James Baquet

Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” were written in Middle English over 600 years ago, making them difficult to read today. And that’s a shame, because the book is full of cracking good yarns. In one story, you might recognize the basis of the movie “Shrek.”

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” is about the days of King Arthur, which even in Chaucer’s time were far in the past, when people believed the land was full of fairies.

A girl had come to Camelot to seek justice because one of Arthur’s knights had attacked her while she was bathing in a river. Queen Guinevere intervened and announced that, in lieu of execution, the knight was to ride forth and learn within a year, on pain of death, the answer to the question: “What it is that women most desire?”

Throughout his year-long quest, he received many answers from all sorts of women — riches, clothes, happiness, love. But near the end of the year, no two answers had agreed. He turned his horse toward home, acceptinghis fate.

But nearing Camelot, he came across a group of dancing maidens. As he ran toward them to seek an answer, they vanished! In their place was a hideously ugly old woman. She offered to help him, and he asked her his question.

Before answering, she made him swear to do whatever she asked. Imagining the executioner’s sword on his neck, he knelt down and agreed. With that, she leaned toward him and mumbled in his ear...

That night, he rode into Camelot with the old crone on his saddle. When Queen Guinevere demanded his answer, he said: “What women want is the freedom to do as they please!” All recognized the truth of the answer, and his life was spared.

With that, the old woman asked him to marry her. Reluctantly, he kept his promise, and they were wed.

That night, sensing his distress, she made him an offer: She could remain as she was, with the knight assured that she would remain true to him; or she could become young, and beautiful — and he would always have to worry that she might cheat on him. Amazed, he decided to let her choose the best course, and he would follow her wishes — at which she transformed into a woman of great beauty! His gift of liberty had set her free from a spell, and they lived happily in trust and freedom.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. spoke unclearly

2. fair judgement

3. changed

4. small supernatural creatures

5. stories, tales

6. ugly old woman

7. a pity, too bad

8. instead of

9. not enthusiastically

10. promise