Page 159 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

maid set them down at the foot of a peach tree that grew beside Gianni, "Now, you will spit when I tell you." "Good," said Gianni.
a lawn. In her vexation, the lady forgot to tell the maid to wait for When she had done, she said, "Now, Gianni, spit," and Gianni spat.
Federigo and let him know that Gianni was there and he must take
his supper in the garden. She, Gianni, and the maid had scarcely There was no more room for jealousy in Federigo's mind as
gone to bed when Federigo came and tapped once at the door. The he heard all this from outside. Despite his disappointment, he
door was near the bedroom, so Gianni heard the tap, as did the was like to burst with suppressed laughter. When Gianni spat,
lady, who feigned to be asleep so Gianni would not suspect her. he muttered under his breath, "Now out with your teeth." The
Federigo waited a little and then gave a second tap. Wondering lady, having thrice exorcised the bogey, went back to bed with
what it might mean, Gianni nudged his wife, saying, "Tessa, do her husband. Federigo, disappointed of the supper he was to
you hear what I hear? It seems someone has tapped at our door." have had with her, and understanding the words of the orison
The lady, who had heard the noise much better than he, feigned correctly, went to the garden. Finding the two capons, the wine,
to wake up and said, "How? What do you say?" "I say," replied and the eggs at the foot of the peach tree, he took them home
Gianni, "that it seems someone has tapped at our door." "Tapped and supped very comfortably. He and the lady had many a hearty
at it?" said the lady. "Oh my Gianni, do you not know what that laugh over the exorcism during their subsequent meetings.
is? It's the bogey, which has terrified me for some nights past.
I never hear it without popping my head under the covers and Some say that the lady had indeed turned the ass's head towards
not daring to put it out again until broad daylight." "Come, come, Fiesole, but a husbandman passing through the vineyard had
wife," said Gianni, "if that's what it is, don't be alarmed. Before given it a blow with his stick, causing it to swing around and face
we got into bed, I repeated the "Te lucis", the "Intemerata", and Florence. Thus, Federigo thought he was invited and came to the
several other good orisons. I also made the sign of the cross in house. Federigo had to leave, having neither slept nor supped.
the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at each corner of the
bed. We need not fear that it can harm us, whatever its power." A neighbor of mine, a lady well advanced in years, tells me that
both stories are true, but the latter concerned not Gianni Lotteringhi
The lady, lest Federigo suspecting a rival, should take offense, but one Gianni di Nello, who lived at Porta San Piero and was no
resolved to get up and let him know that Gianni was there. She said less a simpleton than Gianni Lotteringhi. So, dear ladies, you are
to her husband, "Well, well, you say so, but I will never feel safe and at liberty to choose which exorcism you prefer or take both if you
secure unless we exorcise it, seeing that you are here." "Oh!" said like. They are both of extraordinary and approved virtue in such
Gianni, "and how does one exorcise it?" "That," said the lady, "I know cases, as you have heard. Get them by heart, and they may yet
right well. The other day, when I went to Fiesole for the pardoning, stand you in good stead.
one of those anchoresses, the saintliest creature, my Gianni, God
be my witness, knowing how much afraid I am of the bogey, taught
me a holy and salutary orison. She said she had tried it many times
before she became an anchoress, always with success. God knows,
I would never have had the courage to try it alone, but since you
are here, I propose we exorcise it together." Gianni agreed, so they
got up and snuck to the door, where Federigo, now suspicious,
was still waiting. As soon as they were there, the lady said to

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