Decameron (II Decameron) - Book of short stories (1350-1353, publ. 1471)
First day of the Decameron
In 1348, Florence was “visited by a destructive plague”; one hundred thousand people died, although before that no one had imagined that the city had so many inhabitants. Family and friendly ties fell apart, servants refused to serve their masters, the dead were not buried, but dumped in holes dug in church cemeteries.
And so, in the midst of trouble, when the city was almost empty, in the church of Santa Maria Novella, after the divine liturgy, seven young women from eighteen to twenty-eight years old met, “connected by friendship, neighborhood, kinship,” “judicious, well-born, beautiful, well-behaved.” , captivating in their modesty,” all in mourning clothes befitting “a dark time.” Without disclosing their true names to avoid misunderstandings, the author calls them Pampinea, Fiametta, Philomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Neifila and Elissa - in accordance with their spiritual qualities.
Recalling how many young men and women were carried away by the terrible plague, Pampinea suggests “retiring in a decent manner to country estates and filling your leisure time with all kinds of entertainment.” By leaving the city, where people, awaiting their death hour, indulged in lust and debauchery, they will protect themselves from unpleasant experiences, while they themselves will behave morally and with dignity. There is nothing keeping them in Florence: all their loved ones have died.
The ladies approve of Pampinea's idea, and Philomena suggests inviting men with her, because it is difficult for a woman to live with her own mind and she desperately needs the advice of a man. Elissa objects to her: they say, at this time it is difficult to find reliable companions - some of your loved ones have died, some have gone elsewhere, and it is indecent to contact strangers. She suggests looking for a different path to salvation.
During this conversation, three young men enter the church - Panfilo, Filostrato and Dioneo, all comely and well-mannered, the youngest of whom is at least twenty-five years old. Among the ladies who find themselves in the church are their lovers, the rest are related to them. Pampinea immediately offers to invite them.
Neifila, flushed with embarrassment, speaks out in the sense that the young men are good and smart, but are in love with some of the ladies present, and this can cast a shadow on their society. Philomena objects that the main thing is to live honestly, and the rest will follow.
Young people are glad to be invited; Having agreed on everything, the girls and boys, accompanied by maids and servants, leave the city the next morning. They arrive in a picturesque area where there is a beautiful palace and settle down there. Dioneo, the most cheerful and witty, takes the floor, offering to have fun as anyone wants. He is supported by Pampinea, who suggests that someone should be in charge and think about the structure of their life and entertainment. And so that everyone knows both the worries and joys associated with leadership, and so that no one is envious, this honorable burden should be placed on everyone in turn. They will all choose the first “master” together, and the subsequent ones will be appointed each time before Vespers by the one who was the ruler that day. Everyone unanimously elects Pampinea, and Philomena places a laurel wreath on her head, which over the next days serves as a sign of “supremacy and royal power".
Having given the necessary orders to the servants and asking everyone to refrain from reporting unpleasant news, Pampinea allows everyone to disperse; after an exquisitely served breakfast, everyone begins to sing, dance and play the musical instruments and then lie down to rest. At three o’clock, having risen from sleep, everyone gathers in a shady corner of the garden, and Pampinea suggests devoting time to stories, “for one storyteller is able to occupy all the listeners,” allowing him to talk on the first day “about what everyone likes best.” Dioneo asks for the right to tell a story of his own choice each time in order to amuse a society tired of excessive intellectualism, and he receives this right.
First short story of the First Day (Panfilo's story)
Often, not daring to turn to God directly, people turn to patron saints who, during their lifetime, observed divine will and in heaven they abide with the Almighty. However, sometimes it happens that people, misled by rumors, choose such an intercessor in the face of the Almighty, who is condemned by Him to eternal torment. This “intercessor” is described in the short story.
Main character- Messer Cepparello of Prato, notary. The rich and eminent merchant Musciatto Francesi, having received the nobility, moves from Paris to Tuscany with his brother French king Charles the Landless, who is summoned there by Boniface. He needs a person to collect a debt from the Burgundians, famous for their intractability, ill-will and dishonesty, who could counter their cunning with his own, and his choice falls on Messer Cepparello, who in France is called Chaleleto. He trades in producing false documents and perjury; he is a troublemaker, a brawler, a murderer, a blasphemer, a drunkard, a sodomite, a thief, a robber, a sharper and a malicious dice player. “A worse person than him may not have been born.” In gratitude for his service, Muschiatto promises to put in a good word for Chapeleto at the palace and give him a fair portion of the amount he demands.
Since Chapeleto has no business, his funds are running out, and his patron is leaving him, he “out of necessity” agrees - he goes to Burgundy, where no one knows him, and settles with immigrants from Florence, brothers-lenders.
Suddenly he falls ill, and the brothers, feeling that his end is near, discuss what they should do. It is impossible to drive a sick old man out onto the street, but meanwhile he may refuse to confess, and then he cannot be buried in a Christian manner. If he confesses, then such sins will be revealed that no priest will forgive, and the result will be the same. This can make you very angry local residents, who do not approve of their fishing, and lead to a pogrom.
Messer Chapeleto hears the brothers' conversation and promises to arrange both their and his own affairs in the best possible way.
An old man famous for his “holy life” is brought to the dying man, and Chapelleto begins confession. When asked when he last time confessed, Chapeleto, who has never confessed, reports that he does this every week and every time repents of all the sins committed since birth. This time too he insists on a general confession. The elder asks if he has sinned with women, and Chapeleto replies: “I am exactly the same virgin as I came from my mother’s womb.” Regarding gluttony, the notary admits: his sin was that during fasting he drank water with the same pleasure as a drunkard drinks wine, and ate lean food with appetite. Speaking about the sin of love of money, Chapeleto states that he donated a significant part of his rich inheritance to the poor, and then, while engaged in trade, constantly shared with the poor. He admits that he was often angry, watching how people “daily commit obscenities, not keeping the commandments of the Lord, and are not afraid of God’s judgment.” He repents that he slandered, speaking about a neighbor who beat his wife every now and then; Once I didn’t immediately count the money received for the goods, but it turned out there was more than needed; unable to find their owner, he used the surplus for charitable deeds.
Chapeleto uses two more minor sins as an excuse to read instructions to the Holy Father, and then begins to cry and reports that he once cursed his mother. Seeing his sincere repentance, the monk believes him, forgives all his sins and recognizes him as a saint, offering to bury him in his monastery.
Listening to Chapeleto’s confession from behind the wall, the brothers choke with laughter, concluding that “nothing can correct his vicious character: “he lived his whole life as a villain, and he dies as a villain.”
The coffin with the body of the deceased is transferred to the monastery church, where the confessor describes his holiness to the parishioners, and when he is buried in the crypt, pilgrims rush there from all sides. They call him Saint Shaleleto and “claim that the Lord has already shown many miracles through him and continues to show them daily to all who resort to him with faith.”
Second short story of the First Day (Neifila's story)
A wealthy merchant, Giannotto di Chivigni, lives in Paris, a kind, honest and just man, who communicates with a Jewish merchant named Abram and is very sad that the soul of such a worthy person will perish because of an unjust faith. He begins to persuade Abram to convert to Christianity, proving that the Christian faith, due to its holiness, is flourishing and spreading more and more widely, while his, Abram’s, faith is becoming impoverished and disappearing. At first, Abram does not agree, but then, heeding the admonitions of his friend, he promises to become a Christian, but only after he visits Rome and observes the life of God’s viceroy on earth and his cardinals.
This decision plunges Giannotto, who is familiar with the customs of the papal court, into despondency, and he tries to dissuade Abram from the trip, but he insists on his own. In Rome, he becomes convinced that outright debauchery, greed, gluttony, greed, envy, pride and even worse vices flourish at the papal court. Returning to Paris, he announces his intention to be baptized, citing the following argument: the pope, all the cardinals, prelates and courtiers “seek to wipe out the Christian faith from the face of the earth, and they do this with extraordinary diligence,<...>cunning and<...>skillfully", and meanwhile this faith is spreading more and more - which means that it is faithfully supported by the Holy Spirit. Giannotto becomes his godfather and gives him the name Giovanni.
Third story of the First Day (Philomena's story)
The story should serve as an illustration of the idea “that stupidity often takes people out of a blissful state and plunges them into the abyss of evil, while reason rescues the wise from the abyss of disasters and gives him perfect and inviolable peace.”
The action takes place at the court of Saladin, the Sultan of Babylon, famous for his victories over Christian and Saracen kings, whose treasury was depleted by frequent wars and excessive luxury. In an attempt to get money, he decides to resort to the help of the Jew Melchizedek, a moneylender, and by cunning get the necessary amount from him.
Having called the Jew, he asks which law he considers to be true: Jewish, Saracen or Christian. A wise Jew, in order not to get into trouble, tells a parable.
One man owned an expensive ring and, wanting to keep it in the family, ordered that whichever son received the ring should be considered his heir, and the rest would honor him as the eldest in the family. That's how it happened in that family. Finally, the ring passed to a man who loved all three of his sons equally and could not give preference to anyone. In order not to offend anyone, he ordered two copies of the ring and before his death, secretly from the others, he gave each son a ring. After the death of their father, all three claimed inheritance and honor, presenting a ring as proof, but no one could determine which ring was genuine, and the question of inheritance remained open. The same can be said about the three laws that God the Father gave to three peoples: each of them considers himself the heir, owner and executor of the true law, but who actually owns it is an open question.
Realizing that the Jew escaped the trap with honor, Saladin openly asks him for help, and then, having returned the full amount he took, he brings him closer to him and gives him a high and honorable post.
Second day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Philomena’s reign, stories are offered about how for people who were subjected to many different trials, in the end, beyond all expectations, everything ended well.”
First short story of the Second Day (Neifila's story)
Moral: “Often, someone who tries to mock others, especially sacred objects, laughs to his own detriment and is himself ridiculed.”
After his death, a German from Treviso named Arrigo was recognized as a saint, and the crippled, blind and sick were brought to his relics, transferred to the cathedral, for healing. At this time, three actors come to Treviso from Florence: Stecchi, Martellino and Marchese, and they want to look at the relics of the saint.
To get through the crowd, Martellino pretends to be a cripple, whom his friends lead to the relics. In the cathedral they lay him on the relics, and he pretends to be healed - he straightens his crooked arms and legs - but suddenly he is recognized by a certain Florentine, who reveals his deception to everyone. They begin to beat him mercilessly, and then Marchese, in order to save his friend, announces to the guards that he allegedly cut off his wallet. Martellino is grabbed and taken to the city governor, where some of those present in the cathedral slander him that he cut off their wallets too. A stern and cruel judge takes over the case. Under torture, Martellino agrees to confess, but on the condition that each of the complainants indicates where and when his wallet was cut off. Everyone calls different times, while Martellino had just arrived in this city. He tries to build his defense on this, but the judge doesn’t want to hear anything and is going to hang him on the gallows.
Meanwhile, Martellino’s friends turn to a man who enjoys the mayor’s trust for intercession. Having summoned Martellino to his place and laughed at this adventure, the mayor lets all three go home.
Third day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Neifila’s reign, stories are offered about how people, thanks to their cunning, achieved what they passionately dreamed of, or regained what they had lost.”
Eighth novella of the Third Day (Lauretta's story)
A certain abbot loves the wife of a rich peasant Ferondo. He promises her to save her husband from jealousy, and as a reward asks for permission to possess her, assuring her that “holiness does not diminish from this, for she abides in the soul,” and he is going to commit a carnal sin. The woman agrees.
The abbot feeds Ferondo sleeping powder, and he supposedly dies. He is buried in a crypt, from where the abbot and one trusted monk carry him to the dungeon. Ferondo, who believes that he is in purgatory, is flogged daily, allegedly for jealousy shown during life, while the abbot has fun with his wife. Ten months pass like this, and suddenly the abbot finds out that his mistress is pregnant. Then he decides to let her husband out. The monk tells Ferondo that he will soon be resurrected and become the father of a child. Having put him to sleep again, the abbot and the monk return him to the crypt, where he wakes up and begins to call for help. Everyone recognizes that he has been resurrected, which is why faith in the abbot’s holiness increases, and Ferondo is cured of jealousy.
Fourth day of the Decameron.
"On the day of Filostrato's reign, stories of unhappy love are offered"
First novella of the Fourth Day (Fiametta's story)
Gismonda, the daughter of Prince Tancred of Salerno, becomes a widow early and, returning to her father’s house, is in no hurry to get married, but is looking for a worthy lover. Her choice falls on Guiscardo, a young man of low birth but noble behavior, a servant in his father’s house. Dreaming about secret date, Gismonda gives him a note in which he makes an appointment in an abandoned cave and explains how to get there. She herself goes there along an ancient secret staircase. Having met in the cave, the lovers go to her bedroom, where they spend time. So they meet several times.
One day Tancred comes to see his daughter while she is walking in the garden, and while waiting for her, he accidentally falls asleep. Without noticing him, Gismonda brings Guiscardo into the room, and Tancred witnesses their love affairs. Having sneaked out of the room unnoticed, he orders the servants to seize Guiscardo and imprison him in one of the rooms of the palace.
The next day he goes to his daughter and, accusing her of giving herself to a young man of “the darkest origin,” invites her to say something in her defense. A proud woman, she decides not to ask her father for anything, but to commit suicide, because she is sure that her lover is no longer alive. She sincerely confesses her love, explaining it by the merits of Guiscardo and the demands of the flesh, and accuses her father of being in the grip of prejudice, he reproaches her not so much for the fall as for her connection with an ignoble person. She claims that true nobility is not in origin, but in actions, and even poverty indicates only a lack of means, but not nobility. Taking all the blame upon herself, she asks her father to do with her the same way he did with Guiscardo, otherwise he promises to commit suicide.
Tancred does not believe that his daughter is capable of carrying out the threat, and, taking the heart out of the chest of the murdered Guiscardo, sends it to Gismonda in a golden goblet. Gismonda appeals to the heart of her lover with the words that his enemy has given him a tomb worthy of his valor. Having washed her heart with tears and pressing it to her chest, she pours poison into the goblet and drinks the poison to the drop. The repentant Tancred fulfills his daughter’s last wish and buries the lovers in the same tomb.
Fifth day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Fiametta’s reign, stories are offered about how lovers, after ordeals and misadventures, finally smiled on happiness.”
Fifth novella of the Fifth Day (Neifila's story)
Guidotto from Cremona has an adopted daughter, Agnes; after death, he entrusts her to the care of his friend, Giacomino from Pavia, who moves with the girl to Faenza. There two young men woo her; Giannole di Severino and Mingino di Mingole. They are refused, and they decide to kidnap the girl by force, for which they enter into a conspiracy with Giacomino’s servants. One day Giacomino leaves home in the evening. The young men make their way there, and a fight breaks out between them. The guards come running at the noise and take them to prison.
The next morning, the relatives ask Giacomino not to file a complaint against the reckless youths. He agrees, stating that the girl is a native of Faenza, but he does not know whose daughter she is. He only knows in which house the girl was found during the sack of the city by the troops of Emperor Frederick. Father Giannole Bernabuccio recognizes Agnes as his daughter by the scar above his left ear. The ruler of the city releases both young men from prison, reconciles them with each other and gives Agnes in marriage to Mingino.
Sixth day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Elissa’s reign, stories are offered of how people, stung by someone’s joke, paid in kind, or with quick and resourceful answers prevented loss, danger and dishonor.”
First story of the Sixth Day (Philomena's story)
One day, the noble Florentine Donna Oretta, wife of Geri Spina, was walking on her estate with ladies and men invited to dinner with her, and since the place where they were going to go on foot was far away, one of her companions suggested: “If you please, Donna Oretta, I’ll tell you a very entertaining story, and before you know it, you’ll feel as if you’ve been riding a horse almost the entire time.” However, the narrator was so inept and spoiled the story so hopelessly that Donna Oretta suffered physical illness from it. “Messer! Your horse is really stumbling. Be so kind as to let me down,” the lady said with a charming smile. The companion “immediately caught the hint, turned it into a joke, was the first to laugh and hastened to move on to other topics,” never finishing the story he had started.
Seventh day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Dioneo’s reign, stories are offered about those things that, in the name of love or for the sake of their own salvation, wives did with their shrewd and slow-witted husbands.”
The seventh novella of the Seventh Day (Philomena's story)
A young resident of Paris, Lodovico, the son of a Florentine nobleman who got rich in trade, serves at the court of the French king and one day from the knights who visited the holy places, he hears about the beauty of Donna Beatrice, the wife of Egano de Galuzzi from Bologna. Having fallen in love with her in absentia, he asks his father to let him go on a pilgrimage, and he secretly comes to Bologna. Seeing Donna Beatrice, he falls in love with her at first sight and decides to stay in Bologna until he achieves reciprocity, for which purpose, under the name Anikino, he enters the service of Egano and soon gains his trust.
