The Decameron, Volume II

by Giovanni Boccaccio

feetand laid herself on her bed, and having there taken such rest as shemight, rose betimes on the morrow, and craved to know of Giosefo what hewas minded to have to breakfast. Giosefo, laughing with Melisso over themessage, gave her his directions, and when in due time they came tobreakfast, they found everything excellently ordered according as it hadbeen commanded: for which cause the counsel, which they had at firstfailed to understand, now received their highest commendation.

  Some few days later Melisso, having taken leave of Giosefo, went home,and told a wise man the counsel he had gotten from Solomon.Whereupon:--"And no truer or sounder advice could he have given thee,"quoth the sage: "thou knowest that thou lovest never a soul, and that thehonours thou payest and the services thou renderest to others are notprompted by love of them, but by love of display. Love, then, as Solomonbade thee, and thou shalt be loved." On such wise was the unrulychastised; and the young man, learning to love, was beloved.

  NOVEL X.

  --Dom Gianni at the instance of his gossip Pietro uses an enchantment totransform Pietro's wife into a mare; but, when he comes to attach thetail, Gossip Pietro, by saying that he will have none of the tail, makesthe enchantment of no effect.--

  The queen's story evoked some murmurs from the ladies and some laughterfrom the young men; however, when they were silent, Dioneo thusbegan:--Dainty my ladies, a black crow among a flock of white dovesenhances their beauty more than would a white swan; and so, when manysages are met together, their ripe wisdom not only shews the brighter andgoodlier for the presence of one that is not so wise, but may even derivepleasure and diversion therefrom. Wherefore as you, my ladies, are oneand all most discreet and judicious, I, who know myself to be somewhatscant of sense, should, for that by my demerit I make your merit shew themore glorious, be more dear to you, than if by my greater merit Ieclipsed yours, and by consequence should have more ample license toreveal myself to you as I am; and therefore have more patient sufferanceon your part than would be due to me, were I more discreet, in therelation of the tale which I am about to tell you. 'Twill be, then, astory none too long, wherefrom you may gather with what exactitude itbehoves folk to observe the injunctions of those that for any purpose usean enchantment, and how slight an error committed therein make bring tonought all the work of the enchanter.

  A year or so ago there was at Barletta a priest named Dom Gianni diBarolo, who, to eke out the scanty pittance his church afforded him, seta pack-saddle upon his mare, and took to going the round of the fairs ofApulia, buying and selling merchandise. And so it befell that he clappedup a close acquaintance with one Pietro da Tresanti, who plied the sametrade as he, albeit instead of a mare he had but an ass; whom in token offriendship and good-fellowship Dom Gianni after the Apulian fashioncalled ever Gossip Pietro, and had him to his house and there lodged andhonourably entreated him as often as he came to Barletta. Gossip Pietroon his part, albeit he was very poor and had but a little cot atTresanti, that scarce sufficed for himself, his fair, young wife, andtheir ass, nevertheless, whenever Dom Gianni arrived at Tresanti, madehim welcome, and did him the honours of his house as best he might, inrequital of the hospitality which he received at Barletta. However, asGossip Pietro had but one little bed, in which he slept with his fairwife, 'twas not in his power to lodge Dom Gianni as comfortably as hewould have liked; but the priest's mare being quartered beside the ass ina little stable, the priest himself must needs lie beside her on thestraw. Many a time when the priest came, the wife, knowing how honourablyhe entreated her husband at Barletta, would fain have gone to sleep witha neighbour, one Zita Carapresa di Giudice Leo, that the priest mightshare the bed with her husband, and many a time had she told the priestso howbeit he would never agree to it, and on one occasion:--"GossipGemmata," quoth he, "trouble not thyself about me; I am well lodged; for,when I am so minded, I turn the mare into a fine lass and dally with her,and then, when I would, I turn her back into a mare; wherefore I couldill brook to part from her." The young woman, wondering but believing,told her husband what the priest had said, adding:--"If he is even such afriend as thou sayst, why dost thou not get him to teach thee theenchantment, so that thou mayst turn me into a mare, and have both assand mare for thine occasions? We should then make twice as much gain aswe do, and thou couldst turn me back into a woman when we came home atnight."

  Gossip Pietro, whose wit was somewhat blunt, believed that 'twas as shesaid, approved her counsel, and began adjuring Dom Gianni, aspersuasively as he might, to teach him the incantation. Dom Gianni didhis best to wean him of his folly; but as all was in vain:--"Lo, now,"quoth he, "as you are both bent on it, we will be up, as is our wont,before the sun to-morrow morning, and I will shew you how 'tis done. Thetruth is that 'tis in the attachment of the tail that the greatdifficulty lies, as thou wilt see." Scarce a wink of sleep had eitherGossip Pietro or Gossip Gemmata that night, so great was their anxiety;and towards daybreak up they got, and called Dom Gianni; who, beingrisen, came in his shirt into Gossip Pietro's little bedroom, and:--"Iknow not," quoth he, "that there is another soul in the world for whom Iwould do this, save you, my gossips; however, as you will have it so, Iwill do it, but it behoves you to do exactly as I bid you, if you wouldhave the enchantment work." They promised obedience, and Dom Giannithereupon took a light, which he handed to Gossip Pietro, saying:--"Letnought that I shall do or say escape thee; and have a care, so thouwouldst not ruin all, to say never a word, whatever thou mayst see orhear; and pray God that the tail may be securely attached." So GossipPietro took the light, and again promised obedience; Dom Gianni causedGossip Gemmata to strip herself stark naked, and stand on all fours likea mare, at the same time strictly charging her that, whatever mighthappen, she must utter no word. Then, touching her head and face:--"Bethis a fine head of a mare," quoth he; in like manner touching her hair,he said:--"Be this a fine mane of a mare;" touching her arms:--"Be thesefine legs and fine hooves of a mare;" then, as he touched her breast andfelt its firm roundness, and there awoke and arose one that was notcalled:--"And be this a fine breast of a mare," quoth he; and in likemanner he dealt with her back, belly, croup, thighs, and legs. Last ofall, the work being complete save for the tail, he lifted his shirt andtook in his hand the tool with which he was used to plant men, andforthwith thrust it into the furrow made for it, saying:--"And be this afine tail of a mare." Whereat Gossip Pietro, who had followed everythingvery heedfully to that point, disapproving that last particular,exclaimed:--"No! Dom Gianni, I'll have no tail, I'll have no tail." Theessential juice, by which all plants are propagated, was alreadydischarged, when Dom Gianni withdrew the tool, saying:--"Alas! GossipPietro, what hast thou done? Did I not tell thee to say never a word, nomatter what thou mightst see? The mare was all but made; but by speakingthou hast spoiled all; and 'tis not possible to repeat the enchantment.""Well and good," replied Gossip Pietro, "I would have none of that tail.Why saidst thou not to me:--'Make it thou'? And besides, thou wastattaching it too low." "'Twas because," returned Dom Gianni, "thouwouldst not have known, on the first essay, how to attach it so well asI." Whereupon the young woman stood up, and in all good faith said to herhusband:--"Fool that thou art, wherefore hast thou brought to nought whathad been for the good of us both? When didst thou ever see mare without atail? So help me God, poor as thou art, thou deservest to be poorerstill." So, after Gossip Pietro's ill-timed speech, there being no wayleft of turning the young woman into a mare, downcast and melancholy sheresumed her clothes; and Gossip Pietro plied his old trade with his ass,and went with Dom Gianni to the fair of Bitonto, and never asked him soto serve him again.

  What laughter this story drew from the ladies, who understood it betterthan Dioneo had wished, may be left to the imagination of the fair onethat now laughs thereat. However, as the stories were ended, and the sunnow shone with a tempered radiance, the queen, witting that the end ofher sovereignty was come, stood up and took off the crown, and set it onthe head of Pamfilo, whom alone it now remained thus to honour; and saidwith a smile:--"My lord, 'tis a great burden
that falls upon thee, seeingthat thou, coming last, art bound to make good my shortcomings and thoseof my predecessors; which God give thee grace to accomplish, even as Hehas given me grace to make thee king." With gladsome acknowledgment ofthe honour:--"I doubt not," replied Pamfilo, "that, thanks to your noblequalities and those of my other subjects, I shall win even such praise asthose that have borne sway before me." Then, following the example of hispredecessors, he made all meet arrangements in concert with theseneschal: after which, he turned to the expectant ladies, and thusspoke:--"Enamoured my ladies, Emilia, our queen of to-day, deeming itproper to allow you an interval of rest to