A group of pilgrims bound for Canterbury Cathedral agree to pass the weary miles by taking turns at storytelling -- thus begins English literature's greatest collection of chivalric romances, bawdy tales, fables, legends, and other stories. The 14th-century pilgrims represent a range of philosophies, professions, and temperaments, and their vivid, realistic characterizations assured the "Tales "an instant and enduring success. Each pilgrim's story can be read separately and appreciated in its own right; all appear here in a lucid translation into modern English verse by J. U. Nicholson.