"Holy Virgin, Mother of God, which for Thy merits wast exalted alive to
Heaven, stretch forth Thy hand full of grace and mercy to me, to lift me
up to that blessed Paradise where Thou sittest on a chair of gold."

And this petition old Tafi did not mumble between the two or three teeth
he had left, but spoke it out in a loud, strong voice, persuaded it is
the singing, as they say, makes the song, and that if you want to be
heard, it is best to shout. Thus it came about that Master Tafi's
supplication was overheard every night by Apollonius the Greek and the
two young Florentines who lay in the next chamber. Now it so happened
Apollonius was likewise of a merry humour, every whit as ready for a
jest as Bruno or Buffalmacco. All three itched sore to play off some
trick on the old painter, who was a just man and a god-fearing, but
hard-fisted withal and a cruel taskmaster. Accordingly one night, after
listening to the old fellow's customary address to the Virgin, the three
comrades fell a-laughing under the bed-clothes and cutting a hundred
jokes. Presently, when they heard him snoring, they began asking each
other in whispers what jape they could play off on him. Well knowing the
holy terror the old man had of the Devil, Apollonius proposed to go,
dressed in red, with horns and a mask, to drag him out of bed by the
feet. But the ingenious Buffalmacco had a better suggestion to offer:

"To-morrow we will provide ourselves with a good stout rope and a
pulley, and I undertake to give you the same evening a highly diverting
exhibition."

Apollonius and Bruno were curious to know what the pulley and rope were
to be used for, but Buffalmacco refused to say. Nevertheless they
promised faithfully to get him what he wanted; for they knew him to
possess the merriest wit in the world and the most fertile in amusing