ng himself about
supper, went straight home, where, thinking to have shut the door, he
left it open and betook himself to bed. Buffalmacco and Bruno went off
to sup with the priest and after supper repaired quietly to
Calandrino's house, carrying with them certain implements wherewithal
to break in whereas Bruno had appointed it; but, finding the door
open, they entered and unhooking the pig, carried it off to the
priest's house, where they laid it up and betook themselves to sleep.

On the morrow, Calandrino, having slept off the fumes of the wine,
arose in the morning and going down, missed his pig and saw the door
open; whereupon he questioned this one and that if they knew who had
taken it and getting no news of it, began to make a great outcry,
saying, 'Woe is me, miserable wretch that I am!' for that the pig had
been stolen from him. As soon as Bruno and Buffalmacco were risen,
they repaired to Calandrino's house, to hear what he would say anent
the pig, and he no sooner saw them than he called out to them, well
nigh weeping, and said, 'Woe's me, comrades mine; my pig hath been
stolen from me!' Whereupon Bruno came up to him and said softly, 'It
is a marvel that thou hast been wise for once.' 'Alack,' replied
Calandrino, 'indeed I say sooth.' 'That's the thing to say,' quoth
Bruno. 'Make a great outcry, so it may well appear that it is e'en as
thou sayst.' Therewithal Calandrino bawled out yet loudlier, saying,
'Cock's body, I tell thee it hath been stolen from me in good
earnest!' 'Good, good,' replied Bruno; 'that's the way to speak; cry
out lustily, make thyself well heard, so it may seem true.' Quoth
Calandrino, 'Thou wouldst make me give my soul to the Fiend! I tell
thee and thou believest me not. May I be strung up by the neck an it
have not been stolen from me!' 'Good lack!' cried Bruno. 'How can that
be? I saw it here but yesterday. Thinkest thou to make me believe that
it hath flown away?' Quoth Calandrino, 'It is as I tell thee.' 'Good
lack,' repeated Bruno, 'can it be?' 'Certes,' replied Calandrino, 'it
is so, more by token that I am undone and know not how I shall return
home. My wife will never believe me; or even if she do, I shall have
no peace with her this year to come.' Quoth Bruno, 'So God save me,
this is ill done, if it be true; but thou knowest, Calandrino, I
lessoned thee yesterday to say thus and I would not have thee at once
cozen thy wife and us.' Therewithal Calandrino fell to crying out