Page 230 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

for his or her own good, found her behavior most grievous to bear, but God help me! Before he sprang upon her and gripped her by the throat
The Decameron Talano and Margarita were together at an estate that Talano had in the borne off by him, and would certainly have been strangled, had he not
was forced to endure what he could not cure. Now it so happened that
so tightly that she could not utter a cry, but, passive as any lamb, was
encountered some shepherds, who with shouts compelled him to let her
countryside, he, sleeping, saw in a dream a very beautiful wood that
was on the estate not far from the house, and his lady walking there.
go. The shepherds recognized the poor hapless woman, and carried her
home, where the physicians, by dint of long and careful treatment, cured
And as she went, a huge and fierce wolf leapt upon her, gripping her
by the throat, and bore her down to the ground, and (she shrieking for
help) would have carried her off by main force; but she escaped his jaws,
disfigured that, fair as she had been before, she was ever thereafter
although her neck and face were quite disfigured. The next morning, as her; however, the whole of her throat and part of her face remained so
most foul and hideous to look upon. Therefore, being ashamed to show
soon as he was up, Talano said to his wife: "Although because of your her face, she many times bitterly regretted her perversity, in that, when
perversity I have not yet known a single good day with you, yet I would it would have cost her nothing, she would nevertheless pay no heed to
be sorry, wife, if harm should befall you; and therefore, if you take my the true dream of her husband.
advice, you will not go out of doors today." "Why?" asked the lady; and
thereupon he recounted to her his entire dream.

The lady shook her head, saying: "Who means ill, dreams ill. You act The Ninth Day | The Eighth Novell
as if you were very tender of me, but you predict for me in your dream
Storyteller: Lauretta
what you would like to see happen to me. I assure you that today and
every day I will take care to avoid this or any other calamity that might
Two young gentlemen, Panuccio and Adriano, stayed at a poor inn.
gladden your heart." Whereupon: "Well I knew," replied Talano, "that One went to bed with the host's daughter, and the other mistakenly
you would say so, for such is ever the reward of those that comb scurfy
with the host's wife. The one with the daughter later told the host,
heads; but whatever you may be pleased to believe, I for my part speak thinking he was his companion. Discontent arose, but the mother,
to you for your good, and again I advise you to stay indoors today, or
realizing the mistake, pacified everyone with discreet language.
at least not to walk in the wood." "Good," returned the lady, "I will look
to it," and then she began communing with herself on this wise: "Did
you notice how artfully he thinks to have scared me from going into the
wood today? Doubtless it is because he has an assignation there with
some light o' love, with whom he would rather I did not find him. Ah!
he would sup well with the blind, and what a fool I would be to believe
him! But I assure you he will be disappointed, and I must, though I stay
there all day long, see what business it is that he will venture into today."

Having said this, she left the house on one side, while her husband did
so on the other; and immediately, avoiding observation as best she
could, she hurried to the wood, and hid where it was most dense, and
there waited on the alert, glancing now this way and now that, to see
if anyone was coming. And while she stood there, not a thought of a
wolf crossing her mind, lo, out of a close thicket nearby came a wolf of 1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
monstrous size and appalling aspect, and she barely had time to say, 29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
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The Decameron