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〃Holy God！ what art thou saying； Sancho； my friend？〃 exclaimed Don
Quixote。 〃Take care thou art not deceiving me； or seeking by false joy
to cheer my real sadness。〃
〃What could I get by deceiving your worship；〃 returned Sancho；
〃especially when it will so soon be shown whether I tell the truth
or not？ Come； senor； push on； and you will see the princess our
mistress coming； robed and adorned… in fact； like what she is。 Her
damsels and she are all one glow of gold； all bunches of pearls； all
diamonds； all rubies； all cloth of brocade of more than ten borders；
with their hair loose on their shoulders like so many sunbeams playing
with the wind； and moreover； they come mounted on three piebald
cackneys； the finest sight ever you saw。〃
〃Hackneys； you mean； Sancho；〃 said Don Quixote。
〃There is not much difference between cackneys and hackneys；〃 said
Sancho； 〃but no matter what they come on； there they are； the finest
ladies one could wish for； especially my lady the princess Dulcinea；
who staggers one's senses。〃
〃Let us go； Sancho； my son；〃 said Don Quixote； 〃and in guerdon of
this news； as unexpected as it is good； I bestow upon thee the best
spoil I shall win in the first adventure I may have； or if that does
not satisfy thee； I promise thee the foals I shall have this year from
my three mares that thou knowest are in foal on our village common。〃
〃I'll take the foals；〃 said Sancho； 〃for it is not quite certain
that the spoils of the first adventure will be good ones。〃
By this time they had cleared the wood； and saw the three village
lasses close at hand。 Don Quixote looked all along the road to El
Toboso； and as he could see nobody except the three peasant girls；
he was completely puzzled； and asked Sancho if it was outside the city
he had left them。
〃How outside the city？〃 returned Sancho。 〃Are your worship's eyes in
the back of your head； that you can't see that they are these who
are coming here； shining like the very sun at noonday？〃
〃I see nothing； Sancho；〃 said Don Quixote； 〃but three country
girls on three jackasses。〃
〃Now； may God deliver me from the devil！〃 said Sancho； 〃and can it
be that your worship takes three hackneys… or whatever they're called…
as white as the driven snow； for jackasses？ By the Lord； I could
tear my beard if that was the case！〃
〃Well； I can only say； Sancho； my friend；〃 said Don Quixote； 〃that
it is as plain they are jackasses… or jennyasses… as that I am Don
Quixote； and thou Sancho Panza： at any rate； they seem to me to be
so。〃
〃Hush； senor；〃 said Sancho； 〃don't talk that way； but open your
eyes； and come and pay your respects to the lady of your thoughts； who
is close upon us now；〃 and with these words he advanced to receive the
three village lasses； and dismounting from Dapple； caught hold of
one of the asses of the three country girls by the halter； and
dropping on both knees on the ground； he said； 〃Queen and princess and
duchess of beauty； may it please your haughtiness and greatness to
receive into your favour and good…will your captive knight who
stands there turned into marble stone； and quite stupefied and
benumbed at finding himself in your magnificent presence。 I am
Sancho Panza； his squire； and he the vagabond knight Don Quixote of La
Mancha； otherwise called 'The Knight of the Rueful Countenance。〃〃
Don Quixote had by this time placed himself on his knees beside
Sancho； and； with eyes starting out of his head and a puzzled gaze；
was regarding her whom Sancho called queen and lady； and as he could
see nothing in her except a village lass； and not a very well…favoured
one； for she was platter…faced and snub…nosed； he was perplexed and
bewildered； and did not venture to open his lips。 The country girls；
at the same time； were astonished to see these two men； so different
in appearance； on their knees； preventing their companion from going
on。 She； however； who had been stopped； breaking silence； said angrily
and testily； 〃Get out of the way； bad luck to you； and let us pass；
for we are in a hurry。〃
To which Sancho returned； 〃Oh； princess and universal lady of El
Toboso； is not your magnanimous heart softened by seeing the pillar
and prop of knight…errantry on his knees before your sublimated
presence？〃
On hearing this； one of the others exclaimed； 〃Woa then！ why； I'm
rubbing thee down； she…ass of my father…in…law！ See how the
lordlings come to make game of the village girls now； as if we here
could not chaff as well as themselves。 Go your own way； and let us
go ours； and it will be better for you。〃
