kind to come. I was very happy to have them 
there.
'I've never heard anyone sing like your father on that morning. He shut his 
eyes and stood up tall. Now, please sir, can you sing for me like your father?'
Chaunticleer was very pleased to hear these words. He didn't understand the fox's 
true meaning. So he stood up tall, shut his eyes, and began to sing.
The fox suddenly caught Chaunticleer and threw him on his back. Then he ran 
with him towards the wood.
The hens saw the fox and made a terrible noise. Pertelote made the loudest 
noise. The old woman and her two daughters ran out of their house when they heard 
her.
' Fox! Fox!' they cried out, and ran into the wood. The seven hens followed them, 
then the old woman's three dogs, and the other farm animals. People ran out of their 
houses and threw things at the fox.
The women shouted, ' Fox! Fox!' The hens ran — ' Cluck!
Cluck!' The dogs ran - ' Woof! Woof!' Everyone followed the fox and poor 
Chaunticleer. -
' Now, good people,' said the nun's priest,' you must listen to the end of my story. Then 
you'll learn something.'
The fox ran deeper and deeper into the wood with Chaunticleer in his mouth. When 
he stopped for a rest, the cock spoke to him.
'Sir Fox, you must turn round and speak to those stupid people. Say to them, 
"Go back home! I've reached the wood now and I'm going to eat this cock. You can't 
do anything about it, so stop making that noise. Go home! "'
' That's a good idea,' answered the fox.
Of course, when the fox opened his mouth to speak, he dropped Chaunticleer. The 
cock quickly flew up into a high tree.
' Oh, dear Sir Chaunticleer,' said the fox, as he looked up,' I didn't want to frighten 
you. I didn't really want to eat you. Come down, and talk to me.'
' No,' shouted Chaunticleer,' I'm not coming down. I've been very stupid but now I 
understand you!'
'Ah!' replied the fox.' I was the stupid one. I spoke when you were in my mouth. I 
must learn to keep my mouth shut.'
' So,' said the nun's priest,' don't believe everything that people say to you in this 
world. My story isn't just a simple one about a fox, a cock and seven hens. It can teach 
you important things. You can learn from it.'
' Thank you,' said the pilgrims. ' Thank you, Sir Priest, for a very good story.'