Page 68 - THE DECAMERON: A Visionary Journey in 100 Stories and 100 Etchings by Petru Russu

The Decameron The Third Day | The First Novell
Storyteller: Filostrato
It's difficult to maintain virginity everywhere. Massetto di
Lamporechio, by pretending to be mute, became a gardener
in a convent of nuns, where he had intimate relations with
each of them.
1985 HAND COLORED AQUA TINTA / AQUA FORTE
29,5X19,5 CM. | 11¾X7½ IN. (IMAGE SIZE).
64
The Decameron
In our countryside, there was and still is a convent of women known
for their sanctity. The nuns, nine in number including the abbess, were
all young women. Their beautiful garden was tended by a foolish fellow
who, unhappy with his wages, left and returned to his hometown of
Lamporecchio. Among those who welcomed him back was a young, strong,
and handsome husbandman named Masetto. Curious about his friend's
absence, Masetto asked where he had been. The friend, Nuto, explained
that he had worked at the convent but left because the nuns were difficult
to please and the wages were low.
Masetto, intrigued by the idea of working with the nuns, decided to find
a way to be employed there. He knew he was capable of the work but
feared he might be rejected for being too young and attractive. After much
thought, he decided to pretend to be mute, believing this would help him
gain entry. He set off for the convent, carrying a hatchet and saying nothing
about his destination.
Upon arrival, he encountered the steward and, using signs, indicated that
he was hungry and willing to split firewood. The steward gave him food
and set him to work splitting logs, which Masetto did quickly. Impressed,
the steward kept him for a few days to do odd jobs. One day, the abbess
noticed Masetto and asked the steward about him. The steward explained
that Masetto was a mute beggar who had been helpful and suggested
keeping him for garden work. The abbess agreed, instructing the steward
to provide Masetto with shoes, an old hood, and good treatment.
Masetto's plan was working, and he was now in the convent, ready to
see what opportunities might arise. Masetto, meanwhile, was nearby,
pretending to sweep the courtyard, and heard everything that passed
between the abbess and the steward. He gleefully thought to himself,
"Once I'm inside, I'll show them how well I can tend the garden." The
steward set him to work in the kitchen garden, and finding that he knew
his job well, asked him by signs if he would stay. Masetto agreed, and the
steward told him to take charge of the garden and showed him what to do.
As Masetto worked, the nuns began to tease him, thinking he couldn't
understand them. They used bad language, assuming he was both mute
and simple. The abbess, perhaps thinking he was also lacking in other
ways, paid little attention.