Page 72 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
P. 72
“Ferondo and the Abbot“
There was an Abbot who was very holy, except for his habit cloister. Now he’s in Purgatory! The Abbot then dresses in
of loving beautiful women. The Abbot has a friend called Ferondo’s clothes and makes many trips to the new widow’s
Ferondo. Ferondo isn’t the most cultivated of people, but house, to collect his “payment.” People think that Ferondo’s
he does have a beautiful wife. And of course our Abbot falls ghost is wandering about doing penance. Meanwhile, Ferondo
desperately in love with her. Ferondo’s a fool, but he keeps a wakes up to find himself in a vault with a strange monk. The
watchful eye on his wife. This drives the Abbot nuts, because monk gives him a good beating with sticks. Ferondo learns
he can’t find an opportunity to be alone with her. The wife’s that he’s in Purgatory and that he’s going to be beaten twice
duped into believing that the Abbot is truly a holy man and a day for the sin of being jealous of his wife. He promises the
she wants to confess her sins to him. Ferondo thinks nothing monk that if he ever gets to live again, he’ll let his wife do
of this and gives her permission to go. Her confession is an whatever she wants. The beatings and conversations between
earful. She says that Ferondo is an idiot and jealous to boot. the monk and Ferondo go on for ten months. The meetings
What’s she to do? The Abbot likes this very much and tells between the Abbot and Ferondo’s wife continue, too until she
her that they will have to cure Ferondo of his jealousy by gets pregnant. It becomes clear to them that Ferondo needs
sending him to Purgatory. He intends that Ferondo should die to come back from Purgatory pronto. The monk in Purgatory
for a little while, go to Purgatory to pay for his sins and then, tells Ferondo that God’s decided to send him back to Earth,
with the help of special prayers, come back to life. He warns and that He’ll send them a son in good time. The Abbot
the wife that though she’ll be a widow temporarily, she can’t mixes up another batch of powder-tainted wine and puts the
remarry. She just has to offer some form of payment to him sleeping Ferondo back into his tomb. In the morning, he wake
for this service. Can you guess what it will be? Ferondo’s wife up and emerges from the grave. The monks think they’re
is freaked out by his request. How is this saintly behavior? witnessing a miracle. The Abbot plays along with the whole
Don’t worry, says the Abbot. Saintliness belongs to the soul thing, declaring it a sign of God’s power. Since everyone
and what he wants has only to do with the body. So the Abbot already thinks the Abbot is a saint, these shenanigans earn
takes a miracle powder that he received from some random him even more points. Ferondo returns to his wife and “gets
eastern prince and mixes it with Ferondo’s wine. Ferondo her pregnant.” They conveniently have a boy, just like the
loses consciousness, is declared dead and quickly buried in a monk promised him. And Ferondo keeps his word to never be
tomb. That night, the Abbot takes a trusted monk-friend with jealous again - which gives the Abbot and his wife just enough
him to the tomb and relocates Ferondo to a vault inside the room to visit each other when the need arises.
“Ferondo and the Abbot” Retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
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