Page 191 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

expectations. It was a very hot night, and the bishop had been looking for The Eighth Day | The Sixth Novell
them, intending to go home with them, enjoy their company, and quench Storyteller: Filomena
his thirst. When he saw them coming into the piazza, he told them of his
desire, and they escorted him to their house. In the cool of their little Calandrino and his friends search for a lost pig and find it.
courtyard, bright with many lamps, he took a comforting draught of their The owner doubts their story and demands proof. Calandrino
good wine. When he was done, the young men said, "Sir, since you have reenacts finding the pig, convincing the owner and restoring
graciously visited our humble house, which we were about to invite you his good name. The owner finally believes them and thanks
to, we would be grateful if you would look at something, a mere trifle, them for their honesty and effort.
that we have to show you." The bishop replied that he would do so with
pleasure. One of the young men took a lighted torch and led the way,
with the bishop and the others following, to the chamber where Master
Rector lay with Ciutazza.

The rector, being in a hurry, had ridden hard and was already over three
miles on his way when they arrived. Somewhat tired, he was resting, but
despite the hot night, he still held Ciutazza in his arms. In this posture, he
was shown to the bishop when the young man bearing the light, followed
by the others, entered the chamber. Roused and seeing the light and
the people around him, the rector was greatly ashamed and frightened,
and he hid his head under the covers. But the bishop, reprimanding him
severely, made him thrust his head out again and look at his bedfellow.
Realizing the trick the lady had played on him, the rector was now the
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
saddest man ever, both because of the trick and his great disgrace. His
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
discomfiture was complete when, having dressed, he was put in close
custody by the bishop's command and sent to prison to expiate his offense
with a rigorous penance.
One of the lady's farmworkers had the bad luck to lose two of his pigs
The bishop then wanted to know how the rector had ended up with that day. While looking for them, he came to the tower not long after
Ciutazza. The young men told the whole story, and when they finished, the scholar had left. Hearing the lady's cries, he climbed up into the
the bishop commended both the lady and the young men for taking proper tower and called out, "Who is crying up there?" The lady recognized
vengeance without shedding a priest's blood. The bishop made the rector his voice and called him by name, saying, "Please, go fetch my maid
bewail his transgression for forty days, but with his love and the scornful and bring her up here to me." The farmworker, recognizing her voice,
rejection he received, he bewailed it for more than forty-nine days. For replied, "Madam, who put you there? Your maid has been looking
a long time, he couldn't show himself in the street without boys pointing for you all day. Who would have thought you were here?" He then
at him and saying, "There goes the man who lay with Ciutazza." This was set up the ladder and began securing the steps. While he was doing
such an affliction that he was nearly driven mad. In this way, the worthy this, the maid arrived, crying out, "Sweet my lady, where are you?"
lady rid herself of the rector's vexatious importunity, and Ciutazza had a The lady answered, "O my sister, I am up here. Do not cry, but fetch
jolly night and earned her shift.
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The Decameron