One day, when Egano goes hunting, Anikino reveals his feelings to Beatrice. Beatrice reciprocates his feelings and invites him to sneak into her room at night. Since he knows which side of the bed she sleeps on, she offers to touch her if she sleeps, and then all his dreams will come true.
At night, feeling Anikino’s touch, Beatrice grabs his hand and begins to toss and turn in bed so much that Egano wakes up. Anikino, fearing a trap, tries to break free, but Beatrice holds him tightly, meanwhile telling her husband that his supposedly most faithful servant Anikino has made an appointment with her at midnight in the garden.
Inviting her husband to test the servant's loyalty, she forces him to dress up in her dress and go out into the garden, which he does.
Having fully enjoyed her lover, Beatrice sends him into the garden with a huge club so that he can properly warm Egano. Anikino attacks the owner with the words: “So you came here, imagining that I was and am going to deceive my master?”
Having forcibly escaped, Egano runs to his wife and says that Anikino, it turns out, was going to test her. “He is so devoted to you that you cannot help but love and respect him,” says his wife. So Egano becomes convinced of what a devoted servant and wife he has, and thanks to this incident, Beatrice and Anikino indulge in lovemaking many more times.
Eighth day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Lauretta’s reign, stories are offered about what kind of things a woman does with a man, a man with a woman, and a man with a man every day.”
Tenth novella of the Eighth Day (story by Dioneo)
In Palermo, as in others port cities, there is a procedure according to which merchants coming to the city deposit their goods in a warehouse called the customs house. Customs officers allocate a special room for the goods and enter the goods with an indication of their value in the customs book, thanks to which women of dishonest behavior can easily find out about the merchant’s means, in order to then lure him into a love network and rob him completely.
Once in Palermo, on behalf of the owners with a large number A Florentine named Niccolò da Cignano, nicknamed Salabaetto, arrives for fabrics. Having delivered the goods to the warehouse, he goes for a walk around the city, and a certain Donna Yancofiore, who is aware of his financial situation, draws attention to him. Through a bawd, she arranges a date for the young man and, when he arrives, she pleases him in every possible way. They meet several times, she gives him gifts without asking for anything in return, and finally finds out that he has sold the goods. Then she receives him even more affectionately, then leaves the room and returns in tears, saying that her brother demands that a thousand florins be sent to him immediately, otherwise his head will be cut off. Believing that this is a rich and respectable woman who will repay the debt, he gives her the five hundred florins he received for the fabric. Having received the money, Yancofiore immediately loses interest in him, and Salabaetto realizes that he was deceived.
To escape the persecution of his owners demanding money, he leaves for Naples, where he tells everything to the treasurer of the Empress of Constantinople and his family friend Pietro dello Canigiano, who offers him a certain plan of action.
Having packed many bales and bought twenty olive oil barrels, Salabaetto returns to Palermo, where he deposits the goods in a warehouse, announcing to the customs officers that he will not touch this shipment until the next one arrives. Having smelled that the arrived goods cost at least two thousand florins, and the expected ones cost more than three, Yancofiore sends for the merchant.
Salabaetto pretends to be glad to be invited and confirms the rumors about the value of his goods. To win the young man's trust, she returns the debt to him, and he enjoys spending time with her.
One day he comes to her dejected and says that he must pay off the corsairs who captured the second shipment of goods, otherwise the goods will be taken to Monaco. Yancofiore invites him to borrow money from a loan shark he knows at high interest rates, and Salabaetto realizes that she is going to lend him her own money. He agrees, promising to ensure payment of the debt with goods in the warehouse, which he will immediately transfer to the name of the lender. The next day, the trusted broker Yancofiore gives Salabaetto a thousand florins, and he, having paid off his debts, leaves for Ferrara.
After making sure that Salabaetto is not in Palermo, Yancofiore tells the broker to break into the warehouse - it turns out there are barrels sea water, and in bales there is tow. Left in the cold, she understands that “whatever comes back, so will it respond.”
Ninth day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Emilia’s reign, everyone talks about whatever they want and whatever they like best.”
Third story of the Ninth Day (story by Filostrato)
The aunt leaves the painter Calandrino an inheritance of two hundred lire, and he is going to buy the estate, as if he does not understand that “the land purchased for this amount is only enough to sculpt balls from it.” His friends Bruno and Buffalmacco want to spend this money together and send Nello to him, who tells Calandrino that he looks bad. The same is confirmed by Buffalmacco and Bruno, who were right there. On their advice, Calandrino goes to bed and sends his urine to the doctor for analysis. Doctor Simone, whom his friends managed to warn, informs Calandrino that he has become pregnant. Not embarrassed by the doctor, Calandrino shouts at his wife: “This is all because you definitely want to be on top!” The doctor promises the frightened Calandrino to save him from pregnancy for six well-fed capons and five lire in change. The friends feast heartily, and three days later the doctor tells Calandrino that he is healthy. Calandrino extols the virtues of Dr. Simone, and only his wife realizes that all this was a setup.
Tenth day of the Decameron.
“On the day of Panfilo’s reign, we offer stories about people who showed generosity and magnanimity both in matters of the heart and in other matters.”
Tenth novella of the Tenth Day (story by Dioneo)
Young Gualtieri, the eldest in the family of the Marquises of Saluzzi, is persuaded by his subjects to marry in order to continue the family line, and even offer to find him a bride, but he agrees to marry only of his own choice. He marries a poor peasant girl named Griselda, warning her that she will have to please him in everything; she should not be angry with him for anything and should obey him in everything. The girl turns out to be charming and courteous, she is obedient and helpful to her husband, affectionate with her subjects, and everyone loves her, recognizing her high virtues.
Meanwhile, Gualtieri decides to test Griselda’s patience and reproaches her for giving birth not to a son, but to a daughter, which extremely outraged the courtiers, who were already allegedly dissatisfied with her low origin. A few days later, he sends a servant to her, who announces that he has orders to kill her daughter. The servant brings the girl to Gualtieri, who sends her to be raised by a relative in Bologna, asking her not to reveal to anyone whose daughter it is.
After some time, Griselda gives birth to a son, whom her husband also takes from her, and then tells her that, at the insistence of his subjects, he is forced to marry someone else and expel her. She meekly gives up her son, who is sent to be raised in the same place as her daughter.
Some time later, Gualtieri shows everyone forged letters in which the pope supposedly allows him to leave Griselda and marry another, and Griselda obediently, in one shirt, returns to parents' house. Gualtieri spreads rumors that he is marrying the daughter of Count Panago, and sends for Griselda, so that she, as a servant, will restore order in the house for the arrival of the guests. When the “bride” arrives - and Gualtieri has decided to marry off his own daughter as a bride - Griselda greets her cordially,
Convinced that Griselda's patience is inexhaustible, touched by the fact that she says only good things about the girl who is supposed to replace her in the marital bed, he admits that he was simply testing Griselda, and announces that his imaginary bride and her brother are their own children. He brings Griselda’s father, the farmer Giannucole, closer to him, who has since lived in his house, as befits the marquis’s father-in-law. Gualtieri is looking for an enviable match for his daughter, and he honors his wife Griselda extremely highly and lives happily ever after with her. “Hence the consequence is that even in wretched huts they live heavenly creatures, but in the royal palaces there are creatures who would be better suited to herd pigs than to command people."
In 1348, Florence was “visited by a destructive plague”, killing one hundred thousand people. Family and friendly ties fell apart, servants refused to serve their masters, the dead were not buried, but dumped in holes dug in church cemeteries.
When the city was almost empty, seven young women, “connected by friendship, neighborhood, kinship,” “prudent, well-born, beautiful, well-behaved, captivating in their modesty,” met in the church of Santa Maria Novella after the divine liturgy. Without revealing, in order to avoid misunderstandings, their true names, the author calls them Pampinea, Fiametta, Philomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Neifila and Elissa - in accordance with their spiritual qualities.
Pampinea suggests “retiring in a decent manner to country estates and filling your leisure time with all kinds of entertainment.” By leaving the city, where people, in anticipation of their death, indulged in lust and debauchery, they will protect themselves from unpleasant experiences, and they themselves will behave morally and with dignity. There is nothing keeping them in Florence: all their loved ones have died.
The ladies approve of Pampinea's idea, and Philomena suggests inviting men with her, because it is difficult for a woman to live with her own mind, and she desperately needs the advice of a man. During this conversation, three young men enter the church - Panfilo, Filostrato and Dioneo. Among the ladies who find themselves in the church are their lovers, the rest are related to them. Pampinea immediately offers to invite them.
Young people are glad to be invited. Having agreed on everything, the girls and boys, accompanied by maids and servants, leave the city the next morning. They arrive in a picturesque area where there is a beautiful palace and settle down there. Dioneo, the most cheerful and witty, offers to have fun as anyone wants. He is supported by Pampinea, who suggests that someone should be in charge and think about the structure of their life and entertainment. And so that everyone knows both the worries and joys associated with leadership, and so that no one is envious, this honorable burden should be placed on everyone in turn. They will all choose the first “master” together, and the subsequent ones will be appointed each time before Vespers by the one who was the ruler that day. Everyone unanimously elects Pampinea, and Philomena places a laurel wreath on her head, which over the next days serves as a sign of “supremacy and royal power.”
After an exquisitely served breakfast, everyone sings, dances and plays musical instruments, and then lies down to rest. Having woken up, everyone gathers in a shady corner of the garden, and Pampinea suggests devoting time to stories, “for one storyteller is able to occupy all the listeners,” allowing them to talk on the first day “about what everyone likes best.” Dioneo asks for the right to tell the story last each time, not subject to the topic of the day, in order to amuse a society tired of excessive reasoning, and he receives this right.
Day one
During the reign of Pampinea, where stories are told on any topic
Novella first
Sir Ceparello, nicknamed Chappeletto, a scoundrel during life, a deceiver, a false witness, a murderer, finds himself in another city on the verge of death. He deceives a pious monk with a false confession and dies. In order to save the two moneylenders, the owners of the house in which he was staying, from unnecessary trouble and bad rumors, Chappeletto dying confession talks about himself as a saint who has never sinned in his life. The elder who confessed him willingly believes him, and after Chappeletto’s death, the church fathers ranked him among the saints; Subsequently, Saint Chappeletto enjoys honor and respect, people pray to him and pilgrims go to his relics.
Novella second
The Jew Abraham, as a result of the admonitions of Giannotto di Civigni, goes to the Roman court and, seeing the depravity of the church ministers there, returns to Paris, where he becomes a Christian, believing that if even with such depravity of the heads of the church the Catholic faith spreads and grows stronger, it means that in it truly is the Holy Spirit.
Novella three
Saladin, the great Arab general and ruler, needed money to run new war, comes to the moneylender, the Jew Melchizedek, and asks him a question about whose faith is better, Christian, Jewish or Islam. The moneylender understands that no matter what the answer is, Saladdin will be unhappy, kill him and take the money. To avoid this, he tells the commander a story about his father, who made three identical rings and secretly gave a ring to each of his three sons, before declaring that there was only one such ring and it would go to the one he chose, and the owner of the ring will also receive an inheritance. After the death of their father, it turned out that there were three rings, and the brothers are still arguing about which of them is the rightful heir. Saladdin understands the secret meaning of the story (the rings symbolize religion), begins to respect the moneylender and leaves without gold, but in friendship with Melchizedek.
Novella Four
One monk, “sinning” together with a certain girl, turns out to be discovered by the abbot, who, in turn, cannot stand it and after a while he himself enjoys the girl. The monk denounces the abbot for this, thereby avoiding punishment.
Novella fifth
The Marquise of Montferrat, a widow who is visited by a French king who is passionately in love with her, feeds him only chickens, after which she says that although in their country chickens do not have roosters, these chickens are no different from any others. The king understands the hint and moderates his ardor.
Novella sixth
One man, having paid for his sins to the Inquisition, received forgiveness and the title of crusader. He was sent to the church to listen and be imbued with faith, but when he returned, he told the inquisitor that he was amused by one thought: if those who give on earth will be rewarded tenfold in heaven, then the monks there after death will have to choke on the stew that they, as a surplus , during their lifetime they give it to the poor.
Novella seven
The wandering musician and poet Bergamino finds himself at a party with Messire Cane Dela Scala. Without waiting for a reward and a gift from Messire, he tells him the story of the poor but famous poet Primate, who found himself at dinner with the Abbot of Cluny, who was always famous for his generosity and invited crowds of poor people and generally everyone to his table. However, the abbot began to be tormented by greed, and he ordered that the Primate not be served food, while he was chewing the bread he had stored. When the Primus began to eat the last piece of bread he had stored, the abbot suddenly came to his senses, was surprised by the sudden greed, and happily treated the guest. Thus Bergamino reproached Cane Dela Scala, who, having understood the morality, generously rewarded the cunning musician.
Novella eight
The rich but stingy Sir Hermino de Grimaldi one day asks the artist to draw something unprecedented when painting the walls. He says that he will write something that Ermino has definitely never seen - “Nobility.” Ermino repents of his stinginess and begins to show generosity.
Novella Ninth
A Gascon lady, having been insulted in Cyprus, comes to the king, famous for his inactivity and weakness, and asks not to avenge her, but simply to teach her to endure all insults and insults just like him. He understands her reproach and changes.
Novella tenth
The elderly, but respected and wise maestro Alberto from Bologna is in love with a woman, but she tries to shame him in front of her friends. The maestro says that he has seen how women eat onions, although they are absolutely tasteless and unpleasant, so why shouldn’t he hope that instead of young people, a woman will choose him, even though he is unable to give in to passion, but who loves with all his heart.
Day two
Under the guidance of Philomena, where they talk about those who, after various vicissitudes and beyond all expectations, achieved a successful goal
Novella first
Three actors come to Treviso from Florence: Stecchi, Martellino and Marchese, and they want to look at the relics of Saint Arrigo. To get through the crowd, Martellino pretends to be crippled and pretends to be cured by the relics of Saint Arrigo. When his deception is discovered, he is captured and beaten. Then Marchese, in order to save his friend, announces to the guards that he allegedly cut off his wallet. They want to hang Martellino, but his friends tell the authorities about the joke with the wallet, they laugh and release Martellino.
Novella second
Rinaldo d'Asti, having been robbed by fellow travelers, appears in Castel Guglielmo, where he “finds shelter” with a widow. Having received a reward from her for this, he finds himself in the city, learns that the robbers have been captured, receives his property back and happily returns home.
Novella three
Three brothers, having recklessly squandered their fortune, inherited from their rich father, became poor. Their nephew Alessandro, returning home in despair, meets the abbot along the way and recognizes him as the daughter of the English king, who marries him, and he, having compensated his uncles for all their losses, returns them to their previous position.
Novella Four
Landolfo Ruffolo, impoverished due to unsuccessful trade, becomes a corsair. Attacked by the Genoese, he is wrecked at sea, escapes on a box full of jewels, finds shelter with a woman in Corfu and returns home a rich man.
Novella fifth
Andreuccio from Perugia, having arrived in Naples to buy horses, is lured into his house by a heterosexual, where she takes his wallet with money. Andreuccio tries to take the wallet, but falls into the latrine, after which he is driven away. He meets two criminals who offer to take him into the business, but first he must wash himself clean, and Andreuccio dives into the well. Rising from it, he scares the city guards. Together with the robbers, he ends up in the crypt of the recently buried high priest, but his treacherous accomplices lock him there. He dresses up as a dead man and puts on the ruby ring that was on the corpse. The new marauders get scared when the "dead man" moves, and Andreuccio gets out of the remaining open tomb and leaves with the ruby ring.
Novella sixth
Madonna Beritola's husband falls from grace. She and her two sons end up on the same island after a shipwreck. Her sons are kidnapped by passing pirates, and she lives in a cave with two deer, like an animal. Beritola is saved by a ship with family friends, and she goes to Lunijiana, where one of her sons ends up in the service of the ruler of the country, and having fallen in love and sinned with the ruler’s daughter, he ends up in prison. Sicily rebels against King Charles, the family of Madonna Beritola begins to be respected again. The son, recognized by his mother, marries his master's daughter, his brother is found, and both return to their former high position.
Novella seven
The Sultan of Babylonia gives his daughter, Alatiel, in marriage to a powerful king. After various accidents and disasters, she four years in turn falls in different parts into the “hands” of nine men, who kill each other and kidnap Alatiel from each other because of her wonderful beauty. Finally, returned to her father by his old friend the Greek Antigonus as a virgin, she goes, as she had previously intended, to King del Garbo, whom she marries.
