The Parson
Quote 1
"Thou getest fable noon ytoold for me,
For Paul that writeth unto Thymothee,
Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse
And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse."
(Parson's Prologue 31 – 34)
Expressing the opinion that "fables," or fanciful stories, are not only frivolous but sinful, the Parson foreshadows the opinion Chaucer expresses in his retraction (for more on this, see "What's Up with the Ending?"). It's a sober note on which to end a story all about telling stories, and no one's ever been quite sure what to make of this choice of last tale-teller and this, the last word on stories.