The Cook's Tale
So up to this point, every tale is explicitly stated to have earned some modicum of approval from the crowd. However, the only vocal supporter of the Reeve's Tale is the Cook, who seems to have enjoyed it a little TOO much because he can't stop going on about what a great story it is and how well Simkin had it handed to him.
I can back this up, too, because when the Cook says that he'd like to do his story next because he ALSO knows one with a prank, the Host says, fine, but he makes it clear that he doesn't have much enthusiasm left in him for these bawdy farces. So we're only three tales in and the Reeve has already killed the vibe.
Anyway the Cook retorts that on the way home, he'll tell a story where a Host gets humiliated, but in the meantime he's going to tell this one:
There was an apprentice to a tavern owner; his name was Perkins. Perkins wasn't a very good employee. Sure, he was good company, and he loved dancing so much that he would crash parties just to dance. But he also played the dice, and the tavern master found his strongbox emptied out one too many times.
But, when it was time for Perkins to graduate, the master figured, well, if I don't pass this kid then he's going to stick around and rub off on my other students. So he sends Perkins packing with a shiny new degree.
Perkins also has a partner-in-crime: his wife, who pretends to manage a storefront, but actually she's a prostitute.
Of this Cook's tale Chaucer writes no more.
I can only assume that Chaucer had about as much enthusiasm for this tale as the Host did and never finished it.