Novella eight
Count Anversky, falsely accused of violating the honor of the wife of one ruler, goes into exile, leaving his two children in different places in England. Returning unrecognized, he finds them in a good position, goes as a groom to the army of the French king and, acquitted after the dying confession of the ruler’s wife, who admitted that she had lied to him, returns to his previous state.
Novella Ninth
Bernabo, a wealthy merchant, argues with Ambrogiolo that his wife will never cheat on him. Ambrogiolo, hiding in a box, finds himself in Bernabo's house, where he looks at his sleeping wife. He tells Bernabo about a certain mark on his wife’s body, the merchant loses a lot of money, and also loses his dignity and orders to kill his innocent wife. She, spared by the servant who was supposed to finish her off, is saved and serves in the guise of a man with the Sultan, achieving high position and respect thanks to her wisdom. She calls Bernabo and Ambrogiolo, forcing the latter to admit to deception, which he does. Bernabo repents, and his wife opens up to him and, taking the reward for her service from the Sultan and saying goodbye to him, leaves with her husband.
Novella tenth
Paganino from Monaco kidnaps the wife of Messire Ricciardo da Kinzik, who, having learned where she is, goes after her and, having entered into friendship with Paganino, asks to give her to him. Paganino agrees if it is the will of Messire Ricciardo’s wife, but she does not want to return, and after the death of Messier Ricciardo becomes Paganino’s wife.
Day three
Presided over by Neiphila, where they talk about those who, thanks to their skill, obtained something they strongly desired or returned something they had lost
Novella first
Young Masetto from Lamporecchio, pretending to be a dumb and narrow-minded fellow, enters the monastery of nuns as a gardener, after which, first alone, and then all the other nuns, in turn, indulge in passion together with Masetto. After some time, he becomes exhausted, unable to constantly please so many women, reveals to everyone that he is not at all mute, and leaves the monastery.
Novella second
The groom, having desired the wife of his master, King Agilulf, dresses up as him and sleeps with the queen, which the king secretly finds out about and, having found the groom among the others, cuts off his hair in order to identify the culprit the next day. The groom who has had his hair cut cuts his hair and in this way gets out of trouble, and the king marvels at the cunning of the criminal.
Novella three
One lady, having fallen in love with a young man whose friend was a priest, confesses to this priest, complaining over and over again that the young man allegedly constantly seeks her love. The priest immediately calls his friend to him and reproaches him, but the young man understands the lady’s cunning. When she describes at the next confession in what ways the young man allegedly tried to get into her house, he learns from the indignant priest about these ways and, using them, has a good time with the cunning lady.
Novella Four
Don Felice tells the pious but narrow-minded brother Puccio that you can achieve liberation from sins by tying yourself in the courtyard and praying all night, which Brother Puccio does. Don Felice, meanwhile, is having fun with the wife of Puccio’s brother.
Novella fifth
Ricciardo Winter gives its best horse Messer Francesco Vergellesi and for this, with his consent, speaks to his wife, Messer Francesco punishes his wife not to say a word to Ricciardo. While she is silent, Ricciardo answers his own questions for her, suggesting ways in which he and Messer Francesco’s wife can meet. This is how it all happens.
Novella sixth
Ricciardo Minutolo loves Filippello Figinolfi's wife. Having learned that she is jealous, he tells her that Filippello made a date in the bathhouse for his wife and ensures that the lady herself goes there and, thinking that she was with her husband, spends the night with Ricciardo, after which the latter admits who he is.
Novella seven
Tedaldo, having quarreled with his mistress, leaves Florence. After some time, he returns there under the guise of a pilgrim and informs her that because of her coldness, her former lover, Tedaldo, committed suicide, thereby obtaining repentance from her. Then he saves the life of her husband, accused of murdering himself, reconciles his mistress’s husband with his brothers and reasonably prospers with his wife. Later it turns out that the murdered man was a foreigner very similar to Tedaldo.
Novella eight
Ferondo, having tasted a certain powder poured on him by the abbot, falls asleep and becomes like a dead man. He is buried. Discovered from his grave by the abbot, he is imprisoned and is told that he is in purgatory. At this time, the abbot is having fun with Ferondo’s wife. “Having been resurrected,” Ferondo raises a son born to the abbot by his wife.
Novella Ninth
Gillette from Narbonne, the daughter of a famous doctor, cures the French king of a fistula and asks Beltramo of Rossillon to be her husband, who, having married her against his will and indignant at this, goes to Florence. There he looks after a girl, but instead of her, Gillette sleeps with him and gives birth to two sons from him. Subsequently, having recognized his sons and appreciating Gillette’s intelligence and love, he treats her as a legitimate wife.
Novella tenth
Alibek, the daughter of a rich Muslim, on a whim becomes a hermit. The other monks are afraid that temptation will break them, and they entrust her to the care of Rustico, who is known for his purity and strength of faith. Rustico makes love to Alibek, saying that in this way he is “driving his devil into Alibek’s hell.” The latter begins to like it over time. She, seeing that Rustico, due to his hermit’s post, is no longer able to please her, returns to the city, where she becomes Neerbal’s wife. She tells the city ladies about her adventures, after which the obscene phrase “drive the devil into hell” is born.
Day four
Presided over by Filostrato, where they discuss those whose love had an unhappy outcome
Novella first
Tancred, Prince of Salerno, kills his daughter's lover and sends his heart to her in a golden goblet. After pouring poisoned water on him, she drinks it and dies.
Novella second
Monk Albert assures Lisette that an angel is in love with her, and, moving into Albert’s body, the angel desires intimacy with Madonna Lisette. So they manage to connect several times, until the vain Lisette blurts out her secret to her friends. Lisette's relatives want to catch the "angel", and he throws himself out of the window of her house and finds refuge in the house of a poor man, who the next day leads him, disguised as a savage, to the square, where he is recognized, and the brethren grab him and imprison him.
Novella three
Three young people love three sisters, with whom they run away to Crete, where they live happily for a short time. The older sister soon kills her lover out of jealousy. The second sister, having given herself to the Duke of Crete, saves the first from death, but her lover kills her and runs away with the first sister. A third lover and a third sister are accused of this murder. Being captured, they take the blame, but, fearing death, they bribe the guards with the rest of the money and flee, impoverished, to Rhodes, where they die in poverty.
Novella Four
Stately and prince charming Gerbino falls in love after hearing descriptions of the beauty of the daughter of the Tunisian king, and she is also in love with Gerbino in the same way. Dove honestly to his grandfather not to attack the ship on which the daughter of the Tunisian king is being taken to her rightful groom, he breaks his word and attacks. Those who were on the ship kill the girl, but Dzherbino kills them all out of revenge. After this, he is executed as having disobeyed his grandfather's orders.
Novella fifth
Isabel's brothers kill her lover. He appears to her in a dream and shows her where he is buried. Having secretly dug up his head, she puts it in a pot of basil and cries over it for a long time every day. The brothers take the pot with the plant from her, after which Isabetta dies of grief. After her death, the canzona remains: “What kind of evil infidel was that // That stole my flower...”.
Novella sixth
Andreola loves Gabriotto. She tells him a nightmare she had, he tells her his own, and suddenly dies in her arms from a heart attack. When she and her maid carry Gabriotto to his house, the guards take them away, and Andreola tells how it happened. They want to inflict violence on the girl, she resists it. Andreola's father hears about this and frees her, still innocent. She, not wanting to live in the world anymore, becomes a nun.
Novella seven
Lovers Simone and Pasquino meet in the garden. Pasquino rubs his teeth with sage and dies. Arrested Simone, wanting to show the judge how Pasquino died, rubs her teeth with a leaf of the same sage and also dies. It turns out that it was not sage that grew in that garden, but some kind of poisonous plant.
Novella eight
Girolamo loves Salvestra. Prompted by his mother's requests, he goes to Paris. Returning, he finds her married, secretly enters her house and asks Salvestra to lie next to her for a while, after which he dies. Girolamo is buried, and his beloved comes and, sobbing, dies next to his body; they are buried together.
Novella Ninth
Sir Guglielmo Rossiglione gives his wife a taste of the heart of Sir Guglielmo Guardastagno, who was killed by him and loved by her. Having learned about this, she throws herself from a high window, dies, and is buried along with her lover.
Novella tenth
The lover of a doctor's wife accidentally drinks a sleeping potion prepared by the doctor for one of his patients. The doctor's wife thinks that her beloved has died, and her maid puts the sleeping man in a box, which is dragged along with the body by two moneylenders. Having woken up, the lover does not understand anything and rages, but is captured like a thief. The lady's maid tells the authorities that she was the one who put the sleeping man in a box stolen by moneylenders. Thanks to this, he avoids the gallows, and the moneylenders are sentenced to a fine for stealing the box.
Day five
Chaired by Fiammetta, where they talk about how, after various sad and unhappy incidents, happiness smiles on lovers
Novella first
Cimone, previously like a beast, uneducated and ugly, seeing the sleeping Efigenia, becomes wise and beautiful. He kidnaps his sweet Ephigenia and takes her to the sea, but after that he finds himself imprisoned in Rhodes. Lysimachus frees him, they kidnap Ephigenia and Cassandra, Lysimachus's beloved, from their wedding celebration, and flee with them to Crete, marry them, and all return home together.
Novella second
Costanza loves Martuccio Gomito. Hearing about his death, in despair she sits alone in a boat, which the wind carries to Susa. Finding him alive in Tunisia, she opens up to him, and he, having become close to the king for the advice given during the war, marries her and with her returns to Lipari as a rich man.
Novella three
Pietro Boccamazza flees with Agnolella from his home, but on the way he meets robbers. The girl runs away into the forest, where her old friend stumbles upon her and brings her to her castle. Pietro escapes from the hands of robbers and, after several adventures, ends up in the castle where Agnolella is located. He marries her and they return to Rome together.
Novella Four
Lizio da Valbona's daughter, citing the heat, sleeps on the balcony of her room to "listen to the birds singing." Her lover Ricciardo Manardi climbs up the wall towards her. Tired of the night's amusements, the young people fall asleep hugging each other. In this position, they are found in the morning by Lizio da Valbona, who, together with his wife, persuades Ricciardo to marry his daughter, and he does not refuse.
Novella fifth
Guidotto of Cremona entrusts his adopted daughter to the care of Giacomino of Pavia and dies. In Faenza, Giannole di Severino and Mingino di Mingole fall in love with her. They enter into a feud with each other and try to kidnap the girl in one night, by bribing the servants. However, the truth about the girl's parents is revealed. She turns out to be Giannole's sister, and the girl is given in marriage to Mingino.
Novella sixth
Gianni from Procida sneaks into the royal chambers, since his beloved is given to King Federigo. The king finds the couple and orders both lovers to be burned, but Ruggieri del Oria recognizes the lovers under whom the fire is to be lit as the offspring of noble families, and the king releases them, not daring to execute them.
Novella seven
Teodoro, the son of a nobleman who was kidnapped many years ago, lives as a servant in the house of Messire Amerigo and falls in love with his daughter, Violanta. She became pregnant by Teodoro, and Amerigo, who learned about the birth of his daughter, orders the servant to be hanged, but Teodoro’s father, who is nearby, recognizes his son and frees him.
Novella eight
Nastagio degli Onesti, in love with a girl from the Traversari family, squanders his wealth without receiving reciprocation. He goes to Chiassi, where he sees one horseman chasing a girl, killing her and two dogs devouring her, then the girl is resurrected and runs again. The horseman says that at one time he was tormented by this girl, without reciprocating, he died of grief, and now his former beloved is forced to suffer in a similar way for as many years as the months she tormented the horseman who loved her. Nastagio invites his family and his sweetheart to dinner. She sees how that girl is tormented, and, fearing a similar fate, marries Nastagio. After this story, all the girls in that city became more accommodating.
Novella Ninth
Federigo degli Alberighi loves Monna Giovanna, but is not loved by her. He squanders all his fortune on courtship, and he has only one falcon left, which the sick son of Monna Giovanna asks for. Federigo, in the absence of anything else, serves this falcon for dinner to his beloved, who came to him with her request. Having learned about this, she changes her feelings for Federigo, and after her son dies, the rich inheritance goes to her and her lover.
Novella tenth
Pietro di Vinciolo, guilty of sodomy, goes out to dinner. His wife dissatisfied with that that the husband does not fulfill marital duties, invites young man. When Pietro returns, his wife hides her lover under a chicken basket. Pietro says that in the house of Ercolano, with whom he had dinner, they found a young man hidden there by his wife. Pietro's wife reproaches Ercolano's wife. Unfortunately, the donkey steps on the young man's fingers, and he gives himself away by screaming. Pietro runs there, sees him and learns about his wife’s deception, with whom in the end, out of his baseness, he reconciles, and the three of them spend the night. A young man, returning home in the morning, thinks about who he was last night, a woman or a man.
Day six
Under the chairmanship of Eliza, which talks about those who, having been hurt by some sharp word, repaid it, or with a quick response and resourcefulness avoided damage, danger or offense
Novella first
A certain nobleman promises Madonna Oreta to tell such a story that it will seem to her as if she is riding a horse, but he tells it ineptly, stuttering and faltering, and she aptly compares his story to a stumbling mare, asking him to let her down from the saddle. The narrator accepts the reproach.
Novella second
The baker Chisti constantly treats the noble sir Jerry to expensive wine. Soon he sends a servant to Chisti for wine to treat his guests, but Chisti, seeing a huge bottle, says that the servant was apparently not sent to him. Messieur Jerry understands the immodesty of his request and comes himself and the guests straight to Chisti, where the baker gladly treats them.
Novella three
The Florentine bishop, noticing among the people Madonna Pona, a young and lively girl who had recently gotten married, asks whether her husband can cope with her. She, remembering a story in which one of the bishop’s subordinates slept with the wife of a townsman, paying him for it with counterfeit coins, replies that it doesn’t matter whether the husband copes or not, but the main thing is that the coins will be real. The bishop is ashamed.
Novella Four
Kikibio, Currado's cook, having given one of the legs of a fried crane to his beloved, makes an excuse to Currado by saying that cranes always stand on one leg. The next day, Currado drives up to the cranes and screams, they fly up and their two legs are visible. The cook says that the fried crane should have shouted too, then the second leg would have become visible.
Novella fifth
The great artist, sir Forese da Pabata, and the wise sir Giotto, a painter, with an ugly appearance, returning from Mugello, joke with each other. Giotto says that none of the passers-by would have guessed from the appearance of Messire Forese what beautiful paintings he writes. Sir Forese says that no one would have guessed that Giotto knew even the very basics of grammar. Both understand that it’s not for them to joke with each other.
Novella sixth
Michele Scalda wins the argument about whose family is the most noble. He says that ancient family is the Baronchi family, famous for its hereditary physical defects, since the Lord apparently created this kind when he was just training to sculpt people, hence so many mistakes.
Novella seven
Madonna Philippa, having been caught in treason, for which she was entitled by law severe punishment, explains that her husband did not satisfy her desire, and therefore she gave the resulting “surplus” to a person who needed it. The Madonna's speech delighted the judge, and the cruel law was softened.
Novella eight
Cheska, considering herself the most beautiful of all the people in the world, blames other people and says that it is unpleasant for her to look at the abomination. Then Fresco, her uncle, advises Ceska not to look in the mirror.
Novella Ninth
The townspeople are trying to make fun of the wise Guido Cavalcanti. Finding him in the cemetery, they hear that in their house he, Guido, is ready to calmly listen to their words. Then Guido leaves, and the townspeople understand that Guido compared them in their ignorance and stupidity to the dead, whose home is a cemetery.
Novella tenth
Brother Cipolla (or Luca), who has come once again to collect donations from peasants for his order, promises to show the parishioners a sacred relic - the feather of the Archangel Gabriel. Two jokers, taking advantage of the fact that Luca’s servant, Guccio, a slob and a slacker, was pestering an ugly maid, stole the “relic,” which turned out to be a parrot feather, and replaced the feather with coals. Having discovered coals instead of a feather during his sermon, Luke, having told long story of his wanderings in search of relics, he says that he mixed up the relics, capturing instead of Gabriel’s feather the coals on which one of the great martyrs was burned. The parishioners believe Luke and give generous donations; The jokers begin to respect Luka and return the pen to him.
