don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第184章

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feet　on　the　earth；　brother　squire；　and　if　that's　not　enough　for　you；
take　as　many　more；　for　you　may　have　it　all　your　own　way　and　stretch
yourself　to　your　heart's　content。　Oh　that　I　could　see　burnt　and　turned
to　ashes　the　first　man　that　meddled　with　knight…errantry　or　at　any
rate　the　first　who　chose　to　be　squire　to　such　fools　as　all　the
knights…errant　of　past　times　must　have　been！　Of　those　of　the　present
day　I　say　nothing；　because；　as　your　worship　is　one　of　them；　I
respect　them；　and　because　I　know　your　worship　knows　a　point　more
than　the　devil　in　all　you　say　and　think。〃
　　〃I　would　lay　a　good　wager　with　you；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that
now　that　you　are　talking　on　without　anyone　to　stop　you；　you　don't　feel
a　pain　in　your　whole　body。　Talk　away；　my　son；　say　whatever　comes
into　your　head　or　mouth；　for　so　long　as　you　feel　no　pain；　the
irritation　your　impertinences　give　me　will　he　a　pleasure　to　me；　and　if
you　are　so　anxious　to　go　home　to　your　wife　and　children；　God　forbid
that　I　should　prevent　you；　you　have　money　of　mine；　see　how　long　it
is　since　we　left　our　village　this　third　time；　and　how　much　you　can　and
ought　to　earn　every　month；　and　pay　yourself　out　of　your　own　hand。〃
　　〃When　I　worked　for　Tom　Carrasco；　the　father　of　the　bachelor　Samson
Carrasco　that　your　worship　knows；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃I　used　to　earn　two
ducats　a　month　besides　my　food；　I　can't　tell　what　I　can　earn　with　your
worship；　though　I　know　a　knight…errant's　squire　has　harder　times　of　it
than　he　who　works　for　a　farmer；　for　after　all；　we　who　work　for
farmers；　however　much　we　toil　all　day；　at　the　worst；　at　night；　we　have
our　olla　supper　and　sleep　in　a　bed；　which　I　have　not　slept　in　since
I　have　been　in　your　worship's　service；　if　it　wasn't　the　short　time
we　were　in　Don　Diego　de　Miranda's　house；　and　the　feast　I　had　with
the　skimmings　I　took　off　Camacho's　pots；　and　what　I　ate；　drank；　and
slept　in　Basilio's　house；　all　the　rest　of　the　time　I　have　been
sleeping　on　the　hard　ground　under　the　open　sky；　exposed　to　what　they
call　the　inclemencies　of　heaven；　keeping　life　in　me　with　scraps　of
cheese　and　crusts　of　bread；　and　drinking　water　either　from　the
brooks　or　from　the　springs　we　come　to　on　these　by…paths　we　travel。〃
　　〃I　own；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that　all　thou　sayest　is　true；
how　much；　thinkest　thou；　ought　I　to　give　thee　over　and　above　what
Tom　Carrasco　gave　thee？〃
　　〃I　think；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　if　your　worship　was　to　add　on　two
reals　a　month　I'd　consider　myself　well　paid；　that　is；　as　far　as　the
wages　of　my　labour　go；　but　to　make　up　to　me　for　your　worship's
pledge　and　promise　to　me　to　give　me　the　government　of　an　island；　it
would　be　fair　to　add　six　reals　more；　making　thirty　in　all。〃
　　〃Very　good；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃it　is　twenty…five　days　since　we　left
our　village；　so　reckon　up；　Sancho；　according　to　the　wages　you　have
made　out　for　yourself；　and　see　how　much　I　owe　you　in　proportion；　and
pay　yourself；　as　I　said　before；　out　of　your　own　hand。〃
　　〃O　body　o'　me！〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　your　worship　is　very　much　out　in
that　reckoning；　for　when　it　comes　to　the　promise　of　the　island　we　must
count　from　the　day　your　worship　promised　it　to　me　to　this　present　hour
we　are　at　now。〃
　　〃Well；　how　long　is　it；　Sancho；　since　I　promised　it　to　you？〃　said　Don
Quixote。
　　〃If　I　remember　rightly；〃　said　Sancho；　〃it　must　be　over　twenty　years；
three　days　more　or　less。〃
　　Don　Quixote　gave　himself　a　great　slap　on　the　forehead　and　began　to
laugh　heartily；　and　said　he；　〃Why；　I　have　not　been　wandering；　either
in　the　Sierra　Morena　or　in　the　whole　course　of　our　sallies；　but　barely
two　months；　and　thou　sayest；　Sancho；　that　it　is　twenty　years　since　I
promised　thee　the　island。　I　believe　now　thou　wouldst　have　all　the
money　thou　hast　of　mine　go　in　thy　wages。　If　so；　and　if　that　be　thy
pleasure；　I　give　it　to　thee　now；　once　and　for　all；　and　much　good　may
it　do　thee；　for　so　long　as　I　see　myself　rid　of　such　a　good…for…nothing
squire　I'll　be　glad　to　be　left　a　pauper　without　a　rap。　But　tell　me；
thou　perverter　of　the　squirely　rules　of　knight…errantry；　where　hast
thou　ever　seen　or　read　that　any　knight…errant's　squire　made　terms　with
his　lord；　'you　must　give　me　so　much　a　month　for　serving　you'？
Plunge；　scoundrel；　rogue；　monster…　for　such　I　take　thee　to　be…　plunge；
I　say；　into　the　mare　magnum　of　their　histories；　and　if　thou　shalt　find
that　any　squire　ever　said　or　thought　what　thou　hast　said　now；　I　will
let　thee　nail　it　on　my　forehead；　and　give　me；　over　and　above；　four
sound　slaps　in　the　face。　Turn　the　rein；　or　the　halter；　of　thy
Dapple；　and　begone　home；　for　one　single　step　further　thou　shalt　not
make　in　my　company。　O　bread　thanklessly　received！　O　promises
ill…bestowed！　O　man　more　beast　than　human　being！　Now；　when　I　was　about
to　raise　thee　to　such　a　position；　that；　in　spite　of　thy　wife；　they
would　call　thee　'my　lord；'　thou　art　leaving　me？　Thou　art　going　now
when　I　had　a　firm　and　fixed　intention　of　making　thee　lord　of　the
best　island　in　the　world？　Well；　as　thou　thyself　hast　said　before
now；　honey　is　not　for　the　mouth　of　the　ass。　Ass　thou　art；　ass　thou
wilt　be；　and　ass　thou　wilt　end　when　the　course　of　thy　life　is　run；　for
I　know　it　will　come　to　its　close　before　thou　dost　perceive　or
discern　that　thou　art　a　beast。〃
　　Sancho　regarded　Don　Quixote　earnestly　while　he　was　giving　him　this
rating；　and　was　so　touched　by　remorse　that　the　tears　came　to　his　eyes；
and　in　a　piteous　and　broken　voice　he　said　to　him；　〃Master　mine；　I
confess　that；　to　be　a　complete　ass；　all　I　want　is　a　tail；　if　your
worship　will　only　fix　one　on　to　me；　I'll　look　on　it　as　rightly　placed；
and　I'll　serve　you　as　an　ass　all　the　remaining　days　of　my　life。
Forgive　me　and　have　pity　on　my　folly；　and　remember　I　know　but
little；　and；　if　I　talk　much；　it's　more　from　infirmity　than　malice；　but
he　who　sins　and　mends　commends　himself　to　God。〃
　　〃I　should　have　been　surprised；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃if　thou
hadst　not　introduced　some　bit　of　a　proverb　into　thy　speech。　Well；
well；　I　forgive　thee；　provided　thou　dost　mend　and　not　show　thyself
in　future　so　fond　of　thine　own　interest；　but　try　to　be　of　good　cheer
and　take　heart；　and　encourage　thyself　to　look　forward　to　the
fulfillment　of　my　promises；　which；　by　being　delayed；　does　not　become
impossible。〃
　　Sancho　said　he　would　do　so；　and　keep　up　his　heart　as　best　he
could。　They　then　entered　the　grove；　and　Don　Quixote　settled　himself　at
the　foot　of　an　elm；　and　Sancho　at　that　of　a　beech；　for　trees　of　this
kind　and　others　like　them　always　have　feet　but　no　hands。　Sancho　passed
the　night　in　pain；　for　with　the　evening　dews　the　blow　of　the　staff
made　itself　felt　all　the　more。　Don　Quixote　passed　it　in　his
never…failing　meditations；　but；　for　all　that；　they　had　some　winks　of
sleep；　and　with　the　appearance　of　daylight　they　pursued　their
journey　in　quest　of　the　banks　of　the　famous　Ebro；　where　that　befell
them　which　will　be　told　in　the　following　chapter。
　　

