Page 198 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
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“Calandrino and Niccolosa“
A wealthy Florentine built a lovely mansion and asked she’d throw herself at him. So he plays his ridiculous love
Calandrino’s friends Buffalmacco and Bruno to decorate it songs, much to the entertainment of everyone, and follows
up with frescoes. The two men realize that the job will be Niccolosa around like a puppy dog. Bruno also convinces him
enormous, so they ask Calandrino and their friend Nello to to send her love letters and delivers letters to Calandrino from
help out. The mansion’s unoccupied while they work in it, Niccolosa. In short, they have a good laugh at his expense
except that the owner’s son Filippo occasionally brings some for two months. As the job draws to a close, Calandrino gets
girl or other up there to play. One day, he brings a beautiful frantic. What happens if he can’t bed Niccolosa before they
woman called Niccolosa with him. She goes out to the well leave? So Bruno promises that he’ll make Niccolosa give in to
to splash some water on her face and runs into Calandrino, him before long. He tells Calandrino to gather up some items
who’s fetching water for the workmen. Since she’s beautiful, he so that Bruno can make a “magic” scroll that will help him.
can’t help but stare; since he’s so unattractive, she can’t help Among these items: a live bat. Calandrino spends all night
but look him over. Calandrino interprets her stares as looks catching one. Bruno makes the magic parchment scroll and
of love and Niccolosa plays this up, flirting with him for fun. tells Calandrino to touch Niccolosa with it and then take her
When he returns to Bruno, he tells him that he’s fallen in love up to the barn to take what he wants. Meanwhile, Nello joins
with Niccolosa, but he’s worried that she’s actually Filippo’s in the fun and travels back to Florence to cause trouble with
wife. Calandrino tells Bruno to keep his amor a secret from Tessa. He explains that Calandrino has been carrying on with a
Nello, since he’s related to Calandrino’s wife Tessa. No worries, harlot and that Tessa should come and catch him. Back at the
Bruno says, I’ll help you out, bro. Bruno goes immediately to house, Filippo pretends to leave for Florence the minute they
Buffalmacco and Nello to tell them all about it. Then he tells see Tessa arriving. Calandrino takes his chance and touches
Filippo and Niccolosa about Calandrino’s feelings. They hatch Niccolosa with the scroll and then takes her to the barn.
a plan to make a fool out of him. Though Bruno knows very Niccolosa plays her role well, following as if in a trance and
well that Niccolosa isn’t the sort of woman Filippo would then throwing him onto the hay and pretending to make love
marry, he tells Calandrino that she’s his wife. At the end of the with him. Just as Calandrino reaches up to kiss her, Tessa walks
working day, Calandrino and the others come upon Niccolosa in. She sees Niccolosa straddling her husband and loses her
and Filippo in the courtyard. Calandrino struts around like a mind. She attacks Calandrino and claws his face with her nails,
peacock to catch Niccolosa’s eye. Everyone thinks he’s hilarious plus reads him the riot act. And of course, his good friends
and Niccolosa encourages him, while Filippo turns a blind Bruno, Buffalmacco and Nello are watching and having a good
eye and pretends not to notice. When they leave, Bruno tells laugh. In the end, Calandrino has to return to Florence with his
Calandrino that he has Niccolosa eating out of the palm of his very angry wife, who makes sure he knows just how awful a
hand. If he’d just bring his rebec and play her some love tunes, husband he really is.
“Calandrino and Niccolosa” retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
198 <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/ninth-day-fifth-story>