Day seven
Presided over by Dioneo, where they talk about the jokes that, out of love or to save themselves, wives played on their husbands, whether they knew it or not
Novella first
Gianni Logteringhi hears a knock on the door at night and wakes up his wife. She assures him that it is a ghost, although in fact it is her lover who is giving the signal, since he came on a date because of an incorrectly turned goat's head at the gate of Gianni's house - a conventional sign. Gianni and his wife say a conspiratorial prayer over the “ghost”, in which the wife veiledly explains to her lover that her husband is at home, but the lover can enjoy the food left in the garden. The knocking stops.
Novella second
When her husband returns home, Peronella hides her lover in a wine barrel. The husband sold it, but the wife says that she has already sold it to a man who climbed into the barrel to inspect whether it was strong. He crawls out of the barrel and, ordering his husband to scrape it out some more, disappears.
Novella three
Brother Rinaldo sleeps with his godmother. The godfather's husband finds him in the same room with her, and she assures her husband that the monk was talking worms into his godson. Before this, Rinaldo’s brother manages to be warned by his comrade, who is having fun with the maid at the time.
Novella Four
One night, Tofano is locked out of the house by his wife, who has left for her lover. When, despite her requests, she is not allowed in, she pretends to throw a large stone into a well. The frightened Tofano runs out of the house and hurries to the well, and meanwhile his wife enters the house, locks herself and does not let Tofano back in, presenting him to the neighbors as a drunkard who came home in the middle of the night and broke in.
Novella fifth
The jealous man, disguised as a priest, confesses to his wife. She assures him that she loves the priest who comes to her every night. While the jealous man secretly watches at the door, the wife tells her lover to walk across the roof to her and spends time with him, then reproaching her husband for jealousy and deceit.
Novella sixth
Sir Lambertuccio, who loved her but was not loved by her, comes to Madonna Isabella when she had Leonetto. Having learned that her husband is nearby, Madonna Isabella tells Leonetto to run away and Messire Lambertuccio to chase him with a knife. She explains to her husband that she tried to shelter a young man who was fleeing from Messer Lambertuccio, with whom the former, for some unknown reason, became angry.
Novella seven
Lodovico confesses his love to Madonna Beatrice and hides in her bedroom. Madonna Beatrice, having dressed her husband Egano in a dress, sends him into the garden to try to catch Lodovico, who is harassing her. The same one, meanwhile, sleeps with Madonna Beatrice, and then goes out and beats Messire Egano, dressed in a woman’s dress, saying that he, Lodovico, will not stand the impudent harassment of his wife towards him.
Novella eight
Someone begins to be jealous of his wife. She ties a thread to her finger to know when her lover will come. The husband one day stumbles upon a thread and unravels his wife’s cunning, but while he is pursuing her lover, the wife puts her maid in bed instead, whom the husband beats, cuts off her braids, and then goes to the wife’s brothers. Seeing their sister alive and unharmed, they are indignant and threaten the jealous man.
Novella Ninth
Lydia, the wife of Nicostratus, loves his servant, Pyrrhus. To make sure of this, Pyrrhus demands that she fulfill three conditions, which she does everything: she kills her beloved dove Nicostratus, saying that he takes too long from her husband, leaving no time for his wife; pulls out a tuft of beard and a tooth from her husband, saying that it is completely rotten. Pyrrhus is assured of Lydia's love. After this, they begin to play Nicostratus together: as soon as he finds himself under one of the apple trees in his garden with Lydia, Pyrrhus, who has climbed onto it, insists that the husband and wife are supposedly making love. As soon as Nicostratus himself climbs onto the apple tree, he sees how Pyrrhus and Lydia, who remained below, are also making love, but if the first was pure deception, then the second is happening in reality. However, Nicostratus believes in the miraculous properties of the apple tree, which Lydia soon orders to be cut down, just in case.
Novella tenth
Two Sienese love the same woman, the godmother of one of them. The godfather dies and, returning to his comrade, in accordance with the promise given to him earlier, says that in purgatory they explained to him that cheating with his godfather is not considered a sin. The surviving Sienese celebrates with his beloved and achieves his goal.
Day eight
Chaired by Lauretta, where they talk about the jokes that are played every day by a woman on a man, a man on a woman, or a man on a man
Novella first
Gulfardo borrows money from Gasparruolo and, having agreed with his wife that he will sleep with her, gives it to her. After this, he tells Gasparruolo in the presence of his wife that he returned the money to her, and she confirms that this is true.
Novella second
The parish priest from Varlungo sleeps with the Madonna Belcolore. Taking the mortar from her as a souvenir, he leaves her his cloak as a pledge of love. Soon he sends the mortar to Madonna Belcolore with a request to return the cloak. Coerced by her husband, she gives up the bet, saying that the priest “will no longer rub the pestle in her mortar.”
Novella three
Calandrino, Bruno and Buffalmacco go down Mugnone to look for heliotropium, a magic stone that cures poisons and makes its owner invisible. Calandrino imagines that he has found him because his friends get tired of searching and pretend that they do not see Calandrino. He returns home loaded with stones, because he does not know which stone from the pile he has collected is magical. His wife scolds him. Angry, he beats her, and tells his comrades that the woman has broken all the spells of heliotropy.
Novella Four
The abbot of Fiesole loves a widow who does not love him. The widow agrees for the sake of appearance and invites the abbot home. He doesn’t see in the dark that he’s actually sleeping with the widow’s ugly maid. Meanwhile, the widow's brothers invite the bishop to visit and bring him to the room where Fiesole sleeps in the arms of a maid.
Novella fifth
Three young Florentines, pretending that they are demanding an urgent trial, quietly pull down the trousers of one stupid and blind judge from Marcha, while, sitting on the judge's bench, he is trying to sort out the cases.
Novella sixth
Bruno and Buffalmacco, not waiting for Calandrino to sell his pig himself and treat his friends to the rescue, steal Calandrino’s pig and encourage him to try to find the thieves with the help of ginger pills and Vernaccia wine. Everyone present is given a pill, the one who finds it bitter is a thief. Calandrino himself is given one after another bitter pills of sabur mixed with aloe. Everyone accuses Calandrino of stealing his own pig. He also has to pay off Bruno and Buffalmacco so that they do not tell their wife about this.
Novella seven
The student loves the widow. Proving her fidelity to her lover, she forces the student to spend half a winter night in the snow waiting for her, after which he returns home half-dead and thinks about revenge. Soon, wanting to bewitch the lover who had left her, on the advice of a schoolboy, in mid-July she stood the whole day on the tower, naked, bitten by flies and horseflies and burned by the sun. After this, she is found and saved by a maid, on her last legs.
Novella eight
The two live in friendship. One of them gets along with the other's wife. He, having learned about this, comes to an agreement with his wife and locks his friend in the chest, and plays with his wife on it while he sits inside. In the end, both are friendly again, and often then have fun with each other’s wives.
Novella Ninth
Maestro Simone Bruno and Buffalmacco tell the stupid doctor about a secret society in which they both allegedly belong and every evening enjoy luxury and overseas beauties. The doctor wants to join the society and, on the instructions of Bruno and Buffalmacco, waits at the old temple for a wonderful beast, which should take him to the collection secret society. Buffalmacco, dressed as an animal, carries the doctor on his back, after which he throws him into a garbage pit, where he leaves him.
Novella tenth
A certain Sicilian woman, pretending to be rich and in love with a merchant, asks him to borrow a large sum, after which she forgets about him. Pretending that he returned with even more goods than before, and borrowing more from her more money, the merchant actually leaves her barrels of water and hairbrushes.
Day nine
Presided over by Emilia, where everyone talks about what they like best
Novella first
Madonna Francesca is loved by a certain Rinuccio and a certain Alessandro, both of whom are unloved by her. To make sure of their love, she orders one to lie in the tomb as if dead, the other to remove an imaginary dead person from there. When neither one nor the other achieves the goal, she cleverly gets rid of them.
Novella second
One abbess hurriedly gets up in the darkness to catch a nun in bed with her lover, whom she had been denounced. Since the priest was with her at the time, she, believing that she had thrown a veil over her head, threw on the priest's trousers. When the accused saw them and pointed them out to the abbess, she was released, and she calmly remained with her lover.
Novella three
The aunt leaves 200 lire as an inheritance to the painter Calandrino. Bruno, Buffalmacco and Nello want to spend this money. At their request, Maestro Simone assures Calandrino that he has become pregnant. He gives them all the money in return for the medicine and is cured without giving birth to anyone.
Novella Four
Cecco, the son of sir Fortarrigo, loses everything he had in Buonconvento, as well as the money of the son of sir Angiolieri. Wearing only a shirt, Cecco runs after Angiolieri's son, saying that he robbed him, orders the peasants to seize him and, dressed in his dress and mounted his horse, rides off, leaving him in only his shirt.
Novella fifth
Calandrino falls in love with the mistress of the owner of the house that Calandrino and his artist friends are painting. Bruno, having agreed with the girl and the owner of the house, gives the “magic” amulet to Calandrino, and as soon as he touches the amulet to the girl, she follows him. Taken by surprise by his wife, brought by Bruno and Buffalmacco, Calandrino listens to reproaches from her.
Novella sixth
Two young people spent the night in a hotel. One of them goes to bed with the owner’s daughter, whose wife, wanting to preserve her daughter’s honor, mistakenly goes to bed with the second guest. The one who was with his daughter, wanting to return to his room, mistakenly lies down next to the owner and, mistaking him for his comrade, tells him everything. Meanwhile, the owner’s wife, seeing who she is lying with, in order to avoid shame, says that the guest only imagined everything.
Novella seven
Talano di Molese, having seen in a dream that a wolf tore his wife's face and throat, tells her to beware. She does not do this, and she is actually grabbed by the wolf, from whom she miraculously escapes and regrets that she did not listen to her husband.
Novella eight
Biondello tells Ciacco, a famous glutton throughout the city, that there will be a delicious dinner in one of the houses. Chacko comes to that house and realizes that he has been deceived. In retaliation, he slanderes Biondello to one big guy, who gives the joker a good beating.
Novella Ninth
Two young men ask Solomon for advice: one - how to make himself fall in love, the other - how to teach his obstinate wife a lesson. Solomon advises the second to go to the Goose Bridge, where both young men see how the driver beats the stubborn donkey with a stick, and she moves on. At home, one of them beats his wife when she refuses his request, and realizes the value of Solomon's advice. The first one understands that he must first love himself, and then they will love him.
Novella tenth
Don Gianni, at the request of godfather Pietra, performs a spell to turn his wife into a mare, and when it comes to the tail, he inserts his “tail” into the godfather’s wife. Godfather Pietro says that he doesn’t need such a tail and such a mare.
Day ten and last
Presided over by Pamphilo, where they talk about those who have done something generous or magnanimous in matters of love or in other matters
Novella first
A certain valiant knight serves Spanish king. It seems to him that he is little rewarded. The king sets up an experiment: he invites the knight to choose one of two chests, one of which contains treasures, and the other contains land. When the knight gets the land, the king decides that, although fate itself does not want wealth for this man, he, the king, will give him both chests.
Novella second
Ataman Gino di Tacco takes captive the abbot of Cluny, who went to be treated with waters, heals the abbot’s stomach with a harsh diet, and then releases him. He, returning to the Roman court, reconciles the robber Gino with Pope Boniface and introduces him to a high position.
Novella three
Mithridanes, who wants to become famous for his generosity, becomes jealous of Nathan's generosity and goes to kill him. He meets Nathan, unrecognized, along the way, and, having found out from him how to do this, he discovers that he had been talking with Nathan all this time. Mithridan realizes that Nathan was ready to give his life and that he is more generous, and therefore begins to respect him and befriend him.
Novella Four
Messire Gentile dei Carisendi, arriving from Modena, removes from the tomb the woman he loved, mistaken and buried for the dead. Having recovered, she gives birth to a son, and Sir Gentile returns her and the child to her husband, Niccoluccio Caccianimico, which shows fantastic generosity.
Novella fifth
Madonna Dianora asks Messire Ansaldo, who is in love with her, to arrange for her a garden in January as beautiful as in May. Messire Ansaldo, having agreed with a necromancer wizard, arranges a garden for Madonna Dianora. Her husband, having learned about this, allows her to give herself to Ansaldo. Having learned about her husband’s generosity, he relieves her of fulfilling her promise, and the necromancer, for his part, without taking anything, releases the debt to Messire Ansaldo.
Novella sixth
Victorious King Charles the Elder falls in love young girl, daughter of a noble Italian. Ashamed of his foolishness and not wanting discord, he honorably marries the girl and her sister.
Novella seven
King Pietro, having learned about Lisa’s passionate love for him from the minstrel she sent, consoles her. Subsequently, he marries Lisa to a well-born young man and, kissing her on the forehead, calls himself her knight.
Novella eight
Gisippo and Titus Quintius Fulvus are very friendly, but they are in love with the same girl. When she is married to Gisippo, he allows Titus Quintius to sleep with her. When this becomes known, a scandal breaks out, and Titus and his beloved leave for Rome, where Gisippo arrives, impoverished and despised. Titus does not recognize Gisippo when they meet. He, thinking that Titus despises him, and in order to die, slanders himself, claiming that he killed a man. Recognizing Gisippo and wanting to save him, Titus says that he is the murderer. Hearing this, the person who committed the crime reveals himself, after which the ruler frees everyone. Titus marries his sister to Gisippo and shares all his property with him.
Novella Ninth
Saladin, disguised as a merchant, is wonderfully received by Sir Torello. Leaving in crusade, Sir Torello gives his wife time to get married, and he himself, taken prisoner, becomes known to Sultan Saladin for his ability to care for birds of prey. He, recognizing Torello and telling him who the merchant was, gives him great honors. When the time he gave to his wife expires, Saladin’s sorcerer transports Messire Torello to his homeland in one night, presenting him with treasures and jewelry. During the celebration that took place on the occasion of the marriage of his wife, she recognizes Messire Torello, and he returns with her to his home.
Novella tenth
The Marquis of Saluzza takes in love the daughter of a peasant, Griselda, and, having raised two children with her, wants to test her. He assures her that he killed the children, and he himself sends them to his relatives to be raised. Then, pretending that he is tired of his wife and is marrying another, he returns his grown-up daughter and declares her his bride, and orders Griselda to be sent away wearing only her shirt. Seeing that she patiently endures everything, he returns her to his home, beloved more than ever, introduces her to her already grown-up children, gives her daughter in marriage, elevates Griselda’s father, a simple farmer, and loves and honors his wife all his life.
With the exception of weekends, when one should dedicate oneself to God, each day ends with a change in the owner of the crown and new song. New King announces the topic of the stories for the next day and gives orders for arranging the company’s everyday life. By order of their kings and queens, the company leaves Florence and ends up in a castle abandoned by the owners with a beautiful garden, where they settle down for several days. Then the company goes to a valley located between wonderful mountain slopes, where friends enjoy nature. At the end of the 10th day, it is decided to return to Florence, and the seven ladies go home, and the three young men go in search of new adventures.
Retold by Vsevolod Bylevsky.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE DECAMERON, “in continuation of which, after the author reports on what occasion they gathered and what the persons who will act next discussed among themselves, those who gathered on the day of the reign of Pampinea talk about what everyone likes best.”
In 1348, Florence was “visited by a destructive plague”; one hundred thousand people died, although before that no one had imagined that the city had so many inhabitants. Family and friendly ties fell apart, servants refused to serve their masters, the dead were not buried, but dumped in holes dug in church cemeteries.
And so, in the midst of trouble, when the city was almost deserted, in the church of Santa Maria Novella, after the divine liturgy, seven young women, from eighteen to twenty-eight years old, “connected with each other by friendship, neighborhood, kinship,” “judicious, well-born, beautiful , well-behaved, captivating in their modesty,” all in mourning clothes befitting “a dark time.” Without disclosing their true names to avoid misunderstandings, the author calls them Pampinea, Fiammettoi, Philomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Neifila and Elissa - in accordance with their spiritual qualities.
Recalling how many young men and women were carried away by the terrible plague, Pampinea suggests “retiring in a decent manner to country estates and filling your leisure time with all kinds of entertainment.”
By leaving the city, where people, awaiting their death hour, indulged in lust and debauchery, they will protect themselves from unpleasant experiences, while they themselves will behave morally and with dignity. There is nothing keeping them in Florence: all their loved ones have died.
The ladies approve of Pampinea's idea, and Philomena suggests inviting men with her, because it is difficult for a woman to live with her own mind and she desperately needs the advice of a man. Elissa objects to her: they say, at this time it is difficult to find reliable companions - some of your loved ones have died, some have gone elsewhere, and it is indecent to contact strangers. She suggests looking for a different path to salvation.
During this conversation, three young people enter the church - Panfilo, Filostrato and Dioneo, all comely and well-mannered, the youngest of whom is at least twenty-five years old. Among the ladies who find themselves in the church are their lovers, the rest are related to them. Pampinea immediately offers to invite them.
