Page 208 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 208
“Father Gianni“
Father Gianni is a poor priest in the town of Barletta (on everything Gianni says. She tells her husband to learn
the Aegean Sea side of Italy) who takes goods to market the spell so he can turn her into a horse. That way, they
to supplement his income. He makes friends with another can carry more goods to market. Gianni agrees to show
poor man named Pietro who does the same kind of work. him and tells Pietro that the hardest part of the spell is
Although Pietro lives in Tresanti (southwest of Florence), attaching the tail. Early one morning, Gianni goes to their
Gianni calls him “Neighbor Pietro” out of friendship. The room in his nightshirt to perform the “spell.” He tells Pietro
two men travel back and forth to each other’s towns in that no matter what happens, he shouldn’t say anything.
order to conduct business. Gianni has a horse, but Pietro Ditto for Gemmata. Gianni takes off Gemmata’s clothes
uses a donkey. Each man offers the other hospitality when and makes her get down on all fours. He begins to stroke
he visits, but Gianni’s better able to put up Pietro in his her body, remarking what a fine mare she will make. We
church. Pietro’s house is so small that there’s only room can sure see where this is going. Gianni gets to the bit
for one bed for himself and his beautiful wife. Whenever about attaching the tail. Pietro naturally gets upset. “I
Father Gianni stays with them, he has to sleep on hay in don’t want a tail!” he cries out. But too late. Gianni’s
the barn next to his horse and Pietro’s donkey. Pietro’s already done his thing. He tells Pietro that he’s ruined the
wife, Gemmata, offers to stay with a neighbor so that spell by speaking and now he can never do it again. No
Gianni can share the bed with Pietro, but he declines the mare for him. Gemmata’s angry at her husband: he just
offer. I’d rather stay with the mare, Gianni says, because ruined their financial prospects! After this incident, Gianni
I know a spell that will turn her into a beautiful woman. and Pietro pack up their wares and go about their business
Gemmata is more beautiful than clever and believes as if nothing had happened.
“Father Gianni” retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
<https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/ninth-day-tenth-story>
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