On the one hand, we have Nicholas, a student of astrology whose study leads him to a contemplation of ethereal matters through interpreting the stars and heavenly matters. However, at the same time, he is engrossed with Alison’s “quiente” and her “haunche-bone,” and how the two of them can deceive Alison’s husband. The deceit involves heavenly or eschatological matters: They convince John that the heavenly stars have revealed a new flood forthcoming, and, as Noah’s family was the only family to be saved, old John is to build miniature arks for the three of them. This action alone would be comical to Chaucer’s audience because the Carpenter’s Guild often presented Noah as a bumbling sort of buffoon ridiculed by his neighbors for abandoning his fields, neglecting his duties, and wasting his time on building an unnecessary boat. Likewise, John in the tale is ridiculed by his neighbors.
Once completed, the arks are tied to the rafters — that is, they are suspended between heaven and earth — and while John is asleep in his heavenly bound ark, Alison and Nicholas descend to their earthly meeting. The scatology then enters the scene when the two lovers play the trick on Absalon and fart in his face. Then in a repetition, when Absalon returns for another kiss, Nicholas presents his arse to be kissed. Burned, his cries for water cause old John to release his heavenly bound ark, only to crash back to earthly matters.
