Decameron Sixth Day, Fourth Story Summary

Chichibio the Cook

Intro

  • Storyteller: Neifile
  • Sometimes, Neifile says, even the slow-witted can be capable of witty remarks—if Fortune lends a helping hand.

Story

  • Currado Gianfigliazzi is a gentleman who loves him some hunting.
  • One day, he killed a crane that looked fat and tasty, so he sent it off to his cook, Chichibio, to prep it for dinner. Yum, crane.
  • As he's cooking, Donna Brunetta appears. Chichibio is sweet on her and would do anything she wanted.
  • At this point, Brunetta just wants a roasted crane leg.
  • Chichibio can't say no, but now he's got a problem: how's he gonna explain to his boss a crane with just one leg?
  • Sure enough, Currado notices the missing leg.
  • Chichibio quickly thinks up a lie: everyone knows that cranes only have one leg.
  • Currado loses his temper and challenges him. If Chichibio can't show him a one-legged crane in the wild, he'll beat him.
  • So Chichibio and Currado set out the next day to look for the elusive one-legged crane.
  • And guess what? They find a whole flock of cranes standing on one leg. Chichibio is relieved.
  • But Currado isn't a fool. He gives a yell and the cranes bring down their second legs before flying off.
  • Currado's about to clobber Chichibio, screaming "Cranes have two legs, don't they?"
  • Chichibio replies that, duh, of course they do. But you have to yell at them to make the second leg appear.
  • Currado didn't yell at the roasted crane the night before.
  • This answer's so hilariously stupid that Currado bursts into laughter and Chichibio escapes a beating.