Story Summary
Discover The Reeve's Tale, a bawdy medieval fabliau where two students seek revenge on a dishonest miller through a series of clever and chaotic nightly pranks.
Symkyn was a proud and dishonest miller in Trumpington who lived by stealing grain from his customers. When two students from Cambridge, Aleyn and John, arrived to watch their grain being ground to prevent theft, Symkyn took it as a challenge. He untied their horse, forcing the students to spend hours chasing it through the fens while he stole half a bushel of their flour. With no choice but to stay the night in the miller's cramped house, the students plotted their revenge. In the pitch-black room, Aleyn seduced the miller's daughter, Malyne. Meanwhile, John moved the baby's cradle to the foot of his own bed, tricking the miller's wife into climbing into his bed by mistake. When dawn broke, the miller discovered the deceptions, leading to a frantic physical brawl. In the chaos, the miller's wife accidentally struck her husband with a staff, thinking he was one of the clerks. The students escaped with their stolen flour and a cake made from it, leaving the thieving miller beaten, humiliated, and cheated of his own prize.
The Moral
He who practices deceit should expect to be deceived in return; trickery often recoils upon the trickster.
“A gilour shal hymself bigiled be.”
Fun Fact
Chaucer used a specific Northern dialect for the two students, Aleyn and John, making this one of the earliest examples of dialect used for characterization in English literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the moral of The Reeve's Tale?
The moral is that 'a deceiver shall himself be deceived.' It teaches that those who live by dishonesty and trickery will eventually fall victim to the same tactics from others.
Who wrote The Reeve's Tale?
The story was written by Geoffrey Chaucer as part of his 14th-century collection, The Canterbury Tales. It is told by the character of the Reeve, Oswald.
Why did the Reeve tell this specific story?
The Reeve told this story as a direct retaliation against the Miller's Tale. Since the Miller told a story mocking a carpenter (the Reeve's former profession), the Reeve responded with a story mocking a miller.
What defines The Reeve's Tale as a fabliau?
A fabliau is a short, humorous, and often bawdy medieval tale characterized by slapstick violence, trickery, and sexual intrigue. This story fits the genre perfectly through its focus on outsmarting a greedy antagonist.
What is the significance of the cradle in the story?
The cradle is the central prop used for the 'cradle-trick.' By moving it, the students confuse the miller's wife in the dark, leading her to believe she is entering her own bed when she is actually entering the student's bed.
How does the story end for the miller?
The miller is physically beaten, his daughter and wife are compromised, and his stolen grain is taken back. He is left completely humiliated, suffering the loss of both his dignity and his ill-gotten gains.
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