Friar Rinaldo
Intro
- Storyteller: Elissa
- The ladies got the joke about the stallion and the mare and start to laugh, but pretend they're laughing about something else.
- Emilia's story reminds Elissa of another trick played by the use of an "incantation," so she'll tell it.
Story
- Rinaldo is a handsome young man of Siena who falls in love with his neighbor's beautiful wife, Madonna Agnesa.
- Agnesa's pregnant (Rinaldo's not the baby daddy) and Rinaldo offers his services as godfather to the child so that he can get close to her.
- But despite his efforts, Agnesa's not interested. Rinaldo becomes a friar (reasons unknown) and gives up his desires for a while.
- But not for long. Like all friars, says Elissa, Rinaldo becomes corrupt and full of desires.
- And Agnesa isn't made of steel. She still has reservations about giving in to a man of the cloth who also happens to be the godfather of her child (it's considered taboo).
- Rinaldo brushes off her worries. Isn't the father of the child even more closely related to it? Doesn't Agnesa sleep with him anyway?
- So they hook up and have a great time. But one day, Agnesa's husband comes home early and surprises her as she's locked in the bedroom with Rinaldo (and Rinaldo's friend is in the attic with the maid).
- Agnesa does some quick thinking and tells Rinaldo to follow her lead as she opens the door to her husband.
- Rinaldo dresses himself and takes his godchild (yes, he was in the room with them) in his arms.
- Agnesa explains that Rinaldo has saved their child from certain death. The boy, she says, had worms coming close to his heart and Rinaldo recited special prayers to save him. His friend was in the attic saying prayers, too.
- The poor man's so relieved that his son hadn't died that he believes everything. He even gives Rinaldo and friend a celebratory meal, which Elissa says they needed after their "hard work."
- Agnesa's husband believes them so completely that he even has a little wax statue made as an offering to the local saint in thanksgiving for his son's return to health.
- Editorial Note: Some commentators feel that Boccaccio is pretty unsympathetic to well-meaning and devoted husbands who get duped by their wives.