don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第177章

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mule；　which　was　what　Sancho　and　the　cousin　proceeded　to　do　for　their
beasts；　giving　the　best　manger　and　the　best　place　in　the　stable　to
Rocinante。

　　CHAPTER　XXV
　　WHEREIN　IS　SET　DOWN　THE　BRAYING　ADVENTURE；　AND　THE　DROLL　ONE　OF
THE　PUPPET…SHOWMAN；　TOGETHER　WITH　THE　MEMORABLE　DIVINATIONS　OF　THE
DIVINING　APE

　　DON　QUIXOTE'S　bread　would　not　bake；　as　the　common　saying　is；　until
he　had　heard　and　learned　the　curious　things　promised　by　the　man　who
carried　the　arms。　He　went　to　seek　him　where　the　innkeeper　said　be
was　and　having　found　him；　bade　him　say　now　at　any　rate　what　he　had
to　say　in　answer　to　the　question　he　had　asked　him　on　the　road。　〃The
tale　of　my　wonders　must　be　taken　more　leisurely　and　not　standing；〃
said　the　man；　〃let　me　finish　foddering　my　beast；　good　sir；　and　then
I'll　tell　you　things　that　will　astonish　you。〃
　　〃Don't　wait　for　that；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃I'll　help　you　in
everything；〃　and　so　he　did；　sifting　the　barley　for　him　and　cleaning
out　the　manger；　a　degree　of　humility　which　made　the　other　feel　bound
to　tell　him　with　a　good　grace　what　he　had　asked；　so　seating　himself　on
a　bench；　with　Don　Quixote　beside　him；　and　the　cousin；　the　page；　Sancho
Panza；　and　the　landlord；　for　a　senate　and　an　audience；　he　began　his
story　in　this　way：
　　〃You　must　know　that　in　a　village　four　leagues　and　a　half　from　this
inn；　it　so　happened　that　one　of　the　regidors；　by　the　tricks　and
roguery　of　a　servant　girl　of　his　（it's　too　long　a　tale　to　tell）；
lost　an　ass；　and　though　he　did　all　he　possibly　could　to　find　it；　it
was　all　to　no　purpose。　A　fortnight　might　have　gone　by；　so　the　story
goes；　since　the　ass　had　been　missing；　when；　as　the　regidor　who　had
lost　it　was　standing　in　the　plaza；　another　regidor　of　the　same　town
said　to　him；　'Pay　me　for　good　news；　gossip；　your　ass　has　turned　up。'
'That　I　will；　and　well；　gossip；'　said　the　other；　'but　tell　us；　where
has　he　turned　up？'　'In　the　forest；'　said　the　finder；　'I　saw　him　this
morning　without　pack…saddle　or　harness　of　any　sort；　and　so　lean　that
it　went　to　one's　heart　to　see　him。　I　tried　to　drive　him　before　me
and　bring　him　to　you；　but　he　is　already　so　wild　and　shy　that　when　I
went　near　him　he　made　off　into　the　thickest　part　of　the　forest。　If　you
have　a　mind　that　we　two　should　go　back　and　look　for　him；　let　me　put　up
this　she…ass　at　my　house　and　I'll　be　back　at　once。'　'You　will　be　doing
me　a　great　kindness；'　said　the　owner　of　the　ass；　'and　I'll　try　to
pay　it　back　in　the　same　coin。'　It　is　with　all　these　circumstances；　and
in　the　very　same　way　I　am　telling　it　now；　that　those　who　know　all
about　the　matter　tell　the　story。　Well　then；　the　two　regidors　set　off
on　foot；　arm　in　arm；　for　the　forest；　and　coming　to　the　place　where
they　hoped　to　find　the　ass　they　could　not　find　him；　nor　was　he　to　be
seen　anywhere　about；　search　as　they　might。　Seeing；　then；　that　there
was　no　sign　of　him；　the　regidor　who　had　seen　him　said　to　the　other；
'Look　here；　gossip；　a　plan　has　occurred　to　me；　by　which；　beyond　a
doubt；　we　shall　manage　to　discover　the　animal；　even　if　he　is　stowed
away　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　not　to　say　the　forest。　Here　it　is。
I　can　bray　to　perfection；　and　if　you　can　ever　so　little；　the　thing's
as　good　as　done。'　'Ever　so　little　did　you　say；　gossip？'　said　the
other；　'by　God；　I'll　not　give　in　to　anybody；　not　even　to　the　asses
themselves。'　'We'll　soon　see；'　said　the　second　regidor；　'for　my　plan
is　that　you　should　go　one　side　of　the　forest；　and　I　the　other；　so　as
to　go　all　round　about　it；　and　every　now　and　then　you　will　bray　and　I
will　bray；　and　it　cannot　be　but　that　the　ass　will　hear　us；　and
answer　us　if　he　is　in　the　forest。'　To　which　the　owner　of　the　ass
replied；　'It's　an　excellent　plan；　I　declare；　gossip；　and　worthy　of
your　great　genius；'　and　the　two　separating　as　agreed；　it　so　fell　out
that　they　brayed　almost　at　the　same　moment；　and　each；　deceived　by
the　braying　of　the　other；　ran　to　look；　fancying　the　ass　had　turned
up　at　last。　When　they　came　in　sight　of　one　another；　said　the　loser；
