D TO DON QUIXOTE WHEN HE LEFT THE INN

Day was dawning when Don Quixote quitted the inn, so happy, so gay, so
exhilarated at finding himself dubbed a knight, that his joy was like
to burst his horse-girths. However, recalling the advice of his host
as to the requisites he ought to carry with him, especially that
referring to money and shirts, he determined to go home and provide
himself with all, and also with a squire; for he reckoned upon
securing a farm-laborer, a neighbor of his, a poor man with a family,
but very well qualified for the office of squire to a knight. With
this object he turned his horse's head towards his village, and
Rosinante, thus reminded of his old quarters, stepped out so briskly
that he hardly seemed to tread the earth.

He had not gone far, when out of a thicket on his right there seemed
to come feeble cries as of some one in distress; and the instant he
heard them he exclaimed:--"Thanks be to heaven for the favor it
accords me, that it so soon offers me an opportunity of fulfilling the
obligation I have undertaken, and gathering the fruit of my ambition.
These cries no doubt come from some man or woman in want of help, and
needing my aid and protection;" and wheeling, he turned Rosinante in
the direction whence the cries seemed to proceed. He had gone but a
few paces into the wood when he saw a mare tied to an oak, and tied to
another, and stripped from the waist upwards, a youth of about fifteen
years of age, from whom the cries came. Nor were they without cause,
for a lusty farmer was flogging him with a belt and following up every
blow with scoldings and commands; repeating, "Your mouth shut and your
eyes open!" while the youth made answer, "I won't do it again, master
mine; by God's passion, I won't do it again, and I'll take more care
of the flock another time."

Seeing what was going on, Don Quixote said in an angry voice,
"Discourteous knight, it ill becomes you to assail one who cannot
defend himself; mount your steed and take your lance" (for there was a
lance leaning against the oak to which the mare was tied), "and I will
make you know that you are behaving as a coward." The farmer, seeing
before him this figure in full armor, brandishing a lance over his
head, gave himself up for dead and made answer meekly:--"Sir Knight,
this youth that I am chastising is my servant, employed by me to watch
a flock of sheep that I have hard by; and he is so careless that I
lose one every da