The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
Page 62
THE FOURTH STORY
[Day the Sixth]
CHICHIBIO, COOK TO CURRADO GIANFIGLIAZZI, WITH A READY WORD SPOKEN TO SAVE HIMSELF, TURNETH HIS MASTER'S ANGER INTO LAUGHTER AND ESCAPETH THE PUNISHMENT THREATENED HIM BY THE LATTER
Lauretta being silent and Nonna having been mightily commended of all,the queen charged Neifile to follow on, and she said, "Although,lovesome ladies, a ready wit doth often furnish folk with words bothprompt and useful and goodly, according to the circumstances, yetfortune whiles cometh to the help of the fearful and putteth of asudden into their mouths such answers as might never of maliceaforethought be found of the speaker, as I purpose to show you by mystory.
Currado Gianfigliazzi, as each of you ladies may have both heard andseen, hath still been a noble citizen of our city, liberal andmagnificent, and leading a knightly life, hath ever, letting be forthe present his weightier doings, taken delight in hawks and hounds.Having one day with a falcon of his brought down a crane and findingit young and fat, he sent it to a good cook he had, a Venetian hightChichibio, bidding him roast it for supper and dress it well.Chichibio, who looked the new-caught gull he was, trussed the craneand setting it to the fire, proceeded to cook it diligently. When itwas all but done and gave out a very savoury smell, it chanced that awench of the neighbourhood, Brunetta by name, of whom Chichibio wassore enamoured, entered the kitchen and smelling the crane and seeingit, instantly besought him to give her a thigh thereof. He answeredher, singing, and said, 'Thou shalt not have it from me, MistressBrunetta, thou shalt not have it from me.' Whereat she, being vexed,said to him, 'By God His faith, an thou give it me not, thou shaltnever have of me aught that shall pleasure thee.' In brief, many werethe words between them and at last, Chichibio, not to anger hismistress, cut off one of the thighs of the crane and gave it her.
The bird being after set before Messer Currado and certain strangerguests of his, lacking a thigh, and the former marvelling thereat, helet call Chichibio and asked him what was come of the other thigh;whereto the liar of a Venetian answered without hesitation, 'Sir,cranes have but one thigh and one leg.' 'What a devil?' cried Curradoin a rage. 'They have but one thigh and one leg? Have I never seen acrane before?' 'Sir,' replied Chichibio, 'it is as I tell you, andwhenas it pleaseth you, I will cause you see it in the quick.'Currado, out of regard for the strangers he had with him, chose not tomake more words of the matter, but said, 'Since thou sayst thou wiltcause me see it in the quick, a thing I never yet saw or heard tellof, I desire to see it to-morrow morning, in which case I shall becontent; but I swear to thee, by Christ His body, that, an it beotherwise, I will have thee served on such wise that thou shalt stillhave cause to remember my name to thy sorrow so long as thou livest.'There was an end of the talk for that night; but, next morning, assoon as it was day, Currado, whose anger was nothing abated for sleep,arose, still full of wrath, and bade bring the horses; then, mountingChichibio upon a rouncey, he carried him off towards a watercourse, onwhose banks cranes were still to be seen at break of day, saying, 'Weshall soon see who lied yestereve, thou or I.'
Chichibio, seeing that his master's wrath yet endured and that needsmust be made good his lie and knowing not how he should availthereunto, rode after Currado in the greatest fright that might be,and fain would he have fled, so but he might. But, seeing no way ofescape, he looked now before him and now behind and now on either sideand took all he saw for cranes standing on two feet. Presently, comingnear to the river, he chanced to catch sight, before any other, of around dozen of cranes on the bank, all perched on one leg, as they useto do, when they sleep; whereupon he straightway showed them toCurrado, saying, 'Now, sir, if you look at those that stand yonder,you may very well see that I told you the truth yesternight, to wit,that cranes have but one thigh and one leg.' Currado, seeing them,answered, 'Wait and I will show thee that they have two,' and goingsomewhat nearer to them, he cried out, 'Ho! Ho!' At this the cranes,putting down the other leg, all, after some steps, took to flight;whereupon Currado said to him, 'How sayst thou now, malapert knavethat thou art? Deemest thou they have two legs?' Chichibio, allconfounded and knowing not whether he stood on his head or hisheels,[303] answered, 'Ay, sir; but you did not cry, "Ho! Ho!" toyesternight's crane; had you cried thus, it would have put out theother thigh and the other leg, even as did those yonder.' This replyso tickled Currado that all his wrath was changed into mirth andlaughter and he said, 'Chichibio, thou art in the right; indeed, Ishould have done it.' Thus, then, with his prompt and comical answerdid Chichibio avert ill luck and made his peace with his master."
[Footnote 303: Lit. knowing not whence himself came.]