The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (best classic books of all time txt) 📕

but, chiding the cat, returned to the chamber and groped her way to the bed where her husband lay. Finding the cradle not there, ‘Mercy o’ me!’ quoth she in herself. ‘See what I was about to do! As I am a Christian, I had well nigh gone straight to our guest’s bed.’ Then, going a little farther and finding the cradle, she entered the bed whereby it stood and laid herself down beside Adriano, thinking to couch with her husband. Adriano, who was not yet asleep, feeling this, received her well and joyously and laying her aboard in a trice, clapped on all sail, to the no small contentment of the lady.

Meanwhile, Pinuccio, fearing lest sleep should surprise him with his lass and having taken of her his fill of pleasure, arose from her, to return to his own bed, to sleep, and finding the cradle in his way, took the adjoining bed for that of his host; wherefore, going a little farther, he lay down with the latter, who awoke at his coming. Pinuccio, deeming himself beside Adriano, said, ‘I tell thee there never was so sweet a creature as is Niccolosa. Cock’s body, I have had with her the rarest sport ever man had with woman, more by token that I have gone upwards of six times into the country, since I left thee.’ The host, hearing this talk and being not overwell pleased therewith, said first in himself, ‘What a devil doth this fellow here?’ Then, more angered than well-advised, ‘Pinuccio,’ quoth he, ‘this hath been a great piece of villainy of thine, and I know not why thou shouldst have used me thus; but, by the body of God, I will pay thee for it!!’ Pinuccio, who was not the wisest lad in the world, seeing his mistake, addressed not himself to mend it as best he might, but said, ‘Of what wilt thou pay me? What canst thou do to me?’ Therewithal the hostess, who thought herself with her husband, said to Adriano, ‘Good lack, hark to our guests how they are at I know not what words together!’ Quoth Adriano, laughing, ‘Leave them do, God land them in an ill year! They drank overmuch yesternight.’

The good wife, herseeming she had heard her husband scold and hearing Adriano speak, incontinent perceived where and with whom she had been; whereupon, like a wise woman as she was, she arose forthright, without saying a word, and taking her little son’s cradle, carried it at a guess, for that there was no jot of light to be seen in the chamber, to the side of the bed where her daughter slept and lay down with the latter; then, as if she had been aroused by her husband’s clamour, she called him and enquired what was to do between himself and Pinuccio. He answered, ‘Hearest thou not what he saith he hath done this night unto Niccolosa?’ ‘Marry,’ quoth she, ‘he lieth in his throat, for he was never abed with Niccolosa, seeing that I have lain here all night; more by token that I have not been able to sleep a wink; and thou art an ass to believe him. You men drink so much of an evening that you do nothing but dream all night and fare hither and thither, without knowing it, and fancy you do wonders. ’Tis a thousand pities you don’t break your necks. But what doth Pinuccio yonder? Why bideth he not in his own bed?’ Adriano, on his part, seeing how adroitly the good wife went about to cover her own shame and that of her daughter, chimed in with, ‘Pinuccio, I have told thee an hundred times not to go abroad, for that this thy trick of arising in thy sleep and telling for true the extravagances thou dreamest will bring thee into trouble some day or other. Come back here, God give thee an ill night!’

The host, hearing what his wife and Adriano said, began to believe in good earnest that Pinuccio was dreaming; and accordingly, taking him by the shoulders, he fell to shaking and calling him, saying, ‘Pinuccio, awake; return to thine own bed.’ Pinuccio having apprehended all that had been said began to wander off into other extravagances, after the fashion of a man a-dream; whereat the host set up the heartiest laughter in the world. At last, he made believe to awake for stress of shaking, and calling to Adriano, said, ‘Is it already day, that thou callest me?’ ‘Ay,’ answered the other, ‘come hither.’ Accordingly, Pinuccio, dissembling and making a show of being sleepy-eyed, arose at last from beside the host and went back to bed with Adriano. The day come and they being risen, the host fell to laughing and mocking at Pinuccio and his dreams; and so they passed from one jest to another, till the young men, having saddled their rounceys and strapped on their valises and drunken with the host, remounted to horse and rode away to Florence, no less content with the manner in which the thing had betided than with the effect itself thereof. Thereafter Pinuccio found other means of foregathering with Niccolosa, who vowed to her mother that he had certainly dreamt the thing; wherefore the goodwife, remembering her of Adriano’s embracements, inwardly avouched herself alone to have waked.”

The Seventh Story

Talano di Molese dreameth that a wolf mangleth all his wife’s neck and face and biddeth her beware thereof; but she payeth no heed to his warning and it befalleth her even as he had dreamed.

Pamfilo’s story being ended and the goodwife’s presence of mind having been commended of all, the queen bade Pampinea tell hers and she thereupon began, “It hath been otherwhile discoursed among us, charming ladies, of the truths foreshown by dreams, the which many of our sex scoff at; wherefore, notwithstanding that which hath been said thereof, I shall not scruple to tell you, in a very few words,