The Shipman's Tale is one of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It tells the story of a wealthy merchant whose wife convinces a young monk to lend her 100 francs. Smitten, the monk agrees and later asks to borrow the same amount from the merchant. When the merchant returns from a trip, the monk claims to have repaid the debt by giving the money back to the wife, but she insists it was a gift. She offers to repay her husband instead with her "jolly body." The tale presents a debate about the role of power and position in society.