The Merchant’s Tale

During the pilgrimage to Canterbury, one of the pilgrims, the merchant, claimed that he was married to an horrible woman!

So Harry Bailey, the host, said:”Tell us a story!”…and the merchant began to tell.

Once there was, dwelling in Lombardy, a worthy knight who had lived nobly for sixty years without a wife. His name was January and one day he decided to find a woman no older than twenty to marry and have an heir with.

His friends disagreed about the wedding but the knight decided to go for it.

After a time, January fell in love with a beautiful young woman, May, and he married her.

Everyone was happy for them, except for Damian,the knight’s squire,who was really in love with the girl.

However,Damian had written a love letter to May that he pinned in a silk purse next to his heart.

One day the other squires told January that the boy was sick so the old knight decided to send May to visit Damian,to tell him he would visit soon.

When May went to Damian,the boy slipped his letter into her hand and the girl hid it. She read it secretly.

January’s house had a very beautiful garden and he loved it so much that only he possessed the key to it. In the summer he would go there and pass some time with his wife.

In that time,January had also became blind and increasingly possessive of his wife,which caused Damian great grief. However,May and Damian kept in touch via letter and by various secret signs.

One day May imprinted January’s key to the garden in warm wax and Damian made a secret copy of the key.

The 8th of June came round and the old knight decided to bring his wife to the garden.

Damian had already entered the garden and May,once she was in,signaled to him to climb up a nearby tree,full of fruit.

May told her husband to help her climb the tree and take a pear to eat.Here she found Damian and they began to kiss and hug each other.

Suddenly, the god Pluto decided to restore January’s sight and the man saw the two lovers on the tree!

But May,helped soon by the goddess Proserpina, said that she was trying to give back his sight struggling with a man in a tree:it was one of the best way to restore eyesight!

Finally January believed her and they returned home:the old knight was delighted and he kissed and hugged his wife for all the way back.

Everyone was amazed by this tale,especially the host who exclaimed:”Women are full of cunning tricks!”