). In the tale (which is told by a bawdy miller as a group of pilgrims travel to Canterbury), the character Nicholas hangs his
out of a window and farts in the face of his rival Absolom, who is instead expecting a
. Absolom is humiliated by this gesture. Nicholas then attempts to repeat the prank, and Absolom then sears Nicholas's rear with a red-hot poker.
This Alison answered; "Who is there
That knocketh so? I warrant him a thief."
"Nay, nay," quoth he, "God wot, my sweete lefe,
I am thine Absolon, my own darling.
Of gold," quoth he, "I have thee brought a ring,
My mother gave it me, so God me save!
Full fine it is, and thereto well y-grave:
This will I give to thee, if thou me kiss."
Now Nicholas was risen up to piss,
And thought he would amenden all the jape;
He shoulde kiss his erse ere that he scape:
And up the window did he hastily,
And out his erse he put full privily
Over the buttock, to the haunche bone.
And therewith spake this clerk, this Absolon,
"
Speak, sweete bird, I know not where thou art."
This Nicholas anon let fly a fart,
As great as it had been a thunder dent;
That with the stroke he was well nigh y-blent;
But he was ready with his iron hot,
And Nicholas amid the erse he smote.
Off went the skin an handbreadth all about.
The hote culter burned so his toutv,
That for the smart he weened he would die;
As he were wood, for woe he gan to cry,