CHAPTER　XXIX
　　OF　THE　FAMOUS　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　ENCHANTED　BARK

　　BY　STAGES　as　already　described　or　left　undescribed；　two　days　after
quitting　the　grove　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　reached　the　river　Ebro；
and　the　sight　of　it　was　a　great　delight　to　Don　Quixote　as　he
contemplated　and　gazed　upon　the　charms　of　its　banks；　the　clearness
of　its　stream；　the　gentleness　of　its　current　and　the　abundance　of
its　crystal　waters；　and　the　pleasant　view　revived　a　thousand　tender
thoughts　in　his　mind。　Above　all；　he　dwelt　upon　what　he　had　seen　in　the
cave　of　Montesinos；　for　though　Master　Pedro's　ape　had　told　him　that　of
those　things　part　was　true；　part　false；　he　clung　more　to　their　truth
than　to　their　falsehood；　the　very　reverse　of　Sancho；　who　held　them　all
to　be　downright　lies。
　　As　they　were　thus　proceeding；　then；　they　discovered　a　small　boat；
without　oars　or　any　other　gear；　that　lay　at　the　water's　edge　tied　to
the　stem　of　a　tree　growing　on　the　bank。　Don　Quixote　looked　all
round；　and　seeing　nobody；　at　once；　without　more　ado；　dismounted　from
Rocinante　and　bade　Sancho　get　down　from　Dapple　and　tie　both　beasts
securely　to　the　trunk　of　a　poplar　or　willow　that　stood　there。　Sancho
asked　him　the　reason　of　this　sudden　dismounting　and　tying。　Don　Quixote
made　answer；　〃Thou　must　know；　Sancho；　that　this　bark　is