Page 192 - Summaries of Boccaccio's Decameron: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

A Game of Wits: Salabaetto’s Revenge

This novella recounts the tale of Salabaetto, a cunning merchant
who turns the tables on a deceitful Sicilian woman. Themes of
trickery, retribution, and cleverness weave through the story.

Salabaetto, a merchant from Florence, arrives in Palermo with a
modest selection of goods to sell. A wealthy and manipulative
Sicilian woman, known for deceiving men, sets her sights on him.
Pretending to be smitten, she seduces Salabaetto and cunningly

takes all his merchandise, leaving him penniless.

Determined to reclaim his losses, Salabaetto devises a brilliant

plan. He spreads word of his return to Palermo, boasting of an even
greater stock of valuable goods ready for sale. The rumor reaches
the Sicilian woman, who sees another opportunity for profit.

Feigning reconciliation, Salabaetto approaches the woman and

borrows a large sum of money from her, promising lucrative
returns. Trusting she will reap the rewards, the woman eagerly
agrees, unaware of his true intentions.

Salabaetto absconds with her money, leaving behind nothing but
water and tow. The woman, realizing she has been outwitted, is
left humiliated and unable to seek retribution without exposing her
own deceitful nature.
BOLD CONTRASTS AND

GEOMETRIC MOVEMENT
UNDERSCORE THE CALCULATED This witty tale celebrates Salabaetto’s ingenuity and underscores
DECEPTION AT THE HEART the poetic justice dealt to the dishonest Sicilian woman.
OF SALABAETTO’S REVENGE,
HEIGHTENING THE DRAMATIC
TENSION.
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