Page 163 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

knocking and calling the lady by name. "It's as much as my life charm. Wait here; I will see if you may safely go and will call you."
is worth," said Madonna Agnesa. "Here is my husband, and the
occasion of our intimacy cannot but seem suspicious to him." "So Fra Rinaldo, who had heard all that passed, was now dressed and at
you say," replied Fra Rinaldo, who was undressed, having thrown ease, holding the boy in his arms. "Did I not hear the father's voice out
off his habit and hood and was in his tunic. "If I had my habit and there?" Asked Fra Rinaldo. "Indeed," replied the simpleton. "Come
hood on, it would be another matter. But if you let him in and he in then," said Fra Rinaldo. So the simpleton came in. Fra Rinaldo
finds me like this, it will not be possible to put any face on it." said, "I restore to you your boy, made whole by the grace of God. I
thought you would not see him alive by vespers. You should have
With an inspiration as happy as sudden, the lady said, "Now get his image fashioned in wax, not less than life-size, and place it as
them on you, and when you have them on, take your godson in a thanksgiving to God before the statue of Master St. Ambrose, by
your arms and pay close attention to what I say to him, so your whose merits you have this favor of God."
words may accord with mine. Leave the rest to me." The good man
was still knocking when his wife answered, "Coming, coming." She The boy, seeing his father, ran to him with joyous greetings, as
put on a cheerful countenance, went to the door, opened it, and little children do. The father, taking him in his arms and weeping
said, "Husband mine, well indeed was it for us that Fra Rinaldo, as if he were restored from the grave, kissed him and thanked his
our sponsor, came in. It was God who sent him to us, for without godfather for curing him. Fra Rinaldo's companion, who had taught
him, we would have lost our boy today." The poor simpleton almost the maid not one Lord's Prayer but perhaps four or more, and by
swooned to hear this and asked, "How so?" "Oh husband mine," giving her a little purse of white thread that a nun had given him,
replied the lady, "he was taken just now with a sudden fainting had made her his devotee. No sooner had he heard Fra Rinaldo
fit, so that I thought he was dead. I didn't know what to do or say call the simpleton into his wife's room than he went to where he
until Fra Rinaldo, our sponsor, came just in time, set him on his could see and hear what was going on. Observing that the affair
shoulder, and said, 'I can tell he has worms in his body, and as they was now excellently arranged, he came down and entered the
get around the heart, they could easily be the death of him. But fear chamber, saying, "Fra Rinaldo, those four prayers you asked me
not; I will say a charm that will kill them all, and before I leave, you to say, I have said them all." "Well done, my brother," said Fra
will see your boy as healthy as ever.' And because certain prayers Rinaldo. "You must be exhausted. For my part, I had said only two
needed to be said, and you were not here, and the maid didn't when the simpleton came in, but with your work and mine, God has
know where to find you, he had his companion say them at the granted us the healing of the boy." The simpleton then had good
top of the house while he and I came in here. Since only the boy's wine and comfits brought in and did the honors to the godfather
mother should assist at such a service, we locked the door to avoid and his companion as their occasions demanded. He then ushered
disturbance. He still has the boy in his arms, and I doubt not that them out of the house, commending them to God. Without delay,
he only waits for his companion to finish the prayers, and then the he had the waxen image made and directed it to be set up with
charm will be complete, for the boy is already quite himself again." the others in front of the statue of St. Ambrose.

The good simple soul, believing all this and overwhelmed by the love
he bore his son, suspected nothing of the trick his wife was playing
on him. Heaving a great sigh, he said, "I will go look for him." "No,"
replied the wife, "do not go; you would spoil the efficacy of the

159
The Decameron