Page 146 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron shall not regret it." So, in a body, they came up to where Cisti stood. Cisti, being minded to keep the wine no longer, I have sent you all I have of it,
to be henceforth entirely at your disposal." Messer Geri set great store
having brought out a goodly bench from the bakehouse, bade them be
by Cisti's gift, thanked him accordingly, and ever made much of him and
seated. To their servants, who were coming forward to wash the beakers,
treated him as his friend.
he said, "Stand back, comrades, and leave this office to me, for I know as
well how to serve wine as to bake bread; and expect not to taste a drop
yourselves." He washed four fine new beakers with his own hands, sent for
a small flagon of his good wine, heedfully filled the beakers, and presented
them to Messer Geri and his companions. They deemed the wine the best
they had drunk in a long while. Messer Geri, having praised the wine not The Sixth Day | The Third Novell
Storyteller: Lauretta
a little, came there to drink every morning with the ambassadors as long
as they stayed with him. Illustrating that mockers sometimes meet their match in

mockery, leading to their own embarrassment. Madame
When the ambassadors had received their leave and were about to depart, Nonna de Pulci, with a quick-witted response, silenced
Messer Geri gave a grand banquet, to which he invited some of the most both the Bishop of Florence and the Lord Marshall after
honorable citizens and also Cisti, who could not be induced to come. they posed a question to her that seemed improper.
However, Messer Geri bade one of his servants fetch a flask of Cisti's
wine and serve half a beaker to each guest at the first course. The servant,
perhaps offended that he had not been allowed to taste any of the wine,
took a large flask with him. When Cisti saw it, he said, "Son, Messer Geri
does not send you to me." Despite the servant's affirmations, Cisti gave
no other answer, and the servant was forced to return to Messer Geri.
"Go back," said Messer Geri, "and tell him that I do send you to him, and
if he answers you so again, ask him to whom I send you." The servant
returned and said, "Cisti, Messer Geri does, for sure, send me to you."
"Son," answered Cisti, "Messer Geri does, for sure, not send you to me."
"To whom then," asked the servant, "does he send me?" "To Arno," replied
Cisti. When the servant reported this to Messer Geri, the eyes of his mind
were opened. "Let me see," he said to the servant, "what flask you have
taken." When he saw it, he said, "Cisti speaks the truth." He sharply chided
the servant and sent him back with a suitable flask. When Cisti saw it, he 1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
said, "Now I know that it is indeed Messer Geri who sends you to me,"
and blithely filled it. Having replenished the rundlet that same day with
wine of the same quality, he had it carried with due care to Messer Geri's
house and followed after himself. Finding Messer Geri, he said, "I would
not have you think, Sir, that I was appalled by the great flask your servant When Pampinea finished her discourse, and everyone praised the
brought me this morning. I thought you had forgotten what I indicated wit and generosity of Cistio, the Queen invited Madame Lauretta
with my little beakers when you were with me recently: that this is no to speak next. She began cheerfully: While Messer Antonio d'Orso,
table wine. I wished to refresh your memory this morning. Now, however, a worthy and wise prelate, was Bishop of Florence, a Catalan
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The Decameron