WHEREIN IS MADE KNOWN WHO THE KNIGHT OF THE WHITE MOON
WAS; LIKEWISE OTHER EVENTS
In the city the Viceroy and Don Antonio tried to locate the Knight of
the White Moon, and when they had found the hostel at which he was
staying Don Antonio went to call on him and learned that he was the
bachelor Samson Carrasco, from the very same village as Don Quixote.
The bachelor, having explained his aims regarding the knight, packed
his arms in a knapsack, took leave as soon as he had told his story,
and set off at once for La Mancha, mounted on a mule.
A few days later, much to the sorrow of Sancho--who had never been so
well fed in his life--Don Quixote and he took a fond farewell of their
estimable and generous host who had heaped so many honors on them and
who had enjoyed himself so tremendously at their expense. This time it
was a sad and lonely journey on which they started. Don Quixote was
mounted on Rocinante, who had somewhat recovered from his shock, but
Sancho had to tread the trail on foot, for his Dapple had to serve as
a carrier for the discarded armor of our late and lamented valiant
Knight of the Lions.
CHAPTERS LXVI-LXVII
OF THE RESOLUTION WHICH DON QUIXOTE FORMED TO TURN SHEPHERD
AND TAKE TO A LIFE IN THE FIELDS WHILE THE YEAR FOR WHICH HE
HAD GIVEN HIS WORD WAS RUNNING ITS COURSE; WITH OTHER EVENTS
TRULY DELECTABLE AND HAPPY
Toward the end of the fifth day Don Quixote was resting in the shade
of some trees, and as always happened when he lay down to rest, his
thoughts turned to the disenchantment of his Dulcinea and a feeling of
impatience with his selfish and uncharitable squire rose up within
him. He pleaded with Sancho and implored him to go through with the
ordeal bravely; but Sancho was unflinching in his stubbornness and
insisted he could see no reason why he should be coupled with the
disenchantment of the peerless fair one. Thus Don Quixote could only
pray that his squire might be moved by compassion to perform some day
the deed that would liberate his lady.
While discussing this subject so close to his heart Don Quixote had
decided to pursue his journey, and while they were traveling along on
the road to their village they again engaged in conversation. Suddenly
they found themselves passing the spot where they had been trampled on
by the bulls, but Don Quixote, not wishing to have his thoughts return
to anything so bitter, turned to Sancho and remarked that this was
where they had encountered the gay shepherds and shepherdesses. And
the next instant he had decided to emulate their example and turn
shepherd himself, now that his calling of knight errant had come to an
end; he would buy some ewes, he said, and together they would retire
to some quiet pastoral nook where the woods and the fields met, and
where pure crystal water sprang from the ledge of a rock and the
fragrance of flowers was in the air. And there he would sing to
Dulcinea, his platonic and only love. The thought of a life so calm
and so far away from danger and knightly adventures pleased Sancho so
greatly and made his enthusiasm run so high that he could not restrain
a row of proverbs from falling from his lips. It was a flow so
incessant that Don Quixote at last felt obliged to ask for a truce.
Night had now fallen, and Don Quixote thought it best to withdraw from
the roadway and take refuge for the night some distance away from it.
Having supped, Sancho at once fell asleep, but his master sat up all
that night, thinking of Dulcinea and making up rhymes to the
sweetness of her memory.