ight, whose lance was pointed and whose sword
appeared to have both strength and weight, he spoke courteously to Don
Quixote. He told him that if he sought food or lodging he should have
the best that the inn could afford for man or beast. And the poor old
gentleman, who had been riding in the heat all day without food or
drink, climbed stiffly out of the saddle and suffered Rocinante to be
led away to the stable, cautioning the landlord to take the utmost
care of him, for he was the finest bit of horseflesh in the world. The
host, however, looking over the bony carcass of the old farm animal,
had more difficulty than before in restraining his laughter.

The girls now perceived that they had a crazy man before them and they
entered into the spirit of the occasion.

They helped Don Quixote remove his armor; but the helmet they could do
nothing with, for it was tied tightly with green ribbons about his
neck and on no pretext whatever would he hear of cutting them.

They laid a table for him at the door of the inn for the sake of the
air, and the host brought him a piece of badly soaked and badly cooked
fish and a piece of bread as black and moldy as his own armor. And a
laughable sight it was to see Don Quixote eat--for, having his helmet
on, he could not reach his own mouth, but had to be fed, bit by bit,
by one of the girls; and for drink he would have gone without
altogether if the innkeeper had not brought a hollow reed and putting
one end into the knight's mouth, poured wine through the other.

While this was going on Don Quixote heard once more the swineherd's
horn and felt entirely happy and satisfied, for he was convinced that
he was in some famous castle and that they were regaling him with
music; that the fish was trout, the bread of the whitest, the peasant
girls beautiful ladies, and the landlord the castle steward. But he
still felt distressed because he had not been dubbed a knight, and
resolved to remedy this fault as soon as his supper was finished.

As soon as he had eaten his fill, he called the landlord of the inn,
and taking him into the stable, knelt on the ground before him,
declaring that he would not rise until the landlord should grant his
wish and dub him a knight so that he could continue on his adventures
according to the laws of chivalry. For Don Quixote, as we have said,
looked on the landlord as a person of great authority, with full power
to make him a knight if he chose to do so.

Th