NovelGuide: The Canterbury Tales: Novel Summary: The Cannon Assistant's Tale

Select a Chapter:
General Prologue	The Prologue to the Friar's Tale
The Knight's Tale	The Friar's Tale
The Miller's Prologue	The Prologue to the Summoner's tale
The Miller's Tale	The Summoner's Tale
Prologue of the Reeve's Tale	The Prologue of the Scholar's Tale
The Reeve's Tale	The Scholar's Tale
Prologue of the Cook's Tale	The Prologue of the Merchant's Tale
The Cook's Tale	The Merchant's Tale
Introduction to the Sergeant-at-law's tale	Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale
The Sergeant-at-law's tale	The Squire's Tale
Epilogue of the Sergeant-at-law's tale	Epilogue to the Squire's Tale
The Sea captain's tale	The Franklin's Tale
The Prioress' tale	The Doctor's Tale
The Prologue to Sir Topaz	The Prologue of the Doctor's Tale
Sir Topaz	The Prologue to the Pardoner's Tale
The Prologue to the tale of Melibeus	The Pardoner's Tale
The tale of Meleibeus	The Prologue of the second Nun's Tale
The Prologue of the Monk's tale	The Second Nun's Tale
The Monk's tale	The Prologue of the Cannon Assistant's Tale
Prologue of the Nun Priest's Tale	The Cannon Assistant's Tale
The Nun Priest's Tale	The Manciple's Prologue
Epilogue to the Nun Priest's Tale	The Parson's Prologue
The Prologue of the Wife of Bath's Tale	The Parson's Tale
The Wife of Bath's Tale	Author's Valediction

The Cannon Assistant's Tale

The cannon is a stupid man, says his assistant. He tries to make precious metals from common metals, but he is never successful. The cannon is obsessed with his work, and spends all of his money on his fruitless attempts. There is another cannon who is downright corrupt, and convinced a priest to give up all of his money. He sold the priest a potion that would turn mercury to silver, and made a convincing show using sleight-of-hand. The potion doesn't work for the priest, and he is humiliated and poor.