Page 136 - SUMMARIES OF GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO’S DECAMEON : A Visionary Journey In 100 Stories And 100 Etchings By Petru Russu

Chichibio the Cook : Laughter as the Sharpest Seasoning

In The Sixth Day’s Fourth Novell, Boccaccio stirs up a savory blend of humor
and cleverness in the tale of Chichibio, a cook whose quick wit proves more
satisfying than the meal he prepares. It’s a reminder that comedy, when timed

right, can rescue us from even the most heated confrontations.

Chichibio serves Messer Currado Gianfigliazzi, a nobleman of formidable
temper and high expectations. When Currado brings home a crane for

dinner, he entrusts Chichibio to roast it whole. Yet love, and hunger,
intervenes when Brunetta, the cook’s beloved, asks for one of the crane’s
legs. Chichibio, smitten and soft-hearted, hands it over.

That choice nearly costs him dearly. At the feast, Currado is outraged by
the missing limb and confronts Chichibio. Undeterred, the cook spins a
tale: cranes, he insists, only have one leg. The absurdity of the claim is
bold, but delivered with such conviction that Currado demands proof.

Off they go to the marsh the next morning, where the cranes do indeed
appear to stand on one leg. Currado roars, and the birds reveal their second
legs and take flight. Exposed, Chichibio doesn’t crumble. Instead, he delivers a

perfect punchline: “But, Sir, you did not shout at last night’s crane!”

Currado, caught between anger and laughter, bursts out laughing.
Chichibio’s wit wins the day, transforming what could’ve ended in
AS IF CHOREOGRAPHED BY
scolding into shared amusement.
PUNCHLINE AND PLUMAGE,
THE SCENE OFFERS KINETIC
JEST AND DOMESTIC MISCHIEF, This novella, though light in tone, champions the virtues of spontaneity,
SWIRLED INTO A CARNIVAL OF
charm, and good-natured deflection. Chichibio’s spirit brings warmth to a
ABSTRACTION, A PAINTERLY
world governed by rank and decorum, and reminds us that sometimes, the
SATIRE CAPTURING CHICHIBIO’S
COMIC DIPLOMACY. best response is the one that makes everyone laugh.
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