NOVEL X.
Donno Granni undertakes to transform his gossip Pietro's wife into a mare, at his request; but when it comes to putting on the tail, Pietro cries out, and spoils the whole business.
The queen's novel provoked some murmuring on the part of the ladies, and laughter on that of the gentlemen. When silence was restored Dioneo began thus: - Gracious ladies, one black crow among many white doves will more set off their beauty than the whitest swan could do. In like manner sometimes among many wise persons one of less discretion will serve not only to exalt the splendour of their wisdom but also to afford pleasure and amusement. You are all full of modesty and discretion, and as I am rather scatter-brained, you ought to like me all the better, seeing that I serve as a foil for your perfections; and consequently you ought to allow me more licence than you would to a sager man, to say my say and exhibit myself to you such as I am. I will now give you a novel, not a very long one, from which you may learn how scrupulous one should be in attending to everything directed by a person who undertakes a magic operation, and what a slight fault in that respect may completely spoil the enchantment.
There was last year at Barletta a priest named Donno Gianni di Barolo. His benefice being too poor to maintain him he took to buying and selling at the fairs of Puglia, and hawking goods about on a mare that belonged to him. In this way he became intimate with one Pietro da Tresanti who carried on the same trade with the help of an ass, and whom he always called gossip Pietro, after the manner of that country, by reason of the close friendship between them. Whenever Pietro came to Barletta he took him to his own house, lodged liim, and treated him to the best he had. Pietro did the same on his side, but he being a very poor man, and having only a little cabin at Tresanti, with barely room enough for himself, his handsome young wife, and his ass, and only one little bed, he could not accommodate his guest as he wished. Donno Gianni was therefore obliged to lie on some straw in a very small stable, alongside his mare and the ass.
Pietro's wife knowing how well the priest treated her husband at Barletta had many times proposed to go and sleep with her neighbour Gita Carapresa, and give up her own share of the bed to his reverence, but the latter would never consent to this arrangement. One day among others, he said to her, "Don't make yourself uneasy on my account, gossip Gemmata; I am very well off as I am. There's that mare of mine; whenever I have a mind I turn her into a handsome wench, and afterwards make her a mare again; and so you see I can't think of parting from her." Gemmata fully believed this marvellous tale, and imparted it to her husband. "If the priest and you are so thick together as you tell me," said she, "why does not he teach you to transmogrify me into a mare? With the ass and myself you would make more than double the money you do now, and when we came home you could make me a woman again." Gossip Pietro, who was anything but a knowing one, believed the prodigious story as readily as his wife, and thought her advice very good. Without loss of time he set to work with Donno Gianni, and pressed him hard to teach him the secret. The priest did all he could to drive such nonsense out of his gossip's head, but failing in the attempt, said at last, "Well, since you insist on it, we will get up tomorrow before daylight, and I will show you how the thing is done. The worst part of the business is sticking on the tail, as you will see."
It was little sleep Pietro and Gemmata got that night, so full were their minds of this grand scheme. Long before dawn they were up and calling to Donno Gianni, who coming to them in his shirt, said to gossip Pietro, "I don't know that man in the world for whom I would do this except yourself; but since you have set your heart on it, I can't refuse you. But you must do exactly as I bid you, if you would have the job complete." They both promised this, whereupon Donno Gianni takes a candle and puts it into Pietro's hand, saying: "Mark well everything I do, and take care to recollect the words I utter; but above all things beware of opening your lips, whatever I say or do, unless you want to spoil the whole thing; only pray inwardly that the tail may be well stuck on." Gossip Pietro took the candle, and vowed that he would observe these instructions.
Then Donno Gianni made Gemmata strip stark naked, and plant herself on all fours like a mare, cautioning her at the same time not to say a word, happen what might. Then he touched her face and head, saying, "Let this be a fine mare's head;"and in the same way with her hair, "Let this be a fine mare's mane;"and so he went on with her arms and legs, breast, back, belly, and sides. Nothing now remained but to stick on the tail. Donno Gianni posted himself behind Gemmata, holding the tail ready made in one hand, and laying the other on her croupe, he - But hardly had he begun when Pietro, who had hitherto watched all the proceedings with great attention and without a word, not liking this part of the ceremony, cried out, “stop! stop! Donno Gianni, I won't have a tail! I won't have a tail!" - "Oh dear me! gossip Pietro," said the priest, "what have you done? Did not I tell you not to say a word whatever you saw? The mare was all but made, but your talking has undone all, and what is worse, there is no beginning over again." - "It's as well as it is," said Pietro, "I don't choose her to have such a tail as that anyhow. Why did not you tell me to do it myself? Besides you were putting it a deal too low." "Drat the man!" cried the wife, now getting on her legs: "was there ever such a stupid beast, to go and spoil his own luck and mine? Where did you ever see a mare without a tail? There now you will be as poor as a rat all your life, and serve you right, God knows." Pietro's inopportune exclamation having destroyed all possibility of making a mare of her, Gemmata sadly put on her clothes; and gossip Pietro had to continue his old trade with only an ass as before. He went with Donno Gianni to the fair of Bitonto, but never again required such a service at his hands.
[This story is taken from the Fabliau of the Trouveur Rutebeuf, "De la Demoiselle qui vouloit voler" (Le Grand, iv, 316), in which a clerk, while pretending to add wings and feathers to a lady, that she might fly, acts in a similar manner with the priest of Darletta. It is La Fontaine's "La Jument du compère Pierre." ]
The novels were now concluded, and the sun began to grow warm, when the queen, knowing that her reign was at an end, arose, and taking the crown from her own head, placed it upon Pamfilo's, who was the only person on whom that honour had not yet been conferred, saying, with a smile, "sir, a very great charge now rests upon you, for, as you are the last, you have to supply my defect, and that of the rest who have been in my place, which I hope you will do." Pamfìlo, pleased with the honour done him, replied, "Your virtue, madam, and that of my other subjects, will cause me to receive praise, as well as the rest that have gone before me." So, after giving the usual orders to the master of the household, he turned to the ladies, and said, "It was Emilia's great prudence yesterday to let us choose our own subjects by way of ease; therefore, being now a little recruited, I will that we return to our old law; and for tomorrow the subject shall be of persons who have done some gallant or generous action, either as to love or anything else. The relation of such stories as these will kindle in our minds a generous desire of doing the like; so that our lives, the continuance of which in these frail bodies can be but short, may be made immortal in an illustrious name; which all persons, not devoted to their lustful appetites, like brute beasts, ought, with their whole study and diligence, to covet and seek." The theme was agreeable to the whole assembly; and with the leave of the new king they parted, and went, as they were severally disposed, to divert themselves till supper, when everything was served up with great elegance and order. Afterwards they danced as usual, singing also a thousand songs, more agreeable indeed as to the words than the music: when the king, at last, ordered Neifile to give one relating more to herself, which she did very agreeably in the following manner:
SONG.
Regardful through the meads I stray,
Where flow'rs their various hues display
When all that's sweet and pleasing there,
I to my lover's charms compare.
I pick out such as fairest seem,
And laugh and talk as 'twere to him.
Which, when my am'rous tale is said,
I weave in chaplets for my head.
Whilst thus employ'd an equal joy
I find, as though himself were by:
How great! no language can reveal,
'Tis that my sighs alone must tell:
Which, harshness and distrust apart.
Breathe warm the dictates of my heart;
Such as he ever shall approve,
And meet with equal zeal and love.
The song was much commended by the king, as well as the whole company: and, a good part of the night being spent, they were ordered to go and repose themselves till the next day.
