Page 84 - THE DECAMERON: 100 Days on 100 Etchings by Petru Rusu
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“The Three Young Men & Three Sisters“


             This one takes place in Marseilles and involves the three                    poisons. You can guess the rest. And Ninetta would have

              eldest daughters of a rich merchant. The first two are                      gotten away with it, but the old Greek woman gets hauled
             15-year-old twins, Ninetta and Maddalena, and the third                      in by the cops. Under torture, she confesses to making
              is 14-year-old Bertella. There were marriages arranged                      the poison that killed Restagnone. Her sisters are greatly
              for all three girls, but they managed to fall in love with                  distressed when the Duke of Crete makes it known that he

              a whole other set of young men. Bertella hooks up with                      intends to burn Ninetta at the stake. Maddalena realizes
              a man called Restagnone, while a fellow called Folco                        that she has the key to saving her, since the Duke has a
              falls hard for Maddalena. Ninetta catches the eye of                        major thing for her. She sends word to the Duke that she’s
              Ughetto. Ninetta’s lover, Restagnone, convinces the                         ready to do whatever he wants in exchange for Ninetta’s

              other two gentlemen to share their wealth with him if he                    life. He agrees and brings Ninetta along, trussed up in a
              can convince the girls to run away with them to some                        sack, to his tryst with Maddalena. When it’s over, he tells
              secluded spot in the world and set up house. So the                         her to send Ninetta far away so that he’s not tempted to
              men choose Crete as their new residence, sell off their                     burn her anyway. Meanwhile, Folco and Ughetto believe

              goods and purchase a small ship as their getaway vehicle.                   that Ninetta’s been dumped into the sea by the Duke.
              Meanwhile, Ninetta convinces her twin sisters that this                     When Folco returns to Maddalena and sees that Ninetta’s
              scheme is a good idea. They steal some of their father’s                    still alive, he immediately becomes suspicious. Folco
              fortune as their dowries and set out to sea with their                      understands how things went between Maddalena and

              lovers. They arrive in Crete as happy as can be, build                      the Duke and in his fury, he kills his wife. He then assures
              grand estates for themselves and party like they’re royalty.                Ninetta that he’ll take her to safety, and the two disappear
              But all good things must come to an end, especially when                    into the blue with a sack of money and a boat. Meanwhile,
              you’re a 14-year-old married to an older gentleman with                     Ughetto and Bertella are completely clueless as to the

              time on his hands. Restagnone gets a wandering eye                          fates of the other lovers. They are totally shocked when
              and acquires a taste for a lovely gentlewoman in his new                    the Duke arrests them both for the murder of Maddalena.
              neighborhood. Ninetta learns that Restagnone’s actually                    They know they’re in a precarious situation, so they bribe
              hooked up with her rival and she’s furious. She finds                       their guards and escape to Rhodes, where they die in

              an old Greek woman who knows a thing or two about                           poverty and misery.










                                                                                                                       “The Three Young Men & Three Sisters” Retrieved from publicly source: shmoop
     DECAMERON      84                                                                                      <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/decameron/summary/fourth-day-third-story>
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