Page 66 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 66
“Zima and Messer Francesco“
There was a gentleman of Pistoia called Messer Francesco And voila! The lady can’t help but fall in love with him right
who was both wealthy and smart, but he was also a jerk, then and there. But she can’t speak to Zima, because she
mean-spirited and full of himself. When he was appointed promised her husband she wouldn’t. Zima has a clever
Governor of Milan, he wanted to make a good show of remedy for this. He decides to answer his own plea for her
coming into town, but couldn’t find a splendid enough and even puts on a female voice to do it. In doing this, he
horse to make an entrance. But a man named Ricciardo mentions an opportunity for the two of them to hook up:
(a.k.a. “Zima”) had an awesome horse. The problem? Zima’s when Messer Francesco takes that good horse of Zima’s
in love with Messer Francesco’s beautiful wife. Everyone and heads off to Milan to take up the office of governor.
knows this, and tells Francesco that the horse will be his Zima even arranges a signal with the lady as he continues
for the asking because of Zima’s affection for his wife. to answer for her. After switching back to his own voice
So Francesco asks and Zima makes a proposal: let me and bidding her farewell, Zima confronts Francesco for not
talk to your lady for a while and you can have the horse. allowing the lady to speak. So Francesco leaves town and
Francesco thinks that Zima’s an idiot, so he tells his wife the lady decides not to waste her youth and beauty on an
to go and listen to Zima but not to speak back to him. Zima absent husband. She sets up the signal for Zima. The lovers
speaks with her and claims that he’ll do anything she asks, manage to keep things going well beyond the six months of
offers all his possessions (including himself) and promises Francesco’s absence. And so, Zima’s well paid back for the
that he’ll die if she doesn’t show him some compassion. loss of his good horse.
“Zima and Messer Francesco” Retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
DECAMERON 66 <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/third-day-fifth-story>
