--
Talano di Molese dreams that a wolf tears and rends all the neck and face
of his wife: he gives her warning thereof, which she heeds not, and the
dream comes true.
--
When Pamfilo had brought his story to a close, and all had commended the
good woman's quick perception, the queen bade Pampinea tell hers; and
thus Pampinea began:--A while ago, debonair my ladies, we held discourse
of the truths that dreams shew forth, which not a few of us deride; for
which cause, albeit the topic has been handled before, I shall not spare
to tell you that which not long ago befell a neighbour of mine, for that
she disbelieved a dream that her husband had.
I wot not if you knew Talano di Molese, a man right worthy to be had in
honour; who, having married a young wife--Margarita by name--fair as e'er
another, but without her match for whimsical, fractious, and perverse
humours, insomuch that there was nought she would do at the instance of
another, either for his or her own good, found her behaviour most
grievous to bear, but was fain to endure what he might not cure. Now it
so befell that Talano and Margarita being together at an estate that
Talano had in the contado, he, sleeping, saw in a dream a very beautiful
wood that was on the estate at no great distance from the house, and his
lady there walking. And as she went, there leapt forth upon her a huge
and fierce wolf that griped her by the throat, and bore her down to the
ground, and (she shrieking the while for succour) would have carried her
off by main force; but she got quit of his jaws, albeit her neck and face
shewed as quite disfigured. On the morrow, as soon as he was risen,
Talano said to his wife:--"Albeit for thy perversity I have not yet known
a single good day with thee, yet I should be sorry, wife, that harm
should befall thee; and therefore, if thou take my advice, thou wilt not
stir out of doors to-day." "Wherefore?" quoth the lady; and thereupon he
recounted to her all his dream.
The lady shook her head, saying:--"Who means ill, dreams ill. Thou makest
as if thou wast mighty tender of me, but thou bodest of me in thy dream
that which thou wouldst fain see betide me. I warrant thee that to-day
and all days I will have a care to avoid this or any other calamity that
might gladden thy heart." Whereupon:--"Well wist I," replied Talano,
"that thou wouldst so say, for such is ever the requital of those that
comb scurfy heads; but whatever thou mayst be pleased to believe, I for
my part speak to thee for thy good, and again I advise thee to keep
indoors to-day, or at least not to walk in the wood." "Good," returned
the lady, "I will look to it," and then she began communing with herself
on this wise:--Didst mark how artfully he thinks to have scared me from
going into the wood to-day? Doubtless 'tis that he has an assignation
there with some light o' love, with whom he had rather I did not find
him. Ah! he would sup well with the blind, and what a fool were I to
believe him! But I warrant he will be disappointed, and needs must I,
though I stay there all day long, see what commerce it is that he will
adventure in to-day.
Having so said, she quitted the house on one side, while her husband did
so on the other; and forthwith, shunning observation as best she might,
she hied her to the wood, and hid her where 'twas most dense, and there
waited on the alert, and glancing, now this way and now that, to see if
any were coming. And while thus she stood, nor ever a thought of a wolf
crossed her mind, lo, forth of a close covert hard by came a wolf of
monstrous size and appalling aspect, and scarce had she time to say, God
help me! before he sprang upon her and griped her by the throat so
tightly that she might not utter a cry, but, passive as any lambkin, was
borne off by him, and had certainly been strangled, had he not
encountered some shepherds, who with shouts compelled him to let her go.
The shepherds recognized the poor hapless woman, and bore her home, where
the physicians by dint of long and careful treatment cured her; howbeit
the whole of her throat and part of her face remained so disfigured that,
fair as she had been before, she was ever thereafter most foul and
hideous to look upon. Wherefore, being ashamed to shew her face, she did
many a time bitterly deplore her perversity, in that, when it would have
cost her nothing, she would nevertheless pay no heed to the true dream of
her husband.