Page 146 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 146
“Gianni and the Werewolf“
Gianni Lotteringhi has a beautiful and clever wife called change in plans. And so just as they go to bed, Federigo
Monna Tessa. Gianni isn’t so clever. However, he’s a good knocks on the door. Gianni hears it immediately and Tessa
weaver and makes a good living, so most people in the has some quick thinking to do. She tells Gianni that the
neighborhood take advantage of him. Tessa realizes that knocking is from a werewolf that’s been scaring her for the
she’ll need to take a lover to be happy, so she turns her past few nights. Tessa tells her husband that she knows a
mind to a handsome man called Federigo. In the summer, prayer to exorcise the beast and asks Gianni to go with her
Tessa often goes to a villa that her husband owned. Most to the door. She stands at the door and speaks a “prayer”
of the time, Gianni doesn’t stay at home with her in the that’s actually a warning to Federigo who’s on the other side
evenings, so this means that Tessa’s free to invite her friend. of the door. In the prayer, she tells him about the food under
And she does, more than once. Tessa contrives a system the tree and that he should “let them be” since Gianni’s
of signals to warn Federigo if her husband’s going to be at there. Federigo gets it and makes off with the food that
home in the villa. There’s a donkey’s skull on a post in the Tessa set out for him. In the days after, Tessa and Federigo
vineyard near the villa. If the skull points toward Florence, have a good laugh over her prayer. At the end of her tale,
their date is on. If it points in the opposite direction, they’ll Emilia tells us that there’s another version of the ending,
have to raincheck because Gianni’s at home. This works one that has a peasant turning the donkey skull from the
well until it doesn’t. One night, Gianni arrives at the villa right direction to the wrong one and also a different prayer.
unexpectedly. Tessa sends the maid with a supper for Emilia says we can choose which version we like best, or
Federigo into the garden, but no one tells him about the perhaps keep them both.
“Gianni and the Werewolf” retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
DECAMERON 146 <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/seventh-day-first-story>
