Uberto, the master of the house, is waiting for his morning cocoa, but his maidservant Serapina just won't come... If a man doesn't get his breakfast, how can he start off on his walk? Vespone, Uberto's other servant, is not one to waste words: he tells the girl that the master is waiting for his breakfast. Serapina, however, loudly informs him that nobody has any business rushing her, and then forbids the master from leave on his walk. Uberto rages that even though he was the one who brought up the girl, now he can't even get a breakfast out of her... Then he's ready to send her out of the house, and he himself can get married. Serpina advises him to take her as his wife. Uberto resists.
The servant then hatches a plan: she dresses up Vespone as a tough-looking soldier and informs her master that this pugnacious pig of a man is going to be her husband. Uberto feels sorry for the girl and promises to take her as his wife so she won't marry the savage. Serpina reveals the ruse and the future husband and wife happily realise that they had been glowing with love for each other all along.