THE SQUIRE

• Cambiuskan - a king
• Elpheta - a queen
• Algarsyf & Cambalo - princes
• Canace - a princess
• Knight - a messenger
• Falconess - a betrayed one

On the birthday of king Cambiuskan, a strange knight appears and bears gifts from the kings of Arabia and India.

There is a magic flying horse made of brass, a sword that can kill and heal, a fortune-telling mirror, and a ring that makes the wearer understand birds and know herbs.

The next morning, Canace wears the magic ring and takes a walk. She comes upon a falconess that had been betrayed by a kite.

Canace takes her in and tends to her wounds…

… Chaucer did not finish this story.

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THE FRANKLIN

• Arveragus - a honourable knight
• Dorigen - a faithful woman
• Aurelius - a goodhearted fool
• Magician - a forgiven soul

Arveragus is married to Dorigen. The only thing he asked her on their wedding was to respect his position of honour.

When Arveragus goes off to war, Aurelius, a squire, tries to woo Dorigen.

She is not interested and tells him he only has a chance if he removes the black rocks on the coast from her sight.

Aurelius finds a magician and for a price, he will make an illusion which removes the rocks.

When Arveragus comes back, the distraught Dorigen tells of her unfortunate vow.

Arveragus decides that Dorigen must honour her vow.

When Aurelius realizes how reluctant Dorigen is and how honourable Arveragus, he changes his mind and lets the two be.

Aurelius is now broke and wifeless.

When the magician sees the selflessness of all three, he decides to waive the fee.

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THE PHYSICIAN

• **Virginius **- a serious knight
• Virginia - a victim of the patriarchy
• Appius - a lawless judge
• Claudius - a fool

Virginius and his wife take their 14 year old daughter Virginia to worship.

Appius, sees the girl and wants her.

He hires Claudius to make a complaint against Virginus to the court.

Claudius claims that Virginia isn’t Virginus’s child at all, but a slave baby stolen from him.

Appius, being the judge, decrees that Virginia must be given back to Claudius at once.

Virginus decides that Virginia’s honour must be preserved. He kills her.

The townspeople smell a ruse and confront Appius.

Appius is thrown in jail, where he kills himself and Claudius is exiled.

“For no matter whether he is an ignorant man or a learned man, he does not know how soon he shall be brought to fear.”