Neifila, flushed with embarrassment, speaks out in the sense that the young men are good and smart, but are in love with some of the ladies present, and this can cast a shadow on their society.
Philomena objects that the main thing is to live honestly, and the rest will follow.
Young people are glad to be invited; Having agreed on everything, the girls and boys, accompanied by maids and servants, leave the city the next morning. They arrive in a picturesque area where there is a beautiful palace and settle down there. Dioneo, the most cheerful and witty, takes the floor, offering to have fun as anyone wants. He is supported by Pampinea, who suggests that someone should be in charge and think about the structure of their life and entertainment. And so that everyone knows both the worries and joys associated with leadership, and so that no one is envious, this honorable burden should be placed on everyone in turn. They will all choose the first “master” together, and the subsequent ones will be appointed each time before Vespers by the one who was the ruler that day. Everyone unanimously elects Pampinea, and Philomena places a laurel wreath on her head, which over the next days serves as a sign of “supremacy and royal power.”
Having given the necessary orders to the servants and asking everyone to refrain from reporting unpleasant news, Pampinea allows the friends to disperse; After breakfast, at an exquisitely served table, everyone begins to sing, dance and play musical instruments, and then lie down to rest. At three o’clock, having risen from sleep, everyone gathers in a shady corner of the garden, and Pampinea suggests devoting time to stories, “for one storyteller is able to occupy all the listeners,” allowing him to talk on the first day “about what everyone likes best.” Dioneo asks for the right to tell a story of his own choice each time in order to amuse a society tired of excessive thinking, and he receives this right.
FIRST STORY OF THE FIRST DAY (Panfilo's story) Often, not daring to turn to God directly, people turn to the intercessor saints who, during their lifetime, observed the divine will and are in heaven with the Almighty. However, sometimes it happens that people, misled by rumors, choose such an intercessor in the face of the Almighty, who is condemned by Him to eternal torment.
This “intercessor” is described in the short story.
The main character is Messer Cepparello from Prato, a notary. The rich and eminent merchant Musciatto Francesi, having received the nobility, moves from Paris to Tuscany along with the brother of the French king, Charles the Landless, who is summoned there by Pope Boniface. He needs a person to collect a debt from the Burgundians, famous for their intractability, ill-will and dishonesty, who could counter their cunning with his own, and his choice falls on Messer Cepparello, who in France is called Chapelleto. He trades in producing false documents and perjury; he is a troublemaker, a brawler, a murderer, a blasphemer, a drunkard, a sodomite, a thief, a robber, a sharper and a malicious dice player. “A worse person than him may not have been born.” In gratitude for his service, Mushyatto promises to put in a good word for Shapeleto in the palace and give him a fair portion of the amount he demands.
Since Chapeleto has no business, his funds are running out, and his patron is leaving him, he “out of necessity” agrees, goes to Burgundy, where no one knows him, and settles with immigrants from Florence, brothers-lenders.
Suddenly he falls ill, and the brothers, feeling that his end is near, discuss what they should do. It is impossible to drive a sick old man out into the street, but meanwhile he may refuse to confess, and then he cannot be buried in a Christian manner. If he confesses, then such sins will be revealed that no priest will forgive, and the result will be the same. This can greatly embitter local residents who do not approve of their fishing, and lead to a pogrom.
Messer Chapeleto hears the brothers' conversation and promises to arrange both their and his own affairs in the best possible way.
An old man famous for his “holy life” is brought to the dying man, and Chapelleto begins confession. When asked when he last confessed, Chapeleto, who has never confessed, says that he does it every week and every time he repents of all the sins he has committed since birth. This time he insists on confession. The elder asks if he has sinned with women, and Chapeleto replies: “I am exactly the same virgin as I came from my mother’s womb.” Regarding gluttony, the notary admits: his sin was that during fasting he drank water with the same pleasure as a drunkard drinks wine, and ate lean food with appetite. Speaking about the sin of love of money, Chapeleto states that he donated a significant part of his rich inheritance to the poor, and then, while engaged in trade, constantly shared with the poor. He admits that he was often angry, watching how people “daily commit obscenities, not keeping the commandments of the Lord and not fearing God’s judgment.” He repents that he slandered, speaking about a neighbor who beat his wife every now and then; Once I didn’t immediately count the money received for the goods, but it turned out there was more than needed; unable to find their owner, he used the surplus for charitable deeds.
Chapeleto uses two more minor sins as an excuse to read instructions to the Holy Father, and then begins to cry and reports that he once cursed his mother. Seeing his sincere repentance, the monk believes him, forgives all his sins and recognizes him as a saint, offering to bury him in his monastery.
Listening to Chapeleto’s confession from behind the wall, the brothers choke with laughter, concluding that “nothing can correct his vicious character: he lived as a villain all his life, and he dies as a villain.”
The coffin with the body of the deceased is transferred to the monastery church, where the confessor describes his holiness to the parishioners, and when he is buried in the crypt, pilgrims rush there from all sides. They call him Saint Chapeleto and “claim that the Lord has already shown many miracles through him and continues to show them daily to all who resort to him with faith.”
SECOND NOVELLA OF THE FIRST DAY (Neifila's story) A rich merchant Giannotto di Chivigni lives in Paris, a kind, honest and fair man, who communicates with a merchant, a Jew named Abram, and is very sad that the soul of such a worthy man will perish because of an unjust faith. . He begins to persuade Abram to convert to Christianity, proving that the Christian faith, due to its holiness, is flourishing and spreading more and more widely, while his, Abram’s, faith is becoming impoverished and disappearing. At first, Abram does not agree, but then, heeding the admonitions of his friend, he promises to become a Christian, but only after he visits Rome and observes the life of God’s viceroy on earth and his cardinals.
This decision plunges Giannotto, who is familiar with the customs of the papal court, into despondency, and he tries to dissuade Abram from the trip, but he insists on his own. In Rome, he becomes convinced that outright debauchery, greed, gluttony, greed, envy, pride and even worse vices flourish at the papal court. Returning to Paris, he announces his intention to be baptized, citing the following argument: the pope, all the cardinals, relates and courtiers “seek to wipe out the Christian faith from the face of the earth, and they do this with extraordinary diligence,<...>cunning and<...>skillfully," and meanwhile this faith is spreading more and more - which means it is faithfully supported by the Holy Spirit. Giannotto becomes his godfather and gives him the name Giovanni.
SECOND DAY OF DECAMERON.
“On the day of Philomena’s reign, stories are offered about how for people who were subjected to many different trials, in the end, beyond all expectations, everything ended well.”
FIRST STORY OF THE SECOND DAY (Neifila's story) Moral: "often the one who tries to mock others, especially sacred objects, laughs to his own detriment and is himself ridiculed."
After his death, a German from Treviso named Arrigo was recognized as a saint, and the crippled, blind and sick were brought to his relics, transferred to the cathedral, for healing. At this time, three actors come to Treviso from Florence: Stecchi, Martellino and Marchese, and they want to look at the relics of the saint.
To get through the crowd, Martellino pretends to be a cripple, whom his friends lead to the relics. In the cathedral they lay him on the relics, and he pretends to be healed - he straightens his crooked arms and legs - but suddenly he is recognized by a certain Florentine, who reveals his deception to everyone. They begin to beat him mercilessly, and then Marchese, in order to save his friend, announces to the guards that he allegedly cut off his wallet. Martellino is grabbed and taken to the mayor, where others present in the cathedral slander him that he cut off their wallets too. A stern and cruel judge takes over the case. Under torture, Martellino agrees to obey, but at the same time; condition" that each of the complainants indicate where and when his wallet was cut off. Everyone names a different time * while Martellino just came to this city. He tries to build his defense on this, but the judge doesn’t want to hear anything and is going to hang him on the gallows.
Meanwhile, Martellino's friends turn to a man who enjoys the mayor's trust for intercession.
Having summoned Martellino to his place and laughed at this adventure, the mayor lets all three go home.
FOURTH DAY OF THE DECAMERON.
“On the day of Filostrato’s reign, stories of unhappy love are offered.”
FIRST NOVELLA OF THE FOURTH DAY (Fiammetta's Story) Gismonda, the daughter of Prince Tancred of Salerno, becomes a widow early and, returning to her father's house, is in no hurry to get married, but is looking for a worthy lover. Her choice falls on Guiscardo, a young man of low birth but noble behavior, a servant in his father’s house. Dreaming of a secret date, Gismonda gives him a note in which she arranges a meeting in an abandoned cave and explains how to get there. She herself goes there along an ancient secret staircase. Having met in the cave, the lovers go to her bedroom, where they spend time. So they meet several times.
One day Tancred comes to see his daughter while she is walking in the garden, and while waiting for her, he accidentally falls asleep. Without noticing him, Gismond is brought into the room. Guiscardo, and Tancred witnesses their love affairs. Having sneaked out of the room unnoticed, he orders the servants to grab Guiscardo and imprison him in one of the rooms of the palace.
The next day he goes to his daughter and, accusing her of giving herself to a young man of “the darkest origin,” invites her to say something in her defense. A proud woman, she decides not to ask her father for anything, but to commit suicide, because she is sure that her lover is no longer alive. She sincerely confesses her love, explaining it by the merits of Guiscardo and the demands of the flesh, and accuses her father of being in the grip of prejudice, he reproaches her not so much for the fall as for her connection with an ignoble person. She claims that true nobility is not in origin, but in actions, and even poverty indicates only a lack of means, but not nobility. Taking all the blame upon herself, she asks her father to do with her the same way he did with Guiscardo, otherwise he promises to commit suicide.
Tancred does not believe that his daughter is capable of carrying out the threat, and, taking the heart out of the chest of the murdered Guiscardo, sends it to Gismonda in a golden goblet. Gismonda appeals to the heart of her lover with the words that his enemy has given him a tomb worthy of his valor. Having washed her heart with tears and pressing it to her chest, she pours poison into the goblet and drinks the poison to the drop. The repentant Tancred fulfills his daughter’s last wish and buries the lovers in the same tomb.
SIXTH DAY OF THE DECAMERON.
“On the day of Elissa’s reign, stories are offered of how people, stung by someone’s joke, paid in kind, or with quick and resourceful answers prevented loss, danger and dishonor.”
FIRST STORY OF THE SIXTH DAY (Filomena's Tale) One day, the noble Florentine Donna Oretta, wife of Geri Spina, was walking on her estate with the ladies and men invited to dinner with her, and since it was far from the place where they were going to walk, one of suggested to her companions: “Allow me, Donna Oretta, to tell you a very entertaining story, and before you know it, you’ll feel as if you’ve been riding a horse almost the entire time.” However, the narrator was so inept and spoiled the story so hopelessly that Donna Oretta suffered physical illness from it. “Messer! Your horse is really stumbling. Be so kind as to let me down,” the lady said with a charming smile. The companion “immediately caught the hint, turned it into a joke, was the first to laugh and hastened to move on to other topics,” never finishing the story he had started.
EIGHTH DAY OF THE DECAMERON.
“On the day of Lauretta’s reign, stories are offered about what kind of things a woman does with a man, a man with a woman, and a man with a man every day.”
TENTH STORY OF THE EIGHTH DAY (Story by Dioneo) In Palermo, as in other port cities, there is a procedure according to which merchants arriving in the city deposit their goods in a warehouse called customs. Customs officers allocate a special room for the goods and enter the goods with an indication of their value in the customs book, thanks to which women of dishonest behavior can easily find out about the merchant’s means, in order to then lure him into a love net and rob him dry.
One day, on behalf of his owners, a Florentine named Piccolo da Cignano, nicknamed Salabaetto, arrives in Palermo with a large quantity of fabrics. Having delivered the goods to the warehouse, he goes for a walk around the city, and a certain Donna Yancofiore, who is aware of his financial situation, draws attention to him. Through a bawd, she arranges a date for the young man and, when he arrives, she pleases him in every possible way. They meet several times, she gives him gifts without asking for anything in return, and finally finds out that he has sold the goods. Then she receives him even more affectionately, then leaves the room and returns in tears, saying that her brother demands that a thousand florins be sent to him immediately, otherwise his head will be cut off. Believing that this is a rich and respectable woman who will repay the debt, he gives her the five hundred florins he received for the fabric. Having received the money, Yancofiore immediately loses interest in him, and Salabaetto realizes that he was deceived.
To escape the persecution of his owners demanding money, he leaves for Naples, where he tells everything to the treasurer of the Empress of Constantinople and his family friend Pietro dello Canigiano, who offers him a certain plan of action.
Having packed many bales and bought twenty olive oil barrels, Salabaetto returns to Palermo, where he deposits the goods in a warehouse, announcing to the customs officers that he will not touch this shipment until the next one arrives. Having smelled that the arrived goods cost at least two thousand florins, and the expected ones cost more than three, Yancofiore sends for the merchant.
Salabaetto pretends to be glad to be invited and confirms the rumors about the value of his goods. To win the young man's trust, she returns the debt to him, and he enjoys spending time with her.
One day he comes to her dejected and says that he must pay off the corsairs who captured the second shipment of goods, otherwise the goods will be taken to Monaco. Yancofiore invites him to borrow money from a loan shark he knows at high interest rates, and Salabaetto realizes that she is going to lend him her own money. He agrees, promising to ensure payment of the debt with goods in the warehouse, which he will immediately transfer to the name of the lender. The next day, the trusted broker Yancofiore gives Salabaetto a thousand florins, and he, having paid off his debts, leaves for Ferrara.
After making sure that Salabaetto is not in Palermo, Yancofiore tells the broker to break into the warehouse - there is sea water in the barrels, and tow in the bales. Having been left in the cold, she understands that what comes back will be answered as well.
TENTH DAY OF THE DECAMERON.
“On the day of Panfilo’s reign, stories are offered about people who showed generosity and magnanimity both in matters of the heart and in other matters.”
TENTH NOVELLA OF THE TENTH DAY (Dioneo's Story) Young Gualtieri, the eldest in the family of the Marquises of Saluzzi, is persuaded by his subjects to marry in order to continue the family line, and even offer to find him a bride, but he agrees to marry only of his own choice. He marries a poor peasant girl named Griselda, warning her that she will have to please him in everything; she should not be angry with him for anything and should obey him in everything. The girl turns out to be charming and courteous, she is obedient and helpful to her husband, affectionate with her subjects, and everyone loves her, recognizing her high virtues.
Meanwhile, Gualtieri decides to test Griselda’s patience and reproaches her for giving birth not to a son, but to a daughter, which extremely outraged the courtiers, who were already allegedly dissatisfied with her low origin. A few days later, he sends a servant to her, who announces that he has orders to kill her daughter. The servant brings the girl to Gualtieri, who sends her to be raised by a relative in Bologna, asking her not to reveal to anyone whose daughter it is.
After some time, Griselda gives birth to a son, whom her husband also takes from her, and then tells her that, at the insistence of his subjects, he is forced to marry someone else and expel her. She meekly gives up her son, who is sent to be raised in the same place as her daughter.
Some time later, Gualtieri shows everyone forged letters in which dad allegedly allows him to break up with Griselda and marry another, and Griselda obediently, in one shirt, returns to her parents' house. Gualtieri spreads rumors that he is marrying the daughter of Count Panago, and sends for Griselda, so that she, as a servant, will restore order in the house for the arrival of the guests. When the “bride” arrives - and Gualtieri has decided to marry his own daughter as a bride - Griselda greets her warmly.
Convinced that Griselda's patience is inexhaustible, touched by the fact that she says only good things about the girl who is supposed to replace her in the marital bed, he admits that he was simply testing Griselda, and announces that his imaginary bride and her brother are their own children. He brings Griselda’s father, the farmer Giannucole, closer to him, who has since lived in his house, as befits the marquis’s father-in-law.
Gualtieri is looking for an enviable match for his daughter, and he honors his wife Griselda extremely highly and lives happily ever after with her. “Hence the consequence is that heavenly creatures live in poor huts, but in royal palaces there are creatures who would be better suited to herd pigs than to rule over people.”
The Emperor is one of the central characters of the book; he usually appears in positive light, illustrating by their behavior any of the basic social virtues.
The Lombard king Agilulf shows prudence and prudence: when an unknown person takes possession of his wife by cunning, the king stops the search, realizing that the satisfaction of revenge does not cover the shame of publicity (a plot used in one of La Fontaine’s “fairy tales”). The French king rises above class prejudices, paying his debt of gratitude to Gillette, who healed him, which the knight is not capable of. The Sicilian King William II puts his word above family feelings. The Spanish king Alfonso shows generosity and wisdom by rewarding the Florentine knight Ruggeri del Figiovanni in accordance not only with his merits, but also with his “share”.
