Seeing the Cook drunk, asleep, and swaying in his saddle, the Host tries to awaken him in order to demand a tale. But in spite of the Host’s efforts, the Cook falls from his horse. The pilgrims halt and, with great effort, restore the Cook to his saddle. The Manciple offers to tell a tale instead.
In a faraway land, Phoebus is the ideal man: a great warrior, a skilled musician, and very handsome and kind. He has a wife whom he loves more than life itself and bestows upon her all the kindness and love at his command, but he is extremely jealous.
In Phoebus’ magnificent household is a marvelous, pure white crow that can repeat the words of any thing it hears. While Phoebus is gone, his wife’s secret lover comes to the home and makes passionate love to her. Upon Phoebes’ return, the crow tells him the scandalous sight he has seen. In a rage, Phoebus kills his wife. As his rage cools, the sight of his wife’s dead body brings great remorse. In anger, he pulls out the crow’s white feathers and replaces them with black ones. Then before throwing him out, Phoebus removes the crow’s ability to sing and speak. The Manciple ends his tale by admonishing all people to restrain their tongues.
