Madonna Oretta
Intro
- Storyteller: Filomena
- Filomena compares quick-witted responses to stars and to flowers that brighten up a meadow.
- Women shouldn't make long speeches, so all of these things are suited to them rather than men.
- She complains that women are either too stupid or just unlucky, because they can't seem to think of anything witty to say.
- However, she'll tell a story about one woman who figured out just the right thing to say to a knight.
Story
- A very clever woman, Madonna Oretta, found herself in the company of a knight as she was on a journey through the countryside.
- The knight promised to take her riding by telling her the best story ever.
- Oretta is delighted. However, it turns out that the story was good, but the storyteller—not so good.
- He flubs the story endlessly and he actually succeeds in making Oretta feel sick.
- She pleasantly tells him that he has "taken [her] riding on a horse that trots very jerkily," and begs him to set her down.
- The knight laughs at his own shortcomings and decides to tell her a different sort of tale.