'Is　it　possible；　gossip；　that　it　was　not　my　ass　that　brayed？'　'No；
it　was　I；'　said　the　other。　'Well　then；　I　can　tell　you；　gossip；'　said
the　ass's　owner；　'that　between　you　and　an　ass　there　is　not　an　atom
of　difference　as　far　as　braying　goes；　for　I　never　in　all　my　life　saw
or　heard　anything　more　natural。'　'Those　praises　and　compliments　belong
to　you　more　justly　than　to　me；　gossip；'　said　the　inventor　of　the　plan；
'for；　by　the　God　that　made　me；　you　might　give　a　couple　of　brays　odds
to　the　best　and　most　finished　brayer　in　the　world；　the　tone　you　have
got　is　deep；　your　voice　is　well　kept　up　as　to　time　and　pitch；　and　your
finishing　notes　come　thick　and　fast；　in　fact；　I　own　myself　beaten；　and
yield　the　palm　to　you；　and　give　in　to　you　in　this　rare
accomplishment。'　'Well　then；'　said　the　owner；　'I'll　set　a　higher　value
on　myself　for　the　future；　and　consider　that　I　know　something；　as　I
have　an　excellence　of　some　sort；　for　though　I　always　thought　I
brayed　well；　I　never　supposed　I　came　up　to　the　pitch　of　perfection　you
say。'　'And　I　say　too；'　said　the　second；　'that　there　are　rare　gifts
going　to　loss　in　the　world；　and　that　they　are　ill　bestowed　upon
those　who　don't　know　how　to　make　use　of　them。'　'Ours；'　said　the
owner　of　the　ass；　'unless　it　is　in　cases　like　this　we　have　now　in
hand；　cannot　be　of　any　service　to　us；　and　even　in　this　God　grant
they　may　be　of　some　use。'　So　saying　they　separated；　and　took　to
their　braying　once　more；　but　every　instant　they　were　deceiving　one
another；　and　coming　to　meet　one　another　again；　until　they　arranged
by　way　of　countersign；　so　as　to　know　that　it　was　they　and　not　the　ass；
to　give　two　brays；　one　after　the　other。　In　this　way；　doubling　the
brays　at　every　step；　they　made　the　complete　circuit　of　the　forest；　but
the　lost　ass　never　gave　them　an　answer　or　even　the　sign　of　one。　How
could　the　poor　ill…starred　brute　have　answered；　when；　in　the
thickest　part　of　the　forest；　they　found　him　devoured　by　wolves？　As
soon　as　he　saw　him　his　owner　said；　'I　was　wondering　he　did　not　answer；
for　if　he　wasn't　dead　he'd　have　brayed　when　he　heard　us；　or　he'd
have　been　no　ass；　but　for　the　sake　of　having　heard　you　bray　to　such
perfection；　gossip；　I　count　the　trouble　I　have　taken　to　look　for　him
well　bestowed；　even　though　I　have　found　him　dead。'　'It's　in　a　good
hand；　gossip；'　said　the　other；　'if　the　abbot　sings　well；　the　acolyte
is　not　much　behind　him。'　So　they　returned　disconsolate　and　hoarse　to
their　village；　where　they　told　their　friends；　neighbours；　and
acquaintances　what　had　befallen　them　in　their　search　for　the　ass；　each
crying　up　the　other's　perfection　in　braying。　The　whole　story　came　to
be　known　and　spread　abroad　through　the　villages　of　the
neighbourhood；　and　the　devil；　who　never　sleeps；　with　his　love　for
sowing　dissensions　and　scattering　discord　everywhere；　blowing　mischief
about　and　making　quarrels　out　of　nothing；　contrived　to　make　the　people
of　the　other　towns　fall　to　braying　whenever　they　saw　anyone　from　our
village；　as　if　to　throw　the　braying　of　our　regidors　in　our　teeth。　Then
the　boys　took　to　it；　which　was　the　same　thing　for　it　as　getting　into
the　hands　and　mouths　of　all　the　devils　of　hell；　and　braying　spread
from　one　town　to　another　in　such　a　way　that　the　men　of　the　braying
town　are　as　easy　to　be　known　as　blacks　are　to　be　known　from　whites；
and　the　unlucky　joke　has　gone　so　far　that　several　times　the　scoffed
have　come　out　in　arms　and　in　a　body　to　do　battle　with　the　scoffers；
and　neither　king　nor　rook；　fear　nor　shame；　can　mend　matters。　To…morrow
or　the　day　after；　I　believe；　the　men　of　my　town；　that　is；　of　the
braying　town；　are　going　to　take　the　field　against　another　village
two　leagues　away　from　ours；　one　of　those　that　persecute　us　most；　and
that　we　may　turn　out　well　prepared　I　have　bought　these　lances　and
halberds　you　have　seen。　These　are　the　curious　things　I　told　you　I
had　to　tell；　and　if　you　don't　think　them　so；　I　have　got　no　others；〃
and　with　this　the　worthy　fellow　brought　his　story　to　a　close。
　　Just　at　this　moment　there　came　in　at　the　gate　of　the　inn　a　man
entirely　clad　in　chamois　leather；　hose；　breeches；　and　doublet；　who
said　in　a　loud　voice；　〃Senor　host；　have　you　room？　Here's　the
divining　ape　and　the　show　of　the　Re