The reduced Canterbury Tales: Physician's Tale to Tale of Melibee

(The challenge was to write a complete story in exactly 100 words. So here is Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tale with each tale reduced to 100 words. This post contains Tales thirteen to eighteen.)

Click on the titles for fuller accounts of each Tale

Physician's Tale

Virginia is the beautiful young daughter of Virginius. Apius, a corrupt judge, fancies her and persuades Claudius to bring a charge against Virginius claiming that Virginia is in fact an escaped servant of his. Apius finds in Claudius’s favour, but rather than release Virginia to the court, he tells her that death is preferable to dishonour and he must therefore kill her, a fate that she accepts. Virginius takes her head to Apius who demands that Virginius be hanged for murder but the people rise up against Apius who is thrown in prison and commits suicide. Virginius has Claudius exiled.

Pardoner's Tale

When a friend dies of the plague, three young men pledge to find and kill Death. An old man tells them where Death can be found, but instead they find a pile of gold. Two of them send the third to fetch food and wine while they guard the treasure. However, the two plan to kill the third so that they can share the gold between themselves. Meanwhile the third man puts poison in their wine so that he can claim all the gold himself. When he returns he is killed and the other two drink the wine to celebrate.

Shipman's Tale 

John, a monk, regularly visits a merchant and his wife. The wife complains to John that her husband is mean, and asks him for a loan of a hundred franks. John goes to the husband and asks for a hundred franks loan, which he gets. When the monk gives the money to the wife he gets a night of passion for his reward. When the merchant calls in the loan, the monk says that he has already paid it to the wife. The wife tells her husband that she thought it was a gift, but repays him in bed instead.

Prioress's Tale 

A young Christian boy has to walk through the Jewish quarter on his way to school. As he walks he sings a Christian hymn that so annoys the Jews that they murder him and throw his body into a cesspit. His mother finds his body, which is still singing despite him being dead. He is taken to the abbey for burial and the Jews are condemned and executed. The boy says that he can only go to Heaven if a seed, placed on his tongue by the Virgin Mary, is removed. This is done and his body is then buried.

Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas 

Sir Thopas rides out to meet a fairy queen along a route lined with flowers and with birds singing, but the giant Sir Oliphant stands in his way. He offers to fight the giant but says that he has not got his proper armour and so must go home and get it. The giant throws a few stones at him. Once back home, Sir Thopas tells his men about the giant, who now has three heads. At this point the Host tells Chaucer that he can’t stand any more of this nonsense and would he please stop – which he does.

Chaucer's Tale of Melibee 

Melibee comes home to discover that three men have broken in and attacked his wife, Prudence, and Sophie their daughter, leaving the latter very badly injured. Melibee and Prudence then debate what action Melibee should take, and they call in a number of friends to offer advice, much of which is conflicting. Melibee is all for meeting violence with violence, but Prudence is not so sure. She advises patience, making peace, and the rule of law. Eventually he calls in the three attackers and forgives them after they apologise. Does Sophie recover? We are not told, but it seems unlikely!

© John Welford