A Review of The Canterbury Tales: The Cook's Tale

 

For this one I had to use the Books-A-Million edition of The Canterbury Tales from Sweetwater Press as this tale is not contained in the Barnes & Noble Classics edition. In fact, The Cook's Tale seems to be missing from most printed copies of The Canterbury Tales today. For whatever reason, very few modern copies of The Canterbury Tales include Geoffrey Chaucer's full work. 

The Cooke's Tale only goes on for about sixty lines. This story is quite short and very much a fabliau type of work. For those of you not aware, a fabliau was a genre in Medieval French literature that often- deployed crude humour. Of course, Chaucer's work though, is written in the English language. 

                                                                        

                                                                   The Prologue: 

After the Reeve had spoken the cook speaks of his peer having had a good conclusion to the last tale (The Reeve's Tale). The cook continues to praise him while saying how he himself will not have just any man over to his house. The cook then sets up a foundation for his own tale: 

"But God forbid that we should stinte here, 

And therefore if ye will vouchsafe to hear

A tale of me, that am a poore man, 

I will you tell as well as e'er I can

A little jape that fell in our city."

After the cook had spoken, the host encouraged him on. The cook then went on to tell his tale. 

                                                                         The Tale

There was a lively apprentice that dwelt in the city. He was a good dancer and very loveable. He loved the tavern and would often assemble with companions to hop and sing. This apprentice would often put his money into gambling in private street corners. Chaucer compares this character to a rotten apple. Eventually, his master wept as he let his apprentice go. In response, the apprentice spent all night being foolish. The story ends describing the foolishness of the cook and how his wife was a prostitute. Listen to the sad words of his master as he speaks of his former pupil: 

Of a proverb, that saith this same word;

Better is rotten apple of out of hoard, 

Than that it should rot all the remenant: 

So fares it by a riotous servant;

It is well lesse harm to let him pace,

Than he shend all the servants in the place. 

Therefore his master gave him a quittance, 

And bade him go, with sorrow and mischance, 

And thus this jolly prentice had his leve: 

Now let him riot all the night, or leave. 

                                                                      My Analysis: 

Being such a short story, The Cook's Tale does not cover much. The story has been left unfinished. Some scholars believe that Chaucer intended to finish it while others believe that he purposely left it the way it is. Whatever the case, the brief story that it is, is a rebuke to those that waste their life on gambling and immoral fun. Far too often, many throw away their potential as did the apprentice in this tale. 

The Cook's Tale was a good story. Where it falls short is its incompleteness. I think Chaucer was setting up a great story that I wish he had finished. 

Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. -Proverbs 13: 11