he met in his
books had been dearer to him than that which he could have had outside
his home.

'A knight without a liege lady is a tree without fruit, a body without
soul,' he thought. 'Of what use will it be if I meet with some giant
such as always crosses the path of a wandering knight, and disarm him in
our first encounter, unless I have a lady at whose feet he can kneel?'
So without losing more time he began to search the neighbouring villages
for such a damsel, whose token he might wear, and at length found one
with enough beauty for him to fall in love with, whose humble name of
Aldonza he changed for that of Dulcinea del Toboso.

The sun had hardly risen on the following morning when Don Quixote
laced on his helmet, braced on his shield, took his lance in hand, and
mounted Rozinante.

Never during his fifty years had he felt his heart so light, and he rode
forth into the wide plain, expecting to find a giant or a distressed
lady behind every bush. But his joy was short-lived, for suddenly it
came to his mind that in the days of chivalry it never was known that
any man went in quest of adventures without being first made a knight,
and that no such good fortune had happened to him. This thought was so
terrible that he reeled in his saddle, and was near turning the head of
Rozinante towards his own stable; but Don Quixote was a man of good
courage, and in a short while he remembered on how many knights Sir
Lancelot had conferred the honour of knighthood, and he determined to
claim his spurs from the first that he managed to conquer in fight. Till
then, he must, as soon as might be, make his armour white, in token that
as yet he had had no adventures. In this manner he took heart again.

All that day he rode, without either bite or sup, and, of the two,
Rozinante fared the better, for he at least found a tuft of coarse grass
to eat. At nightfall a light as big as a faint star was seen gleaming in
the distance, and both master and horse plucked up courage once more.
They hastened towards it, and discovered that the light came from a
small inn, which Don Quixote's fancy instantly changed into a castle
with four towers and pinnacles of shining silver, surrounded by a moat.
He paused a moment, expecting a dwarf to appear on the battlements and
announce by the blasts of his trumpet that a knight was approaching,
but, as no dwarf could be seen, he dismounted at the door, where he was
received with courtesy by the lan