ACT ONE
Boccaccio, the hero of this tale, is a novelist and poet whose virile pen deals with truth not romance, and who has brought down upon his head the hatred of many of the Florentines, who are portrayed in his novels with really embarrassing fidelity. They vow vengeance upon him and his life, or at least his safety, is in peril. Boccaccio has found time in the midst of his literary labors to fall in love with Fiametta, the adopted daughter of Lambertuccio, the grocer. He, as well as Lambertuccio, is unaware of the fact that the girl is the daughter of the Duke of Tuscany, who for political reasons has had her brought up in this humble fashion. Her father has destined her for a fitting marriage and he sends to Florence at this time, Pietro, Prince of Palmero, to claim as his wife, Fiametta, who has been betrothed to him in infancy. Pietro is acting in accordance with the wishes of his father and not because he desires to assume marital ties, for, as he himself confesses, he is far too fond of wine and flirting to care to take on himself the role of husband.
Upon his arrival in the city, he joins in several adventures with the students and meets Boccaccio, for whom he has had, for some time, a profound admiration. He fancies that by his adventures he may gain such experience that he, too, may write of life as Boccaccio does. But his literary ardor is somewhat cooled when, on account of a resemblance which he bears to Boccaccio, he is seized by Florentine citizens who have figured unpleasantly in the novels of " the miserable scribbler " and given a sound drubbing.
ACT TWO
Boccaccio, who has learned that Fiametta is to marry, succeeds in stealing interviews with her in the disguises of a beggar and a simpleton, and finds that his love is returned. Meantime Pietro's adventures go on merrily. He is introduced to Isabella, the wife of the drunken cooper, Lotteringhi, and proceeds to fall in love with her, for the students represent that she is the cooper's niece. On one occasion, when Lotteringhi returns before he is expected, the lady hides her princely lover in a barrel and when he is discovered, glibly explains his presence by saying that he had purchased the barrel and had gone in to examine it.
To be brief, after much flirting and serenading, Pietro accomplishes the business for which he has set out and meets Fiametta whose foster-father is overcome with awe to learn her true identity.
ACT THREE
Fiametta is found at the ducal palace in Palmero, about to be solemnly betrothed to Pietro. Boccaccio, for whom the Prince has a profound liking, comes as a guest to the festivities. He knows well that his love is reciprocated, and he has Pietro's own admission that he feels only indifference for Fiametta, so he decides to help fate to a more gallant role. He is asked to arrange a play for the evening and, in the impromptu affair he illustrates the situation with such fidelity and shows up the follies of Pietro so vividly, that the young man who looks it over previous to its performance decides not to have it played and instead surrenders the hand of Fiametta to the one who truly loves her. Fiametta is better pleased to wed a professor of the University of Florence, for such Boccaccio is now made, than to be Princess of Palmero and the happy Boccaccio promises that it shall be quite the last of his literary practical jokes.