The King of Sicily, Pedro of Aragon, treats the pharmacist's daughter Lisa, who is in love with him, with nobility and generosity: he declares himself a knight, gifts her and gives her in marriage. Saladin shows gratitude worthy of a great monarch.
Another group of short stories shows how G. overcomes the passion or weakness that stains him. The same Saladin, having listened to the parable of Melchizedek, renounces his insidious plan. The King of France, Philip the Crooked, having understood the “culinary” hint of the Marquise of Montferrat (who greeted him with a meal of chickens), considers it best to extinguish the love flame that has engulfed him. Having heeded the suggestion of Count Guy de Montfort, the King of Naples, Charles of Anjou, chose the same decision, having been seduced by Ginevra, the charming daughter of Messer Neri degli Uberti (the means of turning G. away from an unseemly act, always, as in this pair of short stories, is either wit or wise advice). The only G. of the Decameron who could not resist a cruel and unreasonable act is Tancred, “a very humane and merciful ruler (if only in his old age he had not stained his hands with the blood of lovers)”; his behavior is exactly the opposite of Agilulf's behavior in a similar situation.
Griselda is the wife of Gualtieri, Marchioness of Saluzza, taken from a poor village family and subjected to unheard of trials: first he takes her children, daughter and son, pretending that he ordered them to be killed, then expels them from the house in one shirt and, finally , orders the house to be prepared for the reception of his new wife and to serve her at the table. G. accepts all his misfortunes with the greatest humility and submission.
Convinced that G.’s patience is inexhaustible, the Marquis returns her children who have managed to grow up (the daughter plays the role of an imaginary bride), and honors her as his wife. Moral of the story: “in poor huts, divine spirits descend from the sky.” According to its main plot motif, G.'s story belongs to a large group of stories about an unjustly punished wife. The novella enjoyed enormous popularity, as evidenced by Petrarch's Latin translation, one of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" ("The Student's Tale"), Carlo Goldoni's tragicomedy and others.
Monks are one of the most popular characters in the collection. Their generalized characteristics are given several times, emphasizing their stupidity, lust and greed, hypocrisy, and penchant for luxury and effeminacy. In the plots of the short stories dedicated to them, their lust is most often played out: M. brings a young village girl to his cell, where he is caught by the abbot, who also cannot resist temptation; the abbot of a certain Tuscan monastery, having coveted Ferondo’s wife, gives him a sleeping potion and keeps him in prison for ten months, assuring him that he has died and is in purgatory; brother Alberto, playing on the feminine vanity of Lisette, his wife Venetian merchant, appears to her in the form of the Archangel Gabriel; brother Rinaldo, captured alone with Madonna Agnes by her husband, explains to him that he was talking worms to the child. The characters in all these stories achieve their goal with the help of more or less ingenuity, they deftly get out of difficult situations and are therefore described not without some sympathy; the only openly negative person is brother Alberto, who is directly called “a man of criminal and vicious behavior,” and in the finale he will face public disgrace (on the contrary, the abbot from the short story about purgatory is “a most holy man, but not in relation to women”). Agility, admirable, says Brother Cipolla: the jokers replaced the feather in his casket, which he was going to pass off as a feather from the wing of the Archangel Gabriel, with coals; Having discovered this only during the sermon, he, without being at all embarrassed, declares them to be the coals on which St. Lavrenty.
The narrators and narrators of the short stories are three young men (Pamphilo, Filostrato, Dioneo) and seven ladies (Pampinea, Fiammetta, Filomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Neifila, Elissa), who, having met in the Florentine church of Santa Maria Novella, decide to retire from the plague-ridden Florence (set in 1348, notorious for the terrible plague) to a country estate. The meeting takes place on Tuesday, on Wednesday they leave the city and on Wednesday, two weeks later, they return to it, changing their location once during this time (at the beginning of the Third Day). The short stories are told over ten days (hence the name of the collection), with breaks on Friday (for religious reasons: Friday is the day of the death of Christ) and Saturday (set aside for hygiene procedures).
Each R. tells one story a day: a total of one hundred short stories.
In addition, the R. enjoy nature and art: all days end with the singing of a canzona, performed by one of them. All three young people have lovers among their companions, and are related to the others; As love couples, researchers usually named Dioneo - Fiammetta, Pamphilo - Neifila and Filostrato - Philomena, but the text does not provide direct grounds for this. The age of the young people is from 25 years and older, the age of the ladies is between 18 and 28, i.e. they have already passed the usual marriageable age in that era (between 14 and 18). The ladies are “reasonable and well-born, beautiful, of good morals and discreetly friendly”; among the gentlemen, even the plague “did not cool the flame of love.” Ladies - seven, according to the number of days of the week, planets, natural and theological virtues, liberal arts. Their names refer to the famous heroines of poetry (Virgil, Dante and Petrarch), including the early work of Boccaccio himself - in the world of the Decameron “frame” they play the role of muses. Men embody different types of attitudes towards love, and all three represent the author to some extent. Having united (which gives the perfect number - ten), they form ideal society, built on the principles of reason, virtue and beauty, combining freedom and order (the election and rotation of a king or queen who rules the servants, gives the theme of the Day and establishes the sequence of R.) and contrasted with the social chaos that reigns in the plague-stricken outside world.
References
To prepare this work, materials from the site were used. To prepare this work, materials were used from the site http://lib.rin.ru/cgi-bin/index.pl
An enthusiastic glorification of virtue. A series of successive short stories forms a grandiose picture of a “human comedy.” Images of narrators in the Decameron. To more accurately determine the narrators of the Decameron, let us turn to the role assigned to them in the composition of the collection. Boccaccio himself introduces himself as Prince Galeotto. At the beginning of the story, in the introduction, Boccaccio proclaims the goal...
And around the other tombs - now they are in Santa Reparata - in a word, here you have porphyry columns, and these tombs, and the locked doors of San Giovanni..." (VI, 9). And in other short stories in which the topic comes about Florence or other cities, Boccaccio strives for accuracy and objectivity. Here is at least an ordinary figure of the wool worker Gianni Lotteringi. He lived in Florence. But this is not enough for the author...
Knowledge aimed at the formation of a perfect individual and society. 2. Renaissance culture in the 15th century: main features and stages of development Renaissance culture in Italy went through several stages of development. Their borders are marked by centuries - XIV, XV, XVI centuries. (in Italian Trecento, Quattrocento, Cinquecento) and chronological boundaries within them. The stage of early humanism ended by the beginning of the 15th century, ...
The revolution,” which, according to F. Engels’ definition, was the Renaissance, was marked by outstanding achievements in all areas of culture. The art of the Renaissance, which arose on the basis of humanism - movement social thought who proclaimed the man highest value life. In art main theme became beautiful, harmonious developed person, possessing unlimited spiritual and creative...
Not everyone has read the Decameron. This obviously doesn’t happen at school, but in everyday life adult life There is practically no room for books anymore. And it’s not fashionable for today’s youth to read... It’s a little reminiscent of the Middle Ages, when people who knew a lot were condemned by society. But this, however, is poetry. To the work "Decameron" summary very difficult to bring. After all, the book itself is a collection of short stories dedicated to the theme of love in all its manifestations.
History within history
Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio is the author of the work "The Decameron". In fact, the author himself could not give a summary, since the structure of the entire work is a set of small short stories that are united by the main plot line. This book was published during the Renaissance, around 1354. "Decameron" content is very controversial, since for those times similar literature was, on the one hand, quite forgivable, but on the other, was considered somewhat vulgar. The name itself is translated as “Ten Days” and is a kind of sarcastic ridicule of the author at the church “Six Days”. The work tells about the creation of the world, but not by God, but by the society of that time, and not in six days, but in ten.
The book in brief
And now the Decameron itself. Brief summary of the stories: the events take place during the rampant plague of 1348. Three noble youths and seven ladies leave the disease-stricken city for a villa two miles away. In order to pass the time with interest, they take turns telling each other entertaining stories. By the way, quite a lot of short stories were created on the basis of folklore, ancient anecdotes, religious and moral examples from the sermons of priests and much more.
"The Decameron" - a summary of the life of the storytellers
Each new day begins with a small screensaver that tells how young people spend their time. It is worth noting that the description is quite utopian, within the framework of morality and education. But the short stories themselves are directly opposed to this utopia. In them, figuratively speaking, a “feast during the plague” appears, running through every line with a red thread. The story begins on Wednesday morning and there are ten short stories for each day. In them you can see all manifestations of love - from a sexual context to a tragedy with cruelty.
Every day, except Friday and Saturday, a king (queen) is chosen who assigns themes for the story, and all participants must adhere to them, with the exception of Dioneo, who has the privilege of “free storytelling”. After listening to all the stories, the young people sit and discuss them and exchange impressions. At the end of each day, one of the ladies present sings a ballad. These songs are examples of Boccaccio's lyrics, and they tell about pure love or about the suffering of those beloved who do not have the opportunity to unite. Taking into account the weekends, the young people spend two weeks at the villa, after which they finally decide to return to the city.
"Decameron". Brief Conclusion
All short stories are made in a special style. For the Renaissance, this was something of an innovation, since the book was written not in the standard literary language, but in rich colloquial Italian. Boccaccio himself spoke of his brainchild as a “human comedy.”
"Decameron" summary You can read the chapters of Giovanni Boccaccio’s collection in 40-50 minutes.
"Decameron" summary by chapters
In Florence in 1348 there was a plague epidemic that killed one hundred thousand people. Family and friendly ties fell apart, servants refused to serve their masters, the dead were not buried, but dumped in holes dug in church cemeteries.
When the city was almost empty, seven young women, “connected by friendship, neighborhood, kinship,” “prudent, well-born, beautiful, well-behaved, captivating in their modesty,” met in the church of Santa Maria Novella after the divine liturgy. The author calls them Pampinea, Fiametta, Philomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Neifila and Elissa - in accordance with their spiritual qualities.
Pampinea suggests going to country estates “and filling your leisure time with all kinds of entertainment.” By leaving the city, where people, in anticipation of their death, indulged in lust and debauchery, they will protect themselves from unpleasant experiences, and they themselves will behave morally and with dignity. There is nothing keeping them in Florence: all their loved ones have died.
Philomena suggests inviting men with her, because it is difficult for a woman to live with her own mind, and she desperately needs a man’s advice. During this conversation, three young men enter the church - Panfilo, Filostrato and Dioneo. Among the ladies who find themselves in the church are their lovers, the rest are related to them. Pampinea immediately offers to invite them.
Young people are glad to be invited. Having discussed everything, the girls and boys, accompanied by maids and servants, leave the city the next morning. They arrive in a picturesque area where there is a beautiful palace and settle down there. Dioneo, the most cheerful and witty, offers to have fun as anyone wants. He is supported by Pampinea, who suggests that someone should be in charge and think about the structure of their life and entertainment. And so that everyone knows both the worries and joys associated with leadership, and so that no one is envious, this honorable burden should be placed on everyone in turn. They will all choose the first “master” together, and the subsequent ones will be appointed each time before Vespers by the one who was the ruler that day. Everyone unanimously elects Pampinea, and Philomena places a laurel wreath on her head, which over the next days serves as a sign of “supremacy and royal power.”
After an exquisitely served breakfast, everyone sings, dances and plays musical instruments, and then lies down to rest. Having woken up, everyone gathers in a shady corner of the garden, and Pampinea suggests devoting time to stories, “for one storyteller is able to occupy all the listeners,” allowing them to talk on the first day “about what everyone likes best.” Dioneo asks for the right to tell the story last each time, not subject to the topic of the day, in order to amuse a society tired of excessive reasoning, and he receives this right.
Day one
During the reign of Pampinea, where stories are told on any topic
Novella first
Sir Ceparello, nicknamed Chappeletto, a scoundrel during life, a deceiver, a false witness, a murderer, finds himself in another city on the verge of death. He deceives a pious monk with a false confession and dies. In order to save the two moneylenders, the owners of the house in which he was staying, from unnecessary trouble and bad rumors, Chappeletto, in his dying confession, talks about himself as a saint who has never sinned in his life. The elder who confessed him willingly believes him, and after Chappeletto’s death, the church fathers ranked him among the saints; Subsequently, Saint Chappeletto enjoys honor and respect, people pray to him and pilgrims go to his relics.
Novella second
The Jew Abraham, as a result of the admonitions of Giannotto di Civigni, goes to the Roman court and, seeing the depravity of the church ministers there, returns to Paris, where he becomes a Christian, believing that if even with such depravity of the heads of the church the Catholic faith spreads and grows stronger, it means that in it truly is the Holy Spirit.
Novella three
Saladin, the great Arab commander and ruler, needing money to wage a new war, comes to the moneylender, the Jew Melchizedek, and asks him whose faith is better, Christian, Jewish or Islam. The moneylender understands that no matter what the answer is, Saladdin will be unhappy, kill him and take the money. To avoid this, he tells the commander a story about his father, who made three identical rings and secretly gave a ring to each of his three sons, before declaring that there was only one such ring and it would go to the one he chose, and the owner of the ring will also receive an inheritance. After the death of their father, it turned out that there were three rings, and the brothers are still arguing about which of them is the rightful heir. Saladdin understands the secret meaning of the story (the rings symbolize religion), begins to respect the moneylender and leaves without gold, but in friendship with Melchizedek.
Novella Four
One monk, “sinning” together with a certain girl, turns out to be discovered by the abbot, who, in turn, cannot stand it and after a while he himself enjoys the girl. The monk denounces the abbot for this, thereby avoiding punishment.
Novella fifth
The Marquise of Montferrat, a widow who is visited by a French king who is passionately in love with her, feeds him only chickens, after which she says that although in their country chickens do not have roosters, these chickens are no different from any others. The king understands the hint and moderates his ardor.
Novella sixth
One man, having paid for his sins to the Inquisition, received forgiveness and the title of crusader. He was sent to the church to listen and be imbued with faith, but when he returned, he told the inquisitor that he was amused by one thought: if those who give on earth will be rewarded tenfold in heaven, then the monks there after death will have to choke on the stew that they, as a surplus , during their lifetime they give it to the poor.
Novella seven
The wandering musician and poet Bergamino finds himself at a party with Messire Cane Dela Scala. Without waiting for a reward and a gift from Messire, he tells him the story of the poor but famous poet Primate, who found himself at dinner with the Abbot of Cluny, who was always famous for his generosity and invited crowds of poor people and generally everyone to his table. However, the abbot began to be tormented by greed, and he ordered that the Primate not be served food, while he was chewing the bread he had stored. When the Primus began to eat the last piece of bread he had stored, the abbot suddenly came to his senses, was surprised by the sudden greed, and happily treated the guest. Thus Bergamino reproached Cane Dela Scala, who, having understood the morality, generously rewarded the cunning musician.
Novella eight
The rich but stingy Sir Hermino de Grimaldi one day asks the artist to draw something unprecedented when painting the walls. He says that he will write something that Ermino has definitely never seen - “Nobility.” Ermino repents of his stinginess and begins to show generosity.
Novella Ninth
A Gascon lady, having been insulted in Cyprus, comes to the king, famous for his inactivity and weakness, and asks not to avenge her, but simply to teach her to endure all insults and insults just like him. He understands her reproach and changes.
Novella tenth
The elderly, but respected and wise maestro Alberto from Bologna is in love with a woman, but she tries to shame him in front of her friends. The maestro says that he has seen how women eat onions, although they are absolutely tasteless and unpleasant, so why shouldn’t he hope that instead of young people, a woman will choose him, even though he is unable to give in to passion, but who loves with all his heart.
Day two
Under the guidance of Philomena, where they talk about those who, after various vicissitudes and beyond all expectations, achieved a successful goal
Novella first
Three actors come to Treviso from Florence: Stecchi, Martellino and Marchese, and they want to look at the relics of Saint Arrigo. To get through the crowd, Martellino pretends to be crippled and pretends to be cured by the relics of Saint Arrigo. When his deception is discovered, he is captured and beaten. Then Marchese, in order to save his friend, announces to the guards that he allegedly cut off his wallet. They want to hang Martellino, but his friends tell the authorities about the joke with the wallet, they laugh and release Martellino.
Novella second
Rinaldo d'Asti, having been robbed by fellow travelers, appears in Castel Guglielmo, where he “finds shelter” with a widow. Having received a reward from her for this, he finds himself in the city, learns that the robbers have been captured, receives his property back and happily returns home.
Novella three
Three brothers, having recklessly squandered their fortune, inherited from their rich father, became poor. Their nephew Alessandro, returning home in despair, meets the abbot along the way and recognizes him as the daughter of the English king, who marries him, and he, having compensated his uncles for all their losses, returns them to their previous position.