〃Get up； Sancho；〃 said Don Quixote at this； 〃I see that fortune；
'with evil done to me unsated still；' has taken possession of all
the roads by which any comfort may reach 'this wretched soul' that I
carry in my flesh。 And thou； highest perfection of excellence that can
be desired； utmost limit of grace in human shape； sole relief of
this afflicted heart that adores thee； though the malign enchanter
that persecutes me has brought clouds and cataracts on my eyes； and to
them； and them only； transformed thy unparagoned beauty and changed
thy features into those of a poor peasant girl； if so be he has not at
the same time changed mine into those of some monster to render them
loathsome in thy sight； refuse not to look upon me with tenderness and
love； seeing in this submission that I make on my knees to thy
transformed beauty the humility with which my soul adores thee。〃
〃Hey…day！ My grandfather！〃 cried the girl； 〃much I care for your
love…making！ Get out of the way and let us pass； and we'll thank you。〃
Sancho stood aside and let her go； very well pleased to have got
so well out of the hobble he was in。 The instant the village lass
who had done duty for Dulcinea found herself free； prodding her
〃cackney〃 with a spike she had at the end of a stick； she set off at
full speed across the field。 The she…ass； however； feeling the point
more acutely than usual； began cutting such capers； that it flung
the lady Dulcinea to the ground； seeing which； Don Quixote ran to
raise her up； and Sancho to fix and girth the pack…saddle； which
also had slipped under the ass's belly。 The pack…saddle being secured；
as Don Quixote was about to lift up his enchanted mistress in his arms
and put her upon her beast； the lady； getting up from the ground；
saved him the trouble； for； going back a little； she took a short run；
and putting both hands on the croup of the ass she dropped into the
saddle more lightly than a falcon； and sat astride like a man； whereat
Sancho said； 〃Rogue！〃 but our lady is lighter than a lanner； and might
teach the cleverest Cordovan or Mexican how to mount； she cleared
the back of the saddle in one jump； and without spurs she is making
the hackney go like a zebra； and her damsels are no way behind her；
for they all fly like the wind；〃 which was the truth； for as soon as
they saw Dulcinea mounted； they pushed on after her； and sped away
without looking back； for more than half a league。
Don Quixote followed them with his eyes； and when they were no
longer in sight； he turned to Sancho and said； 〃How now； Sancho？
thou seest how I am hated by enchanters！ And see to what a length
the malice and spite they bear me go； when they seek to deprive me
of the happiness it would give me to see my lady in her own proper
form。 The fact is I was born to be an example of misfortune； and the
target and mark at which the arrows of adversity are aimed and
directed。 Observe too； Sancho； that these traitors were not content
with changing and transforming my Dulcinea； but they transformed and
changed her into a shape as mean and ill…favoured as that of the
village girl yonder； and at the same time they robbed her of that
which is such a peculiar property of ladies of distinction； that is to
say； the sweet fragrance that comes of being always among perfumes and
flowers。 For I must tell thee； Sancho； that when I approached to put
Dulcinea upon her hackney （as thou sayest it was； though to me it
appeared a she…ass）； she gave me a whiff of raw garlic that made my
head reel； and poisoned my very heart。〃
〃O scum of the earth！〃 cried Sancho at this； 〃O miserable；
spiteful enchanters！ O that I could see you all strung by the gills；
like sardines on a twig！ Ye know a great deal； ye can do a great deal；
and ye do a great deal more。 It ought to have been enough for you；
ye scoundrels； to have changed the pearls of my lady's eyes into oak
galls； and her hair of purest gold into the bristles of a red ox's
tail； and in short； all her features from fair to foul； without
meddling with her smell； for by that we might somehow have found out
what was hidden underneath that ugly rind； though； to tell the
truth； I never perceived her ugliness； but only her beauty； which
was raised to the highest pitch of perfection by a mole she had on her
right lip； like a moustache； with seven or eight red hairs like
threads of gold； and more than a palm long。〃
〃From the correspondence which exists between those of the face
and those of the body；〃 said Don Quixote； 〃Dulcinea must have
another mole resembling that on the thick of the thigh on that side on
which she has the one on her a