r Pedro and his divining ape. Don Quixote and Sancho were eager
to have their fortunes told, and both offered their reals at the same
time; but Master Pedro refused to take any money until the ape had
rendered satisfactory service.

The ape jumped up on his master's shoulder, and began to chatter his
teeth as if he were saying something, all the while keeping his mouth
close to Master Pedro's ear. When he had been chattering long enough
to please himself, he jumped down just as quickly as he had jumped up.
The next instant Don Quixote and Sancho were both frightened and awed
by the showman's suddenly throwing himself before Don Quixote's feet
and embracing his legs, while he exclaimed: "These legs do I embrace
as I would embrace the two pillars of Hercules, O illustrious reviver
of knight-errantry, O prop of the tottering, so long consigned to
oblivion!" But not only were the knight and the squire aghast; the
landlord and the guests were as startled as they were, for they had
never seen Master Pedro act like that before.

But the showman had not finished, for in the next moment he lay at the
feet of Sancho, to whom the divining ape brought cheer from his
Teresa, saying that she was just soothing her feelings by indulging in
wine from a pitcher which she was holding in her left hand and that
had a broken spout.

Don Quixote was not very well pleased with this exhibition, for he
thought it decidedly out of place that an ape should know more than he
or any other human being; and he confided to Sancho that the ape was
possessed by the devil. He brought Sancho to a dark corner in the
stable where he was sure no one could overhear them, and told him
there that he was convinced Master Pedro had made a bargain with the
devil to get rich through the ape, and then sell him his soul, and he
said it surprised him beyond words that the Holy Office had not
already interfered with this dastardly scheme.

At this point Master Pedro came in search of Don Quixote, as the show
was about to begin. Before entering the inn, however, Sancho entreated
his master to ask the ape whether what he saw in the cave of
Montesinos was true. Don Quixote did so, and the ape answered that
some of it was true, some of it was not; and immediately Sancho
scornfully broke in and said that he had told him so already. The ape
intimated that by next Friday he should be able to tell more about the
adventure; his mind was tired now.

They entered and found t