the wants of his guest. Meanwhile Don Quixote
submitted to be disarmed by the young women, who had now made their
peace. Having removed his body armor, they tried to relieve him of his
helmet, which was attached to his neck by green ribbons. Being unable to
loose the knots, they proposed to cut the ribbons, but as he would not
allow them to do this, he was obliged to keep his helmet on all that
night, which made him the strangest and most diverting object that could
be imagined.

While the ladies were thus employed, our brave adventurer entertained
them with a strain of high-flown gallantry, seasoned with scraps from
the old ballads and romances which he had read. Not understanding a word
of what he said, they simply asked him, when they had finished, if he
wanted anything to eat. "A slight refection would not be ill-timed,"
answered Don Quixote, and learning that there was nothing to be had but
a "little trout," he bade them bring it with all speed. "Many little
trouts," he added jestingly, "will serve my turn as well as one big one.
Only let it be brought at once, for I begin to be conscious of a
wondrous void within the compass of my sword-belt."

The "little trout" proved to be neither more nor less than a dish of
stockfish, Poor John, or in plain English, salted cod, and that of the
rankest. An odor the reverse of savory heralded its approach, and Don
Quixote sat down at the table, which had been set, for coolness, before
the door, and applied himself to his lenten fare. But being much
incommoded by his helmet, he could not find the way to his mouth, and
remained staring in dismay at the reeking mess and the filthy black
bread which accompanied it, until one of the damsels, perceiving his
distress, came to his relief and fed him with small morsels, which she
deftly conveyed to their proper destination through the opening of his
helmet. To give him drink was a harder matter, but this problem was
solved with great ingenuity by the landlord, who brought a hollow cane,
and placing one end in his mouth, poured the wine in at the other.

And so in solemn silence, broken now and then by the stifled laughter of
the onlookers, the strange meal proceeded; and when it was nearly at an
end, a clownish fellow passed by, blowing on a rustic pipe. But for Don
Quixote, who had transformed the inn into a castle, the fat publican
into a powerful governor, and the vagabond damsels into high-born
ladies, it was an easy matter to fin