Mount Arimini is in Burgundy, and there is a lord called Roberto, and
it is a great county.
The Countess and her maids had a sottish door-keeper, who was, however,
a man of robust build, and his name was Baligante. One of the maids
began to lie with him; then she spoke of him to another until the
Countess heard of him.
When the Countess heard how robust a man he was, she lay with him too.
The lord found them out. He had the man killed, and made a pie of his
heart, and presented it to the Countess and her maids, and they ate of
it.
After the meal, the lord came to the hall, and asked how the pie had
been. They all answered: good! Then the lord said: it is no wonder,
seeing that you liked Baligante alive, that you should like him dead.
And the Countess and the maids when they heard this, were ashamed, and
saw clearly that they had lost their honour in this world.
They became nuns and founded a convent, which is called the Convent of
the Nuns of Rimino Monte.
The house grew apace, and became passing rich.
And this tale is told, and it is true. For there they have this custom
that whenever any gentleman passes with a great quantity of chattels
they invite him, and show him honour.
And the Abbess and the sisters come out to meet him, and after some
conversation [114] whichever he likes best, serves him and accompanies
him to board and to bed.
In the morning, when he rises, he finds water and fine linen, and when
he has washed, she prepares a needle for him with a silk thread, and he
must pass the thread through the eye of the needle, and if at the third
trial he finds he cannot succeed, then the women deprive him of all his
chattels, and give him nothing back.
And if at the third trial, he threads the needle, they give him back
his arms, and present him with beautiful jewels.