Novella Four
Landolfo Ruffolo, impoverished due to unsuccessful trade, becomes a corsair. Attacked by the Genoese, he is wrecked at sea, escapes on a box full of jewels, finds shelter with a woman in Corfu and returns home a rich man.
Novella fifth
Andreuccio from Perugia, having arrived in Naples to buy horses, is lured into his house by a heterosexual, where she takes his wallet with money. Andreuccio tries to take the wallet, but falls into the latrine, after which he is driven away. He meets two criminals who offer to take him into the business, but first he must wash himself clean, and Andreuccio dives into the well. Rising from it, he scares the city guards. Together with the robbers, he ends up in the crypt of the recently buried high priest, but his treacherous accomplices lock him there. He dresses up as a dead man and puts on the ruby ring that was on the corpse. The new marauders are scared when the "dead man" moves, and Andreuccio climbs out of the remaining open tomb and leaves with the ruby ring.
Novella sixth
Madonna Beritola's husband falls from grace. She and her two sons end up on the same island after a shipwreck. Her sons are kidnapped by passing pirates, and she lives in a cave with two deer, like an animal. Beritola is saved by a ship with family friends, and she goes to Lunijiana, where one of her sons ends up in the service of the ruler of the country, and having fallen in love and sinned with the ruler’s daughter, he ends up in prison. Sicily rebels against King Charles, the family of Madonna Beritola begins to be respected again. The son, recognized by his mother, marries his master's daughter, his brother is found, and both return to their former high position.
Novella seven
The Sultan of Babylonia gives his daughter, Alatiel, in marriage to a powerful king. After various accidents and disasters, over the course of four years, she in turn falls in different parts into the “hands” of nine men, who kill each other and kidnap Alatiel from each other because of her wonderful beauty. Finally, returned to her father by his old friend the Greek Antigonus as a virgin, she goes, as she had previously intended, to King del Garbo, whom she marries.
Novella eight
Count Anversky, falsely accused of violating the honor of the wife of one ruler, goes into exile, leaving his two children in different places in England. Returning unrecognized, he finds them in a good position, goes as a groom to the army of the French king and, acquitted after the dying confession of the ruler’s wife, who admitted that she had lied to him, returns to his previous state.
Novella Ninth
Bernabo, a wealthy merchant, argues with Ambrogiolo that his wife will never cheat on him. Ambrogiolo, hiding in a box, finds himself in Bernabo's house, where he looks at his sleeping wife. He tells Bernabo about a certain mark on his wife’s body, the merchant loses a lot of money, and also loses his dignity and orders to kill his innocent wife. She, spared by the servant who was supposed to finish her off, is saved and serves in the guise of a man with the Sultan, achieving high position and respect thanks to her wisdom. She calls Bernabo and Ambrogiolo, forcing the latter to admit to deception, which he does. Bernabo repents, and his wife opens up to him and, taking the reward for her service from the Sultan and saying goodbye to him, leaves with her husband.
Novella tenth
Paganino from Monaco kidnaps the wife of Messire Ricciardo da Kinzik, who, having learned where she is, goes after her and, having entered into friendship with Paganino, asks to give her to him. Paganino agrees if it is the will of Messire Ricciardo’s wife, but she does not want to return, and after the death of Messier Ricciardo becomes Paganino’s wife.
Day three
Presided over by Neiphila, where they talk about those who, thanks to their skill, obtained something they strongly desired or returned something they had lost
Novella first
Young Masetto from Lamporecchio, pretending to be a dumb and narrow-minded fellow, enters the monastery of nuns as a gardener, after which, first alone, and then all the other nuns, in turn, indulge in passion together with Masetto. After some time, he becomes exhausted, unable to constantly please so many women, reveals to everyone that he is not at all mute, and leaves the monastery.
Novella second
The groom, having desired the wife of his master, King Agilulf, dresses up as him and sleeps with the queen, which the king secretly finds out about and, having found the groom among the others, cuts off his hair in order to identify the culprit the next day. The groom who has had his hair cut cuts his hair and in this way gets out of trouble, and the king marvels at the cunning of the criminal.
Novella three
One lady, having fallen in love with a young man whose friend was a priest, confesses to this priest, complaining over and over again that the young man allegedly constantly seeks her love. The priest immediately calls his friend to him and reproaches him, but the young man understands the lady’s cunning. When she describes at the next confession in what ways the young man allegedly tried to get into her house, he learns from the indignant priest about these ways and, using them, has a good time with the cunning lady.
Novella Four
Don Felice tells the pious but narrow-minded brother Puccio that you can achieve liberation from sins by tying yourself in the courtyard and praying all night, which Brother Puccio does. Don Felice, meanwhile, is having fun with the wife of Puccio’s brother.
Novella fifth
Ricciardo Zima gives his best horse to Messer Francesco Vergellesi and for this, with his consent, speaks to his wife, Messer Francesco orders his wife not to say a word to Ricciardo. While she is silent, Ricciardo answers his own questions for her, suggesting ways in which he and Messer Francesco’s wife can meet. This is how it all happens.
Novella sixth
Ricciardo Minutolo loves Filippello Figinolfi's wife. Having learned that she is jealous, he tells her that Filippello made a date in the bathhouse for his wife and ensures that the lady herself goes there and, thinking that she was with her husband, spends the night with Ricciardo, after which the latter admits who he is.
Novella seven
Tedaldo, having quarreled with his mistress, leaves Florence. After some time, he returns there under the guise of a pilgrim and informs her that because of her coldness, her former lover, Tedaldo, committed suicide, thereby obtaining repentance from her. Then he saves the life of her husband, accused of murdering himself, reconciles his mistress’s husband with his brothers and reasonably prospers with his wife. Later it turns out that the murdered man was a foreigner very similar to Tedaldo.
Novella eight
Ferondo, having tasted a certain powder poured on him by the abbot, falls asleep and becomes like a dead man. He is buried. Discovered from his grave by the abbot, he is imprisoned and is told that he is in purgatory. At this time, the abbot is having fun with Ferondo’s wife. “Having been resurrected,” Ferondo raises a son born to the abbot by his wife.
Novella Ninth
Gillette from Narbonne, the daughter of a famous doctor, cures the French king of a fistula and asks Beltramo of Rossillon to be her husband, who, having married her against his will and indignant at this, goes to Florence. There he looks after a girl, but instead of her, Gillette sleeps with him and gives birth to two sons from him. Subsequently, having recognized his sons and appreciating Gillette’s intelligence and love, he treats her as a legitimate wife.
Novella tenth
Alibek, the daughter of a rich Muslim, on a whim becomes a hermit. The other monks are afraid that temptation will break them, and they entrust her to the care of Rustico, who is known for his purity and strength of faith. Rustico makes love to Alibek, saying that in this way he is “driving his devil into Alibek’s hell.” The latter begins to like it over time. She, seeing that Rustico, due to his hermit’s post, is no longer able to please her, returns to the city, where she becomes Neerbal’s wife. She tells the city ladies about her adventures, after which the obscene phrase “drive the devil into hell” is born.
Day four
Presided over by Filostrato, where they discuss those whose love had an unhappy outcome
Novella first
Tancred, Prince of Salerno, kills his daughter's lover and sends his heart to her in a golden goblet. After pouring poisoned water on him, she drinks it and dies.
Novella second
Monk Albert assures Lisette that an angel is in love with her, and, moving into Albert’s body, the angel desires intimacy with Madonna Lisette. So they manage to connect several times, until the vain Lisette blurts out her secret to her friends. Lisette's relatives want to catch the "angel", and he throws himself out of the window of her house and finds refuge in the house of a poor man, who the next day leads him, disguised as a savage, to the square, where he is recognized, and the brethren grab him and imprison him.
Novella three
Three young people love three sisters, with whom they run away to Crete, where they live happily for a short time. The older sister soon kills her lover out of jealousy. The second sister, having given herself to the Duke of Crete, saves the first from death, but her lover kills her and runs away with the first sister. A third lover and a third sister are accused of this murder. Being captured, they take the blame, but, fearing death, they bribe the guards with the rest of the money and flee, impoverished, to Rhodes, where they die in poverty.
Novella Four
The stately and handsome prince Djerbino falls in love after hearing descriptions of the beauty of the daughter of the Tunisian king, and she is also in love with Djerbino in the same way. Having given his word of honor to his grandfather not to attack the ship on which the daughter of the Tunisian king is being taken to her rightful groom, he breaks his word and attacks. Those who were on the ship kill the girl, but Dzherbino kills them all out of revenge. After this, he is executed as having disobeyed his grandfather's orders.
Novella fifth
Isabel's brothers kill her lover. He appears to her in a dream and shows her where he is buried. Having secretly dug up his head, she puts it in a pot of basil and cries over it for a long time every day. The brothers take the pot with the plant from her, after which Isabetta dies of grief. After her death, the canzona remains: “What kind of evil infidel was he//That he stole my flower…”.
Novella sixth
Andreola loves Gabriotto. She tells him a nightmare she had, he tells her his own, and suddenly dies in her arms from a heart attack. When she and her maid carry Gabriotto to his house, the guards take them away, and Andreola tells how it happened. They want to inflict violence on the girl, she resists it. Andreola's father hears about this and frees her, still innocent. She, not wanting to live in the world anymore, becomes a nun.
Novella seven
Lovers Simone and Pasquino meet in the garden. Pasquino rubs his teeth with sage and dies. Arrested Simone, wanting to show the judge how Pasquino died, rubs her teeth with a leaf of the same sage and also dies. It turns out that it was not sage that grew in that garden, but some kind of poisonous plant.
Novella eight
Girolamo loves Salvestra. Prompted by his mother's requests, he goes to Paris. Returning, he finds her married, secretly enters her house and asks Salvestra to lie next to her for a while, after which he dies. Girolamo is buried, and his beloved comes and, sobbing, dies next to his body; they are buried together.
Novella Ninth
Sir Guglielmo Rossiglione gives his wife a taste of the heart of Sir Guglielmo Guardastagno, who was killed by him and loved by her. Having learned about this, she throws herself from a high window, dies, and is buried along with her lover.
Novella tenth
The lover of a doctor's wife accidentally drinks a sleeping potion prepared by the doctor for one of his patients. The doctor's wife thinks that her beloved has died, and her maid puts the sleeping man in a box, which is dragged along with the body by two moneylenders. Having woken up, the lover does not understand anything and rages, but is captured like a thief. The lady's maid tells the authorities that she was the one who put the sleeping man in a box stolen by moneylenders. Thanks to this, he avoids the gallows, and the moneylenders are sentenced to a fine for stealing the box.
Day five
Chaired by Fiammetta, where they talk about how, after various sad and unhappy incidents, happiness smiles on lovers
Novella first
Cimone, previously like a beast, uneducated and ugly, seeing the sleeping Efigenia, becomes wise and beautiful. He kidnaps his sweet Ephigenia and takes her to the sea, but after that he finds himself imprisoned in Rhodes. Lysimachus frees him, they kidnap Ephigenia and Cassandra, Lysimachus's beloved, from their wedding celebration, and flee with them to Crete, marry them, and all return home together.
Novella second
Costanza loves Martuccio Gomito. Hearing about his death, in despair she sits alone in a boat, which the wind carries to Susa. Finding him alive in Tunisia, she opens up to him, and he, having become close to the king for the advice given during the war, marries her and with her returns to Lipari as a rich man.
Novella three
Pietro Boccamazza flees with Agnolella from his home, but on the way he meets robbers. The girl runs away into the forest, where her old friend stumbles upon her and brings her to her castle. Pietro escapes from the hands of robbers and, after several adventures, ends up in the castle where Agnolella is located. He marries her and they return to Rome together.
Novella Four
Lizio da Valbona's daughter, citing the heat, sleeps on the balcony of her room to "listen to the birds singing." Her lover Ricciardo Manardi climbs up the wall towards her. Tired of the night's amusements, the young people fall asleep hugging each other. In this position, they are found in the morning by Lizio da Valbona, who, together with his wife, persuades Ricciardo to marry his daughter, and he does not refuse.
Novella fifth
Guidotto of Cremona entrusts his adopted daughter to the care of Giacomino of Pavia and dies. In Faenza, Giannole di Severino and Mingino di Mingole fall in love with her. They enter into a feud with each other and try to kidnap the girl in one night, by bribing the servants. However, the truth about the girl's parents is revealed. She turns out to be Giannole's sister, and the girl is given in marriage to Mingino.
Novella sixth
Gianni from Procida sneaks into the royal chambers, since his beloved is given to King Federigo. The king finds the couple and orders both lovers to be burned, but Ruggieri del Oria recognizes the lovers under whom the fire is to be lit as the offspring of noble families, and the king releases them, not daring to execute them.
Novella seven
Teodoro, the son of a nobleman who was kidnapped many years ago, lives as a servant in the house of Messire Amerigo and falls in love with his daughter, Violanta. She became pregnant by Teodoro, and Amerigo, who learned about the birth of his daughter, orders the servant to be hanged, but Teodoro’s father, who is nearby, recognizes his son and frees him.
Novella eight
Nastagio degli Onesti, in love with a girl from the Traversari family, squanders his wealth without receiving reciprocation. He goes to Chiassi, where he sees one horseman chasing a girl, killing her and two dogs devouring her, then the girl is resurrected and runs again. The horseman says that at one time he was tormented by this girl, without reciprocating, he died of grief, and now his former beloved is forced to suffer in a similar way for as many years as the months she tormented the horseman who loved her. Nastagio invites his family and his sweetheart to dinner. She sees how that girl is tormented, and, fearing a similar fate, marries Nastagio. After this story, all the girls in that city became more accommodating.
Novella Ninth
Federigo degli Alberighi loves Monna Giovanna, but is not loved by her. He squanders all his fortune on courtship, and he has only one falcon left, which the sick son of Monna Giovanna asks for. Federigo, in the absence of anything else, serves this falcon for dinner to his beloved, who came to him with her request. Having learned about this, she changes her feelings for Federigo, and after her son dies, the rich inheritance goes to her and her lover.
Novella tenth
Pietro di Vinciolo, guilty of sodomy, goes out to dinner. His wife, dissatisfied that her husband does not fulfill marital duties, invites a young man to her place. When Pietro returns, his wife hides her lover under a chicken basket. Pietro says that in the house of Ercolano, with whom he had dinner, they found a young man hidden there by his wife. Pietro's wife reproaches Ercolano's wife. Unfortunately, the donkey steps on the young man's fingers, and he gives himself away by screaming. Pietro runs there, sees him and learns about his wife’s deception, with whom in the end, out of his baseness, he reconciles, and the three of them spend the night. A young man, returning home in the morning, thinks about who he was last night, a woman or a man.
Day six
Under the chairmanship of Eliza, which talks about those who, having been hurt by some sharp word, repaid it, or with a quick response and resourcefulness avoided damage, danger or offense
Novella first
A certain nobleman promises Madonna Oreta to tell such a story that it will seem to her as if she is riding a horse, but he tells it ineptly, stuttering and faltering, and she aptly compares his story to a stumbling mare, asking him to let her down from the saddle. The narrator accepts the reproach.
Novella second
The baker Chisti constantly treats the noble sir Jerry to expensive wine. Soon he sends a servant to Chisti for wine to treat his guests, but Chisti, seeing a huge bottle, says that the servant was apparently not sent to him. Messieur Jerry understands the immodesty of his request and comes himself and the guests straight to Chisti, where the baker gladly treats them.
Novella three
The Florentine bishop, noticing among the people Madonna Pona, a young and lively girl who had recently gotten married, asks whether her husband can cope with her. She, remembering a story in which one of the bishop’s subordinates slept with the wife of a townsman, paying him for it with counterfeit coins, replies that it doesn’t matter whether the husband copes or not, but the main thing is that the coins will be real. The bishop is ashamed.
Novella Four
Kikibio, Currado's cook, having given one of the legs of a fried crane to his beloved, makes an excuse to Currado by saying that cranes always stand on one leg. The next day, Currado drives up to the cranes and screams, they fly up and their two legs are visible. The cook says that the fried crane should have shouted too, then the second leg would have become visible.
Novella fifth
The great artist, sir Forese da Pabata, and the wise sir Giotto, a painter, with an ugly appearance, returning from Mugello, joke with each other. Giotto says that none of the passers-by would have guessed from the appearance of Messire Forese what beautiful pictures he paints. Sir Forese says that no one would have guessed that Giotto knew even the very basics of grammar. Both understand that it’s not for them to joke with each other.
