ereon was a light chaplet of pervinck-blossoms. Their faces bespoke
them rather angels than otherwhat, so delicately fair they were, and
they were clad each upon her skin in a garment of the finest linen and
white as snow, the which from the waist upward was very strait and
thence hung down in ample folds, pavilionwise, to the feet. She who
came first bore on her left shoulder a pair of hand-nets and in her
right hand a long pole, and the other had on her left shoulder a
frying-pan and under the same arm a faggot of wood, whilst in her left
hand she held a trivet and in the other a flask of oil and a lighted
flambeau. The king, seeing them, marvelled and in suspense awaited
what this should mean. The damsels came forward modestly and
blushingly did obeisance to him, then, betaking themselves whereas one
went down into the fishpond, she who bore the frying-pan set it down
and the other things by it and taking the pole that the other carried,
they both entered the water, which came up to their breasts.
Meanwhile, one of Messer Neri's servants deftly kindled fire under the
trivet and setting the pan thereon, poured therein oil and waited for
the damsels to throw him fish. The latter, the one groping with the
pole in those parts whereas she knew the fish lay hid and the other
standing ready with the net, in a short space of time took fish
galore, to the exceeding pleasure of the king, who eyed them attently;
then, throwing some thereof to the servant, who put them in the pan,
well nigh alive, they proceeded, as they had been lessoned, to take of
the finest and cast them on the table before the king and his
table-fellows. The fish wriggled about the table, to the marvellous
diversion of the king, who took of them in his turn and sportively
cast them back to the damsels; and on this wise they frolicked awhile,
till such time as the servant had cooked the fish which had been given
him and which, Messer Neri having so ordered it, were now set before
the king, more as a relish than as any very rare and delectable dish.

The damsels, seeing the fish cooked and having taken enough, came
forth of the water, their thin white garments all clinging to their
skins and hiding well nigh nought of their delicate bodies, and
passing shamefastly before the king, returned to the house. The latter
and the count and the others who served had well considered the
damsels and each inwardly greatly commended them for fair and well
shapen, no less