The set-up for the tales is a trip by a set of religious pilgrims from all walks of life, Chaucer himself is part of the group of pilgrims. They are on their way to Canterbury Cathedral, hence the collection's name. The pilgrims are traveling together for safety. On the first night they agree to take turns telling tales to entertain each other, each telling four stories, two on the journey to Canterbury and two on the journey back. The leader of the party, an innkeeper, says that he will judge which of the stories is the best and reward its teller with a meal. However, beacause Chaucer died before finishing the work, only one tale is told by most of the pilgrims, an exception being the character of Chaucer himself. Chaucer begins to tell "The Tale of Sir Thopas" but is stopped by the innke