Page 148 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron cook, a Venetian named Chichibio, instructing him to roast it for supper you that they have two thighs and legs each." Drawing closer, he shouted,
and make a dainty dish of it. Chichibio, who was quite green, had dressed
"Oho!" This caused the cranes to bring their other foot to the ground, hop
the crane, set it to the fire, and was cooking it carefully. When the bird was
a step or two, and take flight. Currado then turned to Chichibio, saying,
"How now, rogue? Are you satisfied that the bird has two thighs and legs?"
almost roasted, and the cooking fumes were strong, a girl named Brunetta,
Chichibio, almost beside himself with fear, answered, "Yes, Sir; but you
who lived in the same street and whom Chichibio was greatly enamored of,
didn't shout 'oho!' to our crane last night. If you had, it would have popped
came into the kitchen. Smelling the bird and seeing it, she began coaxing
Chichibio to give her a thigh. Chichibio responded by singing, "You get it
not from me, Madam Brunetta, you get it not from me." Offended, Brunetta
answer so much that all his wrath turned to jollity and laughter. "Chichibio,"
he said, "you are right; indeed, I ought to have done so."
said, "By God, if you don't give it to me, you'll never have anything from me its other thigh and foot forth, as these have done." Currado relished this
to pleasure you." After some altercation, Chichibio, not wanting to vex his
mistress, cut off one of the crane's thighs and gave it to her. Thus, Chichibio, with his ready and jocund retort, averted impending evil
and made peace with his master.
The bird was set before Currado and some strangers he had at his table.
Currado, noticing it had only one thigh, was surprised and sent for Chichibio,
demanding to know what had become of the missing thigh. The mendacious
Venetian readily answered, "The crane, Sir, has only one thigh and one The Sixth Day | The Fifth Novell
leg." "What the devil?" rejoined Currado in a rage. "So the crane has only Storyteller: Panfilo
one thigh and one leg? Do you think I've never seen a crane before?" But
Chichibio continued, "It's even so as I say, Sir; and, if you please, I will show Illustrating that those who speak contemptuously of others
you that it is so in the living bird." Currado, respecting his guests, did not should first reflect on their own flaws. Messer Forese da Rabatte
pursue the topic further. He only said, "Since you promise to show me in and Master Giotto, a painter by profession, met on their way
the living bird what I have never seen or heard of, I bid you do so tomorrow, from Mugello and mockingly criticized each other for their
and I shall be satisfied. But if you fail, I swear by the body of Christ that I will physical deformities.
make you ruefully remember my name for the rest of your days."

No more was said of the matter that evening. But the next morning,
at daybreak, Currado, still angry, got up, ordered his horses, mounted
Chichibio on a hackney, and said, "We shall soon see which of us lied last
night, you or I." They set off for a place with much water, where cranes were
always seen at dawn. Chichibio, seeing that Currado's ire was unabated
and not knowing how to bolster his lie, rode by Currado's side in utmost
trepidation. He would have gladly fled if he could, but since he couldn't, he
glanced around and saw cranes standing on two feet everywhere. However,
as they approached the river, the first thing they saw on the bank was a
dozen cranes standing on one foot, as they do when asleep. Chichibio
pointed this out to Currado, saying, "Now you can see well enough, Sir,
that it's true as I said last night, that the crane has only one thigh and one 1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
leg; look how they stand over there." Currado replied, "Wait, and I will show 29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
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The Decameron