don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第39章

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HELMET；　TOGETHER　WITH　OTHER　THINGS　THAT　HAPPENED　TO　OUR　INVINCIBLE
KNIGHT

　　IT　NOW　began　to　rain　a　little；　and　Sancho　was　for　going　into　the
fulling　mills；　but　Don　Quixote　had　taken　such　an　abhorrence　to　them　on
account　of　the　late　joke　that　he　would　not　enter　them　on　any
account；　so　turning　aside　to　right　they　came　upon　another　road；
different　from　that　which　they　had　taken　the　night　before。　Shortly
afterwards　Don　Quixote　perceived　a　man　on　horseback　who　wore　on　his
head　something　that　shone　like　gold；　and　the　moment　he　saw　him　he
turned　to　Sancho　and　said：
　　〃I　think；　Sancho；　there　is　no　proverb　that　is　not　true；　all　being
maxims　drawn　from　experience　itself；　the　mother　of　all　the　sciences；
especially　that　one　that　says；　'Where　one　door　shuts；　another
opens。'　I　say　so　because　if　last　night　fortune　shut　the　door　of　the
adventure　we　were　looking　for　against　us；　cheating　us　with　the　fulling
mills；　it　now　opens　wide　another　one　for　another　better　and　more
certain　adventure；　and　if　I　do　not　contrive　to　enter　it；　it　will　be　my
own　fault；　and　I　cannot　lay　it　to　my　ignorance　of　fulling　mills；　or
the　darkness　of　the　night。　I　say　this　because；　if　I　mistake　not；　there
comes　towards　us　one　who　wears　on　his　head　the　helmet　of　Mambrino；
concerning　which　I　took　the　oath　thou　rememberest。〃
　　〃Mind　what　you　say；　your　worship；　and　still　more　what　you　do；〃
said　Sancho；　〃for　I　don't　want　any　more　fulling　mills　to　finish　off
fulling　and　knocking　our　senses　out。〃
　　〃The　devil　take　thee；　man；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃what　has　a　helmet
to　do　with　fulling　mills？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃but；　faith；　if　I　might　speak　as　I
used；　perhaps　I　could　give　such　reasons　that　your　worship　would　see
you　were　mistaken　in　what　you　say。〃
　　〃How　can　I　be　mistaken　in　what　I　say；　unbelieving　traitor？〃　returned
Don　Quixote；　〃tell　me；　seest　thou　not　yonder　knight　coming　towards
us　on　a　dappled　grey　steed；　who　has　upon　his　head　a　helmet　of　gold？〃
　　〃What　I　see　and　make　out；〃　answered　Sancho；　〃is　only　a　man　on　a　grey
ass　like　my　own；　who　has　something　that　shines　on　his　head。〃
　　〃Well；　that　is　the　helmet　of　Mambrino；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃stand
to　one　side　and　leave　me　alone　with　him；　thou　shalt　see　how；　without
saying　a　word；　to　save　time；　I　shall　bring　this　adventure　to　an
issue　and　possess　myself　of　the　helmet　I　have　so　longed　for。〃
　　〃I　will　take　care　to　stand　aside；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　God　grant；　I
say　once　more；　that　it　may　be　marjoram　and　not　fulling　mills。〃
　　〃I　have　told　thee；　brother；　on　no　account　to　mention　those　fulling
mills　to　me　again；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃or　I　vow…　and　I　say　no　more…
I'll　full　the　soul　out　of　you。〃
　　Sancho　held　his　peace　in　dread　lest　his　master　should　carry　out
the　vow　he　had　hurled　like　a　bowl　at　him。
　　The　fact　of　the　matter　as　regards　the　helmet；　steed；　and　knight　that
Don　Quixote　saw；　was　this。　In　that　neighbourhood　there　were　two
villages；　one　of　them　so　small　that　it　had　neither　apothecary's　shop
nor　barber；　which　the　other　that　was　close　to　it　had；　so　the　barber　of
the　larger　served　the　smaller；　and　in　it　there　was　a　sick　man　who
required　to　be　bled　and　another　man　who　wanted　to　be　shaved；　and　on
this　errand　the　barber　was　going；　carrying　with　him　a　brass　basin；　but
as　luck　would　have　it；　as　he　was　on　the　way　it　began　to　rain；　and
not　to　spoil　his　hat；　which　probably　was　a　new　one；　he　put　the　basin
on　his　head；　and　being　clean　it　glittered　at　half　a　league's　distance。
He　rode　upon　a　grey　ass；　as　Sancho　said；　and　this　was　what　made　it
seem　to　Don　Quixote　to　be　a　dapple…grey　steed　and　a　knight　and　a
golden　helmet；　for　everything　he　saw　he　made　to　fall　in　with　his　crazy
chivalry　and　ill…errant　notions；　and　when　he　saw　the　poor　knight
draw　near；　without　entering　into　any　parley　with　him；　at　Rocinante's
top　speed　he　bore　down　upon　him　with　the　pike　pointed　low；　fully
determined　to　run　him　through　and　through；　and　as　he　reached　him；
without　checking　the　fury　of　his　charge；　he　cried　to　him：
　　〃Defend　thyself；　miserable　being；　or　yield　me　of　thine　own　accord
that　which　is　so　reasonably　my　due。〃
　　The　barber；　who　without　any　expectation　or　apprehension　of　it　saw