In Holderness, Yorkshire, there is a greedy friar who never fulfils the promises he gives to his parishioners. But his servant always collects the gifts in a large sack. One of the friar's victims is Thomas, an old man lying ill abed for many days. The friar tries to get some legacy from old Thomas, who responds that he has given a considerable sum to the friars and that this has not shown any effect at all. The friar explains that this is understandable, since Thomas has diversified his gifts to various orders. Thomas then offers a gift which should be equally shared by all friars of the convent and which is to be found beneath his buttocks. Greedily the friar reaches there and receives a fart. Later a servant suggests to divide the fart by means of a twelve-spiked wheel.

The Summoner's Tale
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