THE SEVENTH STORY
[Day the Ninth]
TALANO DI MOLESE DREAMETH THAT A WOLF MANGLETH ALL HIS WIFE'S NECK AND FACE AND BIDDETH HER BEWARE THEREOF; BUT SHE PAYETH NO HEED TO HIS WARNING AND IT BEFALLETH HER EVEN AS HE HAD DREAMED
Pamfilo's story being ended and the goodwife's presence of mind havingbeen commended of all, the queen bade Pampinea tell hers and shethereupon began, "It hath been otherwhile discoursed among us,charming ladies, of the truths foreshown by dreams, the which many ofour sex scoff at; wherefore, notwithstanding that which hath been saidthereof, I shall not scruple to tell you, in a very few words, thatwhich no great while ago befell a she-neighbour of mine for not givingcredit to a dream of herself seen by her husband.
I know not if you were acquainted with Talano di Molese, a veryworshipful man, who took to wife a young lady called Margarita, fairover all others, but so humoursome, ill-conditioned and froward thatshe would do nought of other folk's judgment, nor could others doaught to her liking; the which, irksome as it was to Talano to endure,natheless, as he could no otherwise, needs must he put up with. Itchanced one night that, being with this Margarita of his at an estatehe had in the country, himseemed in his sleep he saw his wife gowalking in a very fair wood which they had not far from their house,and as she went, himseemed there came forth of a thicket a great andfierce wolf, which sprang straight at her throat and pulling her tothe ground, enforced himself to carry her off, whilst she screamed foraid; and after, she winning free of his fangs, it seemed he had marredall her throat and face. Accordingly, when he arose in the morning, hesaid to the lady, 'Wife, albeit thy frowardness hath never suffered meto have a good day with thee, yet it would grieve me should ill betidethee; wherefore, an thou wilt hearken to my counsel, thou wilt not goforth the house to-day'; and being asked of her why, he orderlyrecounted to her his dream.
The lady shook her head and said, 'Who willeth thee ill, dreameth theeill. Thou feignest thyself mighty careful of me; but thou dreamest ofme that which thou wouldst fain see come to pass; and thou mayst beassured that I will be careful both to-day and always not to gladdenthee with this or other mischance of mine.' Quoth Talano, 'I knew thouwouldst say thus; for that such thanks still hath he who combeth ascald-head; but, believe as thou listeth, I for my part tell it tothee for good, and once more I counsel thee abide at home to-day or atleast beware of going into our wood.' 'Good,' answered the lady, 'Iwill do it'; and after fell a-saying to herself, 'Sawest thou howartfully yonder man thinketh to have feared me from going to our woodto-day? Doubtless he hath given some trull or other tryst there andwould not have me find him with her. Marry, it were fine eating forhim with blind folk and I should be a right simpleton an I saw not hisdrift and if I believed him! But certes he shall not have his will;nay, though I abide there all day, needs must I see what traffic isthis that he hath in hand to-day.'
Accordingly, her husband being gone out at one door, she went out atthe other and betook herself as most secretly she might straight tothe wood and hid herself in the thickest part thereof, standing attentand looking now here and now there, an she should see any one come. Asshe abode on this wise, without any thought of danger, behold, theresallied forth of a thick coppice hard by a terrible great wolf, andscarce could she say, 'Lord, aid me!' when it flew at her throat andlaying fast hold of her, proceeded to carry her off, as she were alambkin. She could neither cry nor aid herself on other wise, so sorewas her gullet straitened; wherefore the wolf, carrying her off, wouldassuredly have throttled her, had he not encountered certainshepherds, who shouted at him and constrained him to loose her. Theshepherds knew her and carried her home, in a piteous plight, where,after long tending by the physicians, she was healed, yet not sowholly but she had all her throat and a part of her face marred onsuch wise that, whereas before she was fair, she ever after appearedmisfeatured and very foul of favour; wherefore, being ashamed toappear whereas she might be seen, she many a time bitterly repentedher of her frowardness and her perverse denial to put faith, in amatter which cost her nothing, in her husband's true dream."
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 98
