Page 47 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

valuables. His comrades, suspecting deceit, withdrew the The Second Day | The Sixth Novell
prop supporting the lid and fled, leaving Andreuccio trapped. Storyteller: Emilia

Desperate, Andreuccio tried to lift the lid but failed. Madam Beritola loses two sons, is found with two kids on an
Overwhelmed with anguish, he fell in a swoon on the island, goes thence to Lunigiana, where one of her sons takes
Archbishop's corpse, indistinguishable from the dead. service with her master, and lies with his daughter, for which
he is put in prison. Sicily rebels against King Charles, the son is
When Andreuccio regained consciousness, he burst into tears, recognised by the mother, marries the master's daughter.
realizing he faced either death from hunger and the foul odors
beside the corpse or being hanged as a thief if the tomb was
opened. His despairing thoughts were interrupted by the sound
of people walking and talking in the church. Fearing they had
the same purpose as he and his comrades, his terror increased.

The group opened the tomb and propped up the lid, but none
wanted to go in. After much debate, a priest volunteered,
saying, "The dead do not eat the living. I will go in myself."
As the priest lowered himself into the tomb, Andreuccio
grabbed his leg, causing the priest to scream and scramble
out. The rest of the group fled in panic, leaving the tomb open.

Andreuccio, still wearing the ring, climbed out of the tomb and
exited the church. Roaming aimlessly, he eventually found his
way back to his inn at daybreak. His host and comrades, worried
about him all night, listened to his tale and advised him to leave
Naples immediately. He took their advice, returned to Perugia,
and kept the ring he had intended to buy horses with.

1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
43
The Decameron