Pilgrims on their way to worship at the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury stop at the Tabard Inn. They represent a cross-section of medieval English society. To amuse themselves on their journey, they agree that each will tall a tale that really tells much about each individual. This is often called the first book of peotry written in English.

Considered one of Chaucer's finest poems, second only to The Canterbury Tales in richness and depth, Troilus and Cressida is a tragic love story set against the background of the siege of Troy by the Greeks. Written in the 1380s, it presents Troilus, son of Priam and younger brother of Hector, as a Trojan warrior of renown who sees, and falls deeply in love with, the beautiful Cressida. Cressida is the daughter of Calchas, a Trojan priest and seer...

The Prologue • The Knight’s Tale • The Miller’s Tale • The Pardoner’s Tale • The Merchant’s Tale • The Franklin’s Tale

Chaucer's greatest work, written towards the end of the fourteenth century, paints a brilliant picture of medieval life, society, and values. The stories range from the romantic, courtly idealism of 'The Knight's Tale' to the joyous bawdy of the Miller's; all are told with a freshness and vigour

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A sly fox tries to outwit a proud rooster through the use of flattery.

Original and modern versions in parallel columns. Contains both Chaucer's epic poem, detailing tragic story of the lovers Troilus and Criseyde set against a backdrop of war during the Siege of Troy, and Canterbury Tales, a frame story of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together.