Stories from Don Quixote . means of carrying the crazy knight, willy-nilly,back to his village. They agreed with a waggoner, whohappened to be passing, to pay him a certain sum for theuse of his team and waggon. Then, under their directions,a strong timber cage was constructed, like those used forconveying bullocks to market. By midnight all wasready, and Fernando and his friends, who were in theplot, with the innkeeper and two stable-helpers, all wearingmasks and disguised in strange costumes, entered theroom where Don Quixote was sleeping, bound him handand foot, and carried him to the cage,
Stories from Don Quixote . means of carrying the crazy knight, willy-nilly,back to his village. They agreed with a waggoner, whohappened to be passing, to pay him a certain sum for theuse of his team and waggon. Then, under their directions,a strong timber cage was constructed, like those used forconveying bullocks to market. By midnight all wasready, and Fernando and his friends, who were in theplot, with the innkeeper and two stable-helpers, all wearingmasks and disguised in strange costumes, entered theroom where Don Quixote was sleeping, bound him handand foot, and carried him to the cage, which was standingready on the waggon. They thrust him in, and madefast the door ; and there he lay, without uttering a sound,staring wildly at the fantastic figures who hovered roundthe waggon, and whom he took for evil spirits of thehaunted castle. To assist his delusion, a hollow andghostly voice came booming through the darkness, anduttered these words of prophecy :— Be not dismayed, O Knight of the Doleful Visage,. ^ fr ^ 8> 55 ^6 ^ ^•« M Further Adventures at the Inn 129 to find thyself thus caught and caged: for thus,and thus only, canst thou reach the goal to which thysoaring spirit aspires. This end shall be accomplishedwhen the fierce Manchegan lion shall wed with the doveof Toboso, and from that union shall spring two valiantwhelps, who shall emulate the ramping talons of theirmighty sire. And thou, most noble and loyal squire thatever wore sword in belt, beard on chin, or smell in nostrils,let it not vex or affright thee to see the flower of knight-errantry in this strange conveyance, for ere long thoushalt rise with him in glory to the seats of pride andpower,—and I promise thee, in the name of the sageMentironiana, that thy wages shall be paid to the utter-most mite. This sublime nonsense was spoken by the barber, whowas concealed behind the inn door, and whose deliveryof the oracle was much admired by those who were inthe plot. Sancho, who had received
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcervantessaavedramigu, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
