Alexandra Dougherty
“The Nun’s Priest”
Reader Response











I am a little confused in the beginning of the Nun’s Priest’s tale because I haven’t
read the Monk’s tale. The host is talking about the monk’s tale, but I can’t relate
to what he is saying because I don’t know what the tale is about.
After reading the first two paragraphs describing the widow, the story hasn’t
caught my attention or drawn me in.
My opinion is not changed when I read that the rooster has seven sisters that are
also his wives. Maybe roosters don’t have inbreeding, but this is still disgusting.
At first, I’m skeptical about a story with talking hens as the main characters, but it
starts to become amusing after I get into it.
I don’t think this was meant to be a serious story because all of the dialogue and
situations seem silly. (Especially when Partlet claims that dreams are caused by
overeating and gas.)
When Chanticleer goes off on a tangent with his story, I begin to loose interest
because a whole new story line is being introduced, and the tale is becoming
confusing.
The numerous references to God are not appealing to me because I’m not at all
religious, and I hate when religion is incorporated into literature. However, I
know that it was a large part of peoples’ lives in this time period.
I’m starting to think that the entire tale is just going to be the hen and the rooster
debating about the importance of dreams, which seems like a pointless premise
for a story.
I just read that a fox broke into Chanticleer’s yard, and I predict that it will
murder either him or Bartlet, and that his dream was a correct prediction.
I like the references and comparisons to Roman gods and the war at Troy because
I find that subject area very intriguing.
Overall, the tale was ridiculous and silly, but I can relate to the moral, and it was a
clever way of portraying the lesson.
Summary
The Nun’s Priest’s tale follows the Monk’s tale, which the Host claims is too tragic. Her
tale begins by describing a poor widow who lives modestly with meager food, but is
healthy. She has a magnificent rooster named Chanticleer who has seven sisters, who are
also his wives. The most beautiful hen is Demoiselle Partlet, who captured Chanticleer’s
heart.
One morning, Chanticleer began to groan in a startling manner, and Partlet
becomes concerned. He had a dream about a predator that would have killed him. Partlet
decides that she cannot love a coward, and chastises Chanticleer for being afraid of a
dream. She tells him to take a laxative, and offers to find herbs to cure him of his bad
dreams.
Chanticleer replies by saying that dreams are also significant of joy in life. To
prove his point, he tells a story of two travelers, one of which was lodging in a cow stall
and the other comfortably in a room. The second man had a dream that his friend was
murdered, and awoke to find that his dream was true. He was able to find the murderer,
and have him arrested. The rooster uses this as proof that dreams are to be feared.
He then tells another story about sailors. One man had a dream that the ship
would sink the next day. Inevitably, it did sink, and Chanticleer once again says that
dreams should be feared. After providing several more examples of why dreams are
significant, Chanticleer proclaims that Partlet is very beautiful, and that she makes him
happy.
Later, in the month of March, a fox broke into Chanticleer’s yard. When he
encounters the animal, it speaks to him, and claims that it means no harm. He flatters
Chanticleer by praising his singing, and when the rooster begins to show off his superior
voice, the fox captures him. The hens witness this event, and shriek in grief.
The widow and her daughters hear the hen’s cries, and come outside. They
lament over the loss of their rooster, and chase away the fox. However, the rooster is
able to break away from the fox’s mouth and fly to a tree. When the fox attempts to talk
Chanticleer into coming down, but Chanticleer is wary and won’t be tricked twice. The
moral of the story is that one should not be careless and trust flattery.