Page 187 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

Calandrino, hearing their conversation, thought he had the stone and was
Bruno and Buffalmacco laughed and, exchanging glances, pretended to be invisible to them. Overjoyed, he decided to head home without saying a
amazed and approved of Calandrino’s plan. Buffalmacco then asked the word. "Why don’t we go back too?" said Buffalmacco. "Let’s go," said
name of the stone. Calandrino, having forgotten the name, replied, "Why Bruno, "but Calandrino will never trick me again. If I were near him, I’d
worry about the name when we know its virtue? Let’s go look for it and give him a reminder with this stone." He threw a stone at Calandrino’s
waste no more time." "Well, well," said Bruno, "but what are the size and heel, causing him to hop and gasp but say nothing. Buffalmacco then
shape of the stone?" "They come in all sizes and shapes," said Calandrino, threw another stone at Calandrino’s back. They continued stoning him all
"but they are all nearly black. So, let’s collect all the black stones we see the way up the Mugnone to the Porta a San Gallo, where they threw away
until we find it. Let’s go and waste no more time." "Wait a bit," said Bruno, their stones and laughed with the customs officers, who let Calandrino
turning to Buffalmacco. "I think Calandrino is right, but this isn’t the best pass unchallenged.
time for such work. The sun is high, and its rays dry all the stones, making
them look white when they would appear black in the morning. Besides, Calandrino, halting nowhere, reached his house near the corner of the
today is a working day, and there will be many people around the Mugnone Macina. Fortune favored the trick, as no one spoke to him along the way,
who might guess what we’re doing and try it themselves. They might find and he encountered few people since most were at breakfast. When he
the stone, and we could miss it. So, if you agree, let’s go in the morning got home with his stones, his wife, Monna Tessa, saw him and, annoyed
when we can better distinguish the black stones from the white, and on by his delay, scolded him, saying, "What brings you here so late? Must
a holiday when no one will see us." breakfast wait for you?" Angered and mortified to find he was not invisible,
Calandrino shouted, "Cursed woman! You’ve undone me, but I’ll pay you
Buffalmacco’s advice was approved by Bruno, and Calandrino agreed. They back." He rushed upstairs, dumped his stones in a parlor, and attacked
decided to go in search of the stone on the following Sunday. Calandrino, his wife, beating and kicking her with all his strength, leaving no part of
having sworn his companions to secrecy and told them about the land her unscathed, despite her pleas for mercy.
of Bengodi, eagerly awaited Sunday morning. At dawn, he called them, The commotion attracted the attention of neighbors, who intervened to
and they set out by the Porta a San Gallo, heading to the Mugnone. They stop the violence. Calandrino, bruised and exhausted, sat down to catch
began their quest, with Calandrino leading the way, jumping from rock to his breath. In the meantime, Bruno and Buffalmacco, curious about what
rock, picking up black stones and putting them in his tunic. His comrades had happened, arrived at Calandrino’s house. They found him in a sorry
followed, picking up stones here and there. state and asked what had occurred.

Calandrino soon ran out of room in his tunic, so he lifted the skirts of Calandrino, still fuming, recounted the entire story, believing he had the
his gown, gathered them under his girdle, and made a new lap, which heliotrope stone and that his wife’s voice had broken the spell. Bruno and
he quickly filled with stones. He then made another lap out of his cloak, Buffalmacco, trying to suppress their laughter, played along, expressing
which also filled quickly. Seeing that Calandrino was well-laden and it was their disappointment at the missed opportunity. They suggested that
nearly breakfast time, Bruno said to Buffalmacco, "Where is Calandrino?" Calandrino should search for the stone again and keep it away from his
Buffalmacco, who had Calandrino in view, pretended to look around and wife.
replied, "I don’t know; he was just in front of us." "I believe he’s at breakfast
at home, leaving us to this wild-goose chase," said Bruno. "He tricked us, As the story spread among their friends, it became clear that the whole
and we were foolish to believe him," added Buffalmacco. affair was a trick played by Maso del Saggio. Calandrino’s friends couldn’t
help but laugh at his gullibility, while Calandrino himself vowed to be more

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