tale

“A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. […]”

the Canterbury Tales

the ignorant, […] who measure by tale, and not by weight

And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

[…] birds […] are aptest by their voice to tell tales what they find; and likewise by the motion of their flight to express the same.