Posted by Ryann on February 25, 19103 at 21:50:48:

In Reply to: Nun's Priest's Tale posted by Amita on November 16, 19102 at 11:35:43:

here this might help.... i was wondering if you knew any characteristics of the Nun's priest himself.???

pleaseeeee e mail me back

The story goes like this: A humble widow lives in a humble house and has two humble daughters. They are poor, but their pride and joy is owning Chaunticleer, a handsome, talented, cultured rooster. Chaunticleer sings like Pavarotti and is sorta master of seven hens. His best chick, practically his wife, the love of his life--Pertelote-- enjoys reflected glory through her exalted position as Chaunticleer's favorite. There is more! All of the barnyard residents and forest critters (like foxes) speak English and communicate with each other. Some of them may speak back-yard English, but Chaunticleer and Pertelote speak the Queen's English version--so proper, so, well, top drawer. Anyone would be as impressed as they were themselves.

One early morning Chaunticleer did not wake up his usual cheery mood, having dreamed a pretty bad nightmare about a beast who chases him. It looked a lot like a fox, maybe scarier. (Could that dream be divine foreknowledge? Consider what is yet to come, and who is telling the tale.) Chaunticleer wants some TLC from his little lady hen, but she is not wanting to scratch around with that kind of talk, no way. She takes over, tells Chaunticleer to forget the dream and take a powder, oops, take a laxative, that it's good for what ails ya. Well, Chaunticleer likes to be in charge, too. In fact, he knows who is boss of the barnyard (him), but he loves Pertelote and doesn't want to hurt her feelings. So he thanks her and compliments her and tells her a couple of stories in his gorgeous voice to smooth her feathers. He moralizes after each story then quotes a few impressive lines from literature, many of them about dreams. He sees she is listening, so he tells her some more stories and kisses up to Pertelote for quite a while.(He's not a bad fellow, you know.) Now that Chaunticleer has this situation under control, he apparently forgets about that bad dream. He sits next to Pertelote, proud as a pea, looking over his domain.

At this point in the story they break for a commercial, and TNP tells the Canterbury Bunch about a fox nearby who the Priest calls a lot of uncomplimentary names like "traitor". TNP says the fox is much like other well-known traitors. This fox wants to--of all things--eat Chaunticleer. Being a fox, Daun Russell has too much dignity to just cut to the chase--he has a plan. TNP talks a little more about things like divine foreknowledge which means, "ya know what ya know--ya need no proof, knowing is enough but vanity interferes with the process, so somebody better watch out or he is going to be lunch".

Then TNP returns to the story... Chaunticleer is just enjoying the morning, beginning to look around at things (like a erfly) when he sees the fox and starts running. Fox has a pretty-good sound himself, so he calls out in his foxy voice and lulls the y rooster into believing he is only there for a concert. Chaunticleer can't help himself--he stays to sing, closing his eyes for better tone. Of course, that's just what fox wants. He grabs Chaunticleer by the throat (soooo rude!) and runs. Chaos controls the barnyard--squawking, barking, hissing, quacking, clucking and yelling. The widow, her daughters, dogs, everybody and everything that speaks English chase the fox. (Why didn't fox run to the woods?) You'd think the fox could at the very least take a hint and release the rooster, apologize, and make amends by offering to take the whole group to Chuck A Rama. But no. He has his pride, too.

Meanwhile, Chaunticleer uses a fox-tactic, tells fox if it were him, he wouldn't put up with their insults and barnyard ways. He'd tell them off. Apparently fox liked the idea and opened his mouth to act upon the suggestion, and Presto! Chaunticleer flew up, up and away. The diasppointed fox tried sweet-talking the rooster into another concert but Chaunticleer basically told him, "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"....There were a lot of lessons learned that day in the barnyard, but probably not by the travelers. The Nun's Priest is a foxy, sweet old thing, himself. Nobody but Chaucer really got the drift. Well, maybe us
(this was copied off of a site)
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