Page 110 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 110
“Giannole and Minghino“
Giacomino da Pavia inherits his friend Guidotto’s ward, a realize they’re in a heap of trouble, so they write letters to
10-year-old girl. Giacomino takes the girl, Agnesa, to his Giacomino to ask his forgiveness and to ask him what kind
hometown of Faenza and raises her as his own. The girl of recompense he wants. Giacomino says that because he’s
grows up to be beautiful, what else is new? So beautiful not native to the area, and that Agnesa actually is, he’ll
that two gentlemen, Giannole and Minghino, fall desperately be ruled by them. Then Giacomino is obliged to tell the
in love with her. Each man plots to kidnap her. Giannole story of how his friend Guidotto found Agnesa. He’d been
works with Giacomino’s servant, Crivello, to help him plundering houses in Faenza during wars there when they
get into the house. Minghino cozies up to Giacomino’s found a little girl in an abandoned house. She was a sweet
maidservant. She delivers his love letters and puts in 2-year-old and called him “father,” so he took her into
a good word with her mistress. Both Crivello and the his care. One of the gentlemen listening to the story had
maidservant promise to let their respective gentlemen actually witnessed the incident and knew that the house
into the house as soon as Giacomino decides to dine out. belonged to a man named Bernabuccio, who lost a little
When that happens, they both send word and both men girl of that age at that time. Bernabuccio, who’s present
come running with their posses to snatch the girl. Giannole at the telling of this story, asks to see the skin behind
gets there first and grabs the girl, dragging her into the Agnesa’s ear, so that he can look for an identifying scar.
street. Agnesa is not pleased. She lets out a blood-curdling Wouldn’t you know, she not only has the scar, she looks just
scream. Minghino rushes to the rescue and the two men like Bernabuccio’s wife! Not only are father and daughter
start fighting. In the end, Minghino manages to get Agnesa reunited, but another problem is solved. Bernabuccio is
back into the house. Giacomino returns and realizes quickly Giannole’s father, too. He clearly can’t marry his sister. So
that Agnesa has had nothing to do with this, but he has Minghino wins the day, getting the girl because they don’t
to marry her off and quick. The families of the two men have matching DNA.
“Giannole and Minghino” retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
DECAMERON 110 <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/fifth-day-fifth-story>
