wing morning a
goodly company of such young Florentines as were presently about the
village and of husbandmen; whereupon Bruno and Buffalmacco came with a
box of pills and the flask of wine and made the folk stand in a ring.
Then said Bruno, 'Gentlemen, needs must I tell you the reason
wherefore you are here, so that, if aught betide that please you not,
you may have no cause to complain of me. Calandrino here was robbed
yesternight of a fine pig, nor can he find who hath had it; and for
that none other than some one of us who are here can have stolen it
from him, he proffereth each of you, that he may discover who hath had
it, one of these pills to eat and a draught of wine. Now you must know
that he who hath had the pig will not be able to swallow the pill;
nay, it will seem to him more bitter than poison and he will spit it
out; wherefore, rather than that shame be done him in the presence of
so many, he were better tell it to the parson by way of confession and
I will proceed no farther with this matter.'

All who were there declared that they would willingly eat of the
pills, whereupon Bruno ranged them in order and set Calandrino among
them; then, beginning at one end of the line, he proceeded to give
each his bolus, and whenas he came over against Calandrino, he took
one of the dogballs and put it into his hand. Calandrino clapped it
incontinent into his mouth and began to chew it; but no sooner did his
tongue taste the aloes, than he spat it out again, being unable to
brook the bitterness. Meanwhile, each was looking other in the face,
to see who should spit out his bolus, and whilst Bruno, not having
made an end of serving them out, went on to do so, feigning to pay no
heed to Calandrino's doing, he heard say behind him, 'How now,
Calandrino? What meaneth this?' Whereupon he turned suddenly round and
seeing that Calandrino had spat out his bolus, said, 'Stay, maybe
somewhat else hath caused him spit it out. Take another of them.'
Then, taking the other dogball, he thrust it into Calandrino's mouth
and went on to finish giving out the rest. If the first ball seemed
bitter to Calandrino, the second was bitterer yet; but, being ashamed
to spit it out, he kept it awhile in his mouth, chewing it and
shedding tears that seemed hazel-nuts so big they were, till at last,
unable to hold out longer, he cast it forth, like as he had the first.
Meanwhile Buffalmacco and Bruno gave the company to drink, and all,
seeing thi