Manciple's tale (Canterbury Tales ) The Manciple, a purchasing agent for a law court, tells a fable about Phoebus Apollo and his pet crow, which is both an etiological myth explaining the crow's black feathers, and a moralistic injunction against Gossip.In the tale's prologue, the Host tries to rouse the drunken Cook to tell a tale, but he is too intoxicated. The Manciple insults the Cook, who falls semi-conscious from his horse, but they are reconciled by the Host and the Manciple offers the Cook another drink to make up.
The miller's tale (Canterbuty tales)"The Miller's Tale" (Middle English: The Milleres Tale) is the second of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1380s-1390s), told by a drunken miller to "quite" (requite) The Knight's Tale. Again we have a triangle relationship between Old John, his young wife, and the lodger, repeated many times in literature since. Even to this present day, much ridicule is made of old men who marry young girls, and who cannot satisfy their desires.
The pardoner's tale (canterbury tales ) "The Pardoner's Tale" (Middle English: The Pardoners Tale) is one of the The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. The story is in the form of an exemplum: the Pardoner first explains the theme he will address, then tells his story and finally draws the conclusion he had already mentioned in his introduction. The old man mirrors the hypocrisy of the Narrator himself in the way he deceives the three men. The Pardoner’s work is also based on deceit, selling relics to the unwary.
The reeve's tale (canterbury tales) The Reeve's Tale is the third story told in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.The reeve, named Oswald in the text, is the manager of a large estate who reaped incredible profits for his master and himself. He is described in the Tales as skinny and bad-tempered. The Reeve had once been a carpenter, a profession mocked in the previous Miller's Tale. Oswald responds with a tale that mocks the Miller's profession.
The Merchant's Tale" is one of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
We have yet another instance of an old foolish man being hoodwinked by a young bride.
The clear moral of the tale here is that an old man should not marry a young bride unless he can satisfy her. Failure to do this will only make a young bride look elsewhere for satisfaction.
The names of the characters are important; January symbolizes the old man, whereas May represents the young woman – Winter against Spring. Justinius, January’s friend is symbolized as a righteous man whose advice is rejected.
