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The Miller interrupts the Monk's story with a "bettre" tale. The host tells him to stop, but he threatens to leave, so he is allowed to continue.
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An astrology student from Oxford named Nicholas falls in love with a carpenter's wife.
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Nicholas grabs the carpenter's wife, Alisoun, and tells her of his love.
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Absolon, a vain parish clerk, is also madly in love with Alisoun, serenades her every night.
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Nicholas claims that he has a vision of a flood greater than Noah's in order to scare the carpenter into giving up his wife.
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Nicholas's "vision" scares the carpenter into doing what he can to save his wife.
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Nicholas tells the Carpenter that, in order to survive the flood, he must hang three tubs from the barn roof. When the flood comes, they will cut the ropes and float to safety.
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While the Carpenter is sleeping, Nicholas and the Carpenter's wife sneak down to their bedroom and have sex.
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While Nicholas and Alisoun were in bed, Absolon came to their window and asked for a kiss, Alison then rubbed her butt in his face and Absolon went to the blacksmiths to get a poker. When he came back, he thrust it on to Nicholas's bum and burned him badly.
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After having his bum burned, Nicholas screams "water!". Upon hearing this, the Carpenter freaks out and cuts his rope, falling to the ground and breaking his arm. When the townspeople see him, they label him as crazy and laugh at him. The end.