Page 64 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu

“Dom Felice and Friar Puccio“
There once was a guy named Puccio, who was part of the
Franciscan order. He took the title “Friar” even though
he didn’t live in a cloister. In fact, he was married to
the young and beautiful Monna Isabetta. She wasn’t too
happy about Friar Puccio’s ideas about sexual abstinence.
Whenever she felt “playful,” Puccio would talk about
Jesus or “sermonize” her. This got old quick. Isabetta
required someone else to take over Puccio’s duties. Enter
Dom Felice, who is, ironically, actually a monk attached
to the local church. Friar Puccio works hard to be friends
with him because Dom Felice appears to be saintly.
Felice decides to help Puccio out by pleasing Isabetta.
Of course, she takes him up on his advances, with one
stipulation: she’ll only do it in her own house. This is
difficult, because Puccio never leaves unless it’s to go to
church. So Felice decides to make his own luck by fooling
Puccio. He’s going to share with him a sure fire recipe for
saintliness. He convinces Puccio that he’ll go to heaven
if he follows his simple plan. Here it is: Puccio has to
confess his sins and fast for 40 days (from both food and
DECAMERON 64
sex). Puccio also has to find a place in the house where
he can gaze up at the heavens at night and contemplate
Jesus’ crucifixion. While he’s doing this, he has to say
600 prayers (Our Father and Hail Mary). And BTW, he has
to do all of this while assuming the position of Christ
on the cross. In the morning, he’s allowed to rest, but
then he has to attend 3 masses at the church. Puccio’s
thrilled. So is his wife. Because while he’s doing all this
penance, his wife’s in the room next door tasting a little
bit of heaven herself. One night, however, Dom Felice
gets a little too...frisky. Puccio hears the ruckus and calls
out to his wife. Isabetta’s prepared with a good answer:
she’s been fasting too, and it makes her restless at night.
After that close call, Isabetta and Felice make up a bed in
another part of the house and continue their play. Here’s
the pun: Isabetta quips that Puccio is doing penance, but
that they (Felice and Isabetta) are the ones in Paradise.
But all good things must come to an end. The 40 days go
by. Of course, Felice and Isabetta figure out more ways to
continue their pleasures.
“Dom Felice and Friar Puccio” Retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
<https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/third-day-fourth-story>