Novella sixth
Michele Scalda wins the argument about whose family is the most noble. He says that the oldest clan is the Baronchi clan, famous for its hereditary physical defects, since the Lord apparently created this clan when he was just training to sculpt people, hence so many mistakes.
Novella seven
Madonna Philippa, having been caught in treason, for which she was subject to severe punishment by law, explains that her husband did not satisfy her desire, and therefore she gave the resulting “surplus” to a person in need. The Madonna's speech delighted the judge, and the cruel law was softened.
Novella eight
Cheska, considering herself the most beautiful of all the people in the world, blames other people and says that it is unpleasant for her to look at the abomination. Then Fresco, her uncle, advises Ceska not to look in the mirror.
Novella Ninth
The townspeople are trying to make fun of the wise Guido Cavalcanti. Finding him in the cemetery, they hear that in their house he, Guido, is ready to calmly listen to their words. Then Guido leaves, and the townspeople understand that Guido compared them in their ignorance and stupidity to the dead, whose home is a cemetery.
Novella tenth
Brother Cipolla (or Luca), who has come once again to collect donations from peasants for his order, promises to show the parishioners a sacred relic - the feather of the Archangel Gabriel. Two jokers, taking advantage of the fact that Luca’s servant, Guccio, a slob and a slacker, was pestering an ugly maid, stole the “relic,” which turned out to be a parrot feather, and replaced the feather with coals. Having discovered coals instead of a feather during his sermon, Luke, telling the long story of his wanderings in search of relics, says that he mixed up the relics, capturing instead of Gabriel's feather the coals on which one of the great martyrs was burned. The parishioners believe Luke and give generous donations; The jokers begin to respect Luka and return the pen to him.
Day seven
Presided over by Dioneo, where they talk about the jokes that, out of love or to save themselves, wives played on their husbands, whether they knew it or not
Novella first
Gianni Logteringhi hears a knock on the door at night and wakes up his wife. She assures him that it is a ghost, although in fact it is her lover who is giving the signal, since he came on a date because of an incorrectly turned goat's head at the gate of Gianni's house - a conventional sign. Gianni and his wife say a conspiratorial prayer over the “ghost”, in which the wife veiledly explains to her lover that her husband is at home, but the lover can enjoy the food left in the garden. The knocking stops.
Novella second
When her husband returns home, Peronella hides her lover in a wine barrel. The husband sold it, but the wife says that she has already sold it to a man who climbed into the barrel to inspect whether it was strong. He crawls out of the barrel and, ordering his husband to scrape it out some more, disappears.
Novella three
Brother Rinaldo sleeps with his godmother. The godfather's husband finds him in the same room with her, and she assures her husband that the monk was talking worms into his godson. Before this, Rinaldo’s brother manages to be warned by his comrade, who is having fun with the maid at the time.
Novella Four
One night, Tofano is locked out of the house by his wife, who has left for her lover. When, despite her requests, she is not allowed in, she pretends to throw a large stone into a well. The frightened Tofano runs out of the house and hurries to the well, and meanwhile his wife enters the house, locks herself and does not let Tofano back in, presenting him to the neighbors as a drunkard who came home in the middle of the night and broke in.
Novella fifth
The jealous man, disguised as a priest, confesses to his wife. She assures him that she loves the priest who comes to her every night. While the jealous man secretly watches at the door, the wife tells her lover to walk across the roof to her and spends time with him, then reproaching her husband for jealousy and deceit.
Novella sixth
Sir Lambertuccio, who loved her but was not loved by her, comes to Madonna Isabella when she had Leonetto. Having learned that her husband is nearby, Madonna Isabella tells Leonetto to run away and Messire Lambertuccio to chase him with a knife. She explains to her husband that she tried to shelter a young man who was fleeing from Messer Lambertuccio, with whom the former, for some unknown reason, became angry.
Novella seven
Lodovico confesses his love to Madonna Beatrice and hides in her bedroom. Madonna Beatrice, having dressed her husband Egano in a dress, sends him into the garden to try to catch Lodovico, who is harassing her. The same one, meanwhile, sleeps with Madonna Beatrice, and then goes out and beats Messire Egano, dressed in a woman’s dress, saying that he, Lodovico, will not stand the impudent harassment of his wife towards him.
Novella eight
Someone begins to be jealous of his wife. She ties a thread to her finger to know when her lover will come. The husband one day stumbles upon a thread and unravels his wife’s cunning, but while he is pursuing her lover, the wife puts her maid in bed instead, whom the husband beats, cuts off her braids, and then goes to the wife’s brothers. Seeing their sister alive and unharmed, they are indignant and threaten the jealous man.
Novella Ninth
Lydia, the wife of Nicostratus, loves his servant, Pyrrhus. In order to make sure of this, Pyrrhus demands that she fulfill three conditions, which she fulfills: she kills her beloved dove Nicostratus, saying that he takes too long from her husband, leaving no time for his wife; pulls out a tuft of beard and a tooth from her husband, saying that it is completely rotten. Pyrrhus is assured of Lydia's love. After this, they begin to play Nicostratus together: as soon as he finds himself under one of the apple trees in his garden with Lydia, Pyrrhus, who has climbed onto it, insists that the husband and wife are supposedly making love. As soon as Nicostratus himself climbs onto the apple tree, he sees how Pyrrhus and Lydia, who remained below, are also making love, but if the first was pure deception, then the second is happening in reality. However, Nicostratus believes in the miraculous properties of the apple tree, which Lydia soon orders to be cut down, just in case.
Novella tenth
Two Sienese love the same woman, the godmother of one of them. The godfather dies and, returning to his comrade, in accordance with the promise given to him earlier, says that in purgatory they explained to him that cheating with his godfather is not considered a sin. The surviving Sienese celebrates with his beloved and achieves his goal.
Day eight
Chaired by Lauretta, where they talk about the jokes that are played every day by a woman on a man, a man on a woman, or a man on a man
Novella first
Gulfardo borrows money from Gasparruolo and, having agreed with his wife that he will sleep with her, gives it to her. After this, he tells Gasparruolo in the presence of his wife that he returned the money to her, and she confirms that this is true.
Novella second
The parish priest from Varlungo sleeps with the Madonna Belcolore. Taking the mortar from her as a souvenir, he leaves her his cloak as a pledge of love. Soon he sends the mortar to Madonna Belcolore with a request to return the cloak. Coerced by her husband, she gives up the bet, saying that the priest “will no longer rub the pestle in her mortar.”
Novella three
Calandrino, Bruno and Buffalmacco go down Mugnone to look for heliotropium, a magic stone that cures poisons and makes its owner invisible. Calandrino imagines that he has found him because his friends get tired of searching and pretend that they do not see Calandrino. He returns home loaded with stones, because he does not know which stone from the pile he has collected is magical. His wife scolds him. Angry, he beats her, and tells his comrades that the woman has broken all the spells of heliotropy.
Novella Four
The abbot of Fiesole loves a widow who does not love him. The widow agrees for the sake of appearance and invites the abbot home. He doesn’t see in the dark that he’s actually sleeping with the widow’s ugly maid. Meanwhile, the widow's brothers invite the bishop to visit and bring him to the room where Fiesole sleeps in the arms of a maid.
Novella fifth
Three young Florentines, pretending that they are demanding an urgent trial, quietly pull down the trousers of one stupid and blind judge from Marcha, while, sitting on the judge's bench, he is trying to sort out the cases.
Novella sixth
Bruno and Buffalmacco, not waiting for Calandrino to sell his pig himself and treat his friends to the rescue, steal Calandrino’s pig and encourage him to try to find the thieves with the help of ginger pills and Vernaccia wine. Everyone present is given a pill, the one who finds it bitter is a thief. Calandrino himself is given one after another bitter pills of sabur mixed with aloe. Everyone accuses Calandrino of stealing his own pig. He also has to pay off Bruno and Buffalmacco so that they do not tell their wife about this.
Novella seven
The student loves the widow. Proving her fidelity to her lover, she forces the student to spend half a winter night in the snow waiting for her, after which he returns home half-dead and thinks about revenge. Soon, wanting to bewitch the lover who had left her, on the advice of a schoolboy, in mid-July she stood the whole day on the tower, naked, bitten by flies and horseflies and burned by the sun. After this, she is found and saved by a maid, on her last legs.
Novella eight
The two live in friendship. One of them gets along with the other's wife. He, having learned about this, comes to an agreement with his wife and locks his friend in the chest, and plays with his wife on it while he sits inside. In the end, both are friendly again, and often then have fun with each other’s wives.
Novella Ninth
Maestro Simone Bruno and Buffalmacco tell the stupid doctor about a secret society in which they both allegedly belong and every evening enjoy luxury and overseas beauties. The doctor wants to join the society and, on the instructions of Bruno and Buffalmacco, waits at the old temple for a wonderful beast, which should take him to the meeting of the secret society. Buffalmacco, dressed as an animal, carries the doctor on his back, after which he throws him into a garbage pit, where he leaves him.
Novella tenth
A certain Sicilian woman, pretending to be rich and in love with a merchant, asks him to borrow a large sum, after which she forgets about him. Pretending that he returned with even more goods than before, and having borrowed even more money from her, the merchant actually leaves her barrels of water and hairbrushes.
Day nine
Presided over by Emilia, where everyone talks about what they like best
Novella first
Madonna Francesca is loved by a certain Rinuccio and a certain Alessandro, both of whom are unloved by her. To make sure of their love, she orders one to lie in the tomb as if dead, the other to remove an imaginary dead person from there. When neither one nor the other achieves the goal, she cleverly gets rid of them.
Novella second
One abbess hurriedly gets up in the darkness to catch a nun in bed with her lover, whom she had been denounced. Since the priest was with her at the time, she, believing that she had thrown a veil over her head, threw on the priest's trousers. When the accused saw them and pointed them out to the abbess, she was released, and she calmly remained with her lover.
Novella three
The aunt leaves 200 lire as an inheritance to the painter Calandrino. Bruno, Buffalmacco and Nello want to spend this money. At their request, Maestro Simone assures Calandrino that he has become pregnant. He gives them all the money in return for the medicine and is cured without giving birth to anyone.
Novella Four
Cecco, the son of sir Fortarrigo, loses everything he had in Buonconvento, as well as the money of the son of sir Angiolieri. Wearing only a shirt, Cecco runs after Angiolieri's son, saying that he robbed him, orders the peasants to seize him and, dressed in his dress and mounted his horse, rides off, leaving him in only his shirt.
Novella fifth
Calandrino falls in love with the mistress of the owner of the house that Calandrino and his artist friends are painting. Bruno, having agreed with the girl and the owner of the house, gives the “magic” amulet to Calandrino, and as soon as he touches the amulet to the girl, she follows him. Taken by surprise by his wife, brought by Bruno and Buffalmacco, Calandrino listens to reproaches from her.
Novella sixth
Two young people spent the night in a hotel. One of them goes to bed with the owner’s daughter, whose wife, wanting to preserve her daughter’s honor, mistakenly goes to bed with the second guest. The one who was with his daughter, wanting to return to his room, mistakenly lies down next to the owner and, mistaking him for his comrade, tells him everything. Meanwhile, the owner’s wife, seeing who she is lying with, in order to avoid shame, says that the guest only imagined everything.
Novella seven
Talano di Molese, having seen in a dream that a wolf tore his wife's face and throat, tells her to beware. She does not do this, and she is actually grabbed by the wolf, from whom she miraculously escapes and regrets that she did not listen to her husband.
Novella eight
Biondello tells Ciacco, a famous glutton throughout the city, that there will be a delicious dinner in one of the houses. Chacko comes to that house and realizes that he has been deceived. In retaliation, he slanderes Biondello to one big guy, who gives the joker a good beating.
Novella Ninth
Two young men ask Solomon for advice: one - how to make himself fall in love, the other - how to teach his obstinate wife a lesson. Solomon advises the second to go to the Goose Bridge, where both young men see how the driver beats the stubborn donkey with a stick, and she moves on. At home, one of them beats his wife when she refuses his request, and realizes the value of Solomon's advice. The first one understands that he must first love himself, and then they will love him.
Novella tenth
Don Gianni, at the request of godfather Pietra, performs a spell to turn his wife into a mare, and when it comes to the tail, he inserts his “tail” into the godfather’s wife. Godfather Pietro says that he doesn’t need such a tail and such a mare.
Day ten and last
Presided over by Pamphilo, where they talk about those who have done something generous or magnanimous in matters of love or in other matters
Novella first
A certain valiant knight serves the Spanish king. It seems to him that he is little rewarded. The king sets up an experiment: he invites the knight to choose one of two chests, one of which contains treasures, and the other contains land. When the knight gets the land, the king decides that, although fate itself does not want wealth for this man, he, the king, will give him both chests.
Novella second
Ataman Gino di Tacco takes captive the abbot of Cluny, who went to be treated with waters, heals the abbot’s stomach with a harsh diet, and then releases him. He, returning to the Roman court, reconciles the robber Gino with Pope Boniface and introduces him to a high position.
Novella three
Mithridanes, who wants to become famous for his generosity, becomes jealous of Nathan's generosity and goes to kill him. He meets Nathan, unrecognized, along the way, and, having found out from him how to do this, he discovers that he had been talking with Nathan all this time. Mithridan realizes that Nathan was ready to give his life and that he is more generous, and therefore begins to respect him and befriend him.
Novella Four
Messire Gentile dei Carisendi, arriving from Modena, removes from the tomb the woman he loved, mistaken and buried for the dead. Having recovered, she gives birth to a son, and Sir Gentile returns her and the child to her husband, Niccoluccio Caccianimico, which shows fantastic generosity.
Novella fifth
Madonna Dianora asks Messire Ansaldo, who is in love with her, to arrange for her a garden in January as beautiful as in May. Messire Ansaldo, having agreed with a necromancer wizard, arranges a garden for Madonna Dianora. Her husband, having learned about this, allows her to give herself to Ansaldo. Having learned about her husband’s generosity, he relieves her of fulfilling her promise, and the necromancer, for his part, without taking anything, releases the debt to Messire Ansaldo.
Novella sixth
The victorious King Charles the Elder falls in love with a young girl, the daughter of a noble Italian. Ashamed of his foolishness and not wanting discord, he honorably marries the girl and her sister.
Novella seven
King Pietro, having learned about Lisa’s passionate love for him from the minstrel she sent, consoles her. Subsequently, he marries Lisa to a well-born young man and, kissing her on the forehead, calls himself her knight.
Novella eight
Gisippo and Titus Quintius Fulvus are very friendly, but they are in love with the same girl. When she is married to Gisippo, he allows Titus Quintius to sleep with her. When this becomes known, a scandal breaks out, and Titus and his beloved leave for Rome, where Gisippo arrives, impoverished and despised. Titus does not recognize Gisippo when they meet. He, thinking that Titus despises him, and in order to die, slanders himself, claiming that he killed a man. Recognizing Gisippo and wanting to save him, Titus says that he is the murderer. Hearing this, the person who committed the crime reveals himself, after which the ruler frees everyone. Titus marries his sister to Gisippo and shares all his property with him.
Novella Ninth
Saladin, disguised as a merchant, is wonderfully received by Sir Torello. Going on a crusade, Sir Torello gives his wife time to get married, and he himself, taken prisoner, becomes known to Sultan Saladin for his ability to care for birds of prey. He, recognizing Torello and telling him who the merchant was, gives him great honors. When the time he gave to his wife expires, Saladin’s sorcerer transports Messire Torello to his homeland in one night, presenting him with treasures and jewelry. During the celebration that took place on the occasion of the marriage of his wife, she recognizes Messire Torello, and he returns with her to his home.
Novella tenth
The Marquis of Saluzza takes in love the daughter of a peasant, Griselda, and, having raised two children with her, wants to test her. He assures her that he killed the children, and he himself sends them to his relatives to be raised. Then, pretending that he is tired of his wife and is marrying another, he returns his grown-up daughter and declares her his bride, and orders Griselda to be sent away wearing only her shirt. Seeing that she patiently endures everything, he returns her to his home, beloved more than ever, introduces her to her already grown-up children, gives her daughter in marriage, elevates Griselda’s father, a simple farmer, and loves and honors his wife all his life.
With the exception of weekends, when one should dedicate oneself to God, each day ends with a change in the owner of the crown and a new song. The new king announces the theme of the stories for the next day and gives orders about arranging the life of the company. By order of their kings and queens, the company leaves Florence and ends up in a castle abandoned by the owners with a beautiful garden, where they settle down for several days. Then the company goes to a valley located between wonderful mountain slopes, where friends enjoy nature. At the end of the 10th day, it is decided to return to Florence, and the seven ladies go home, and the three young men go in search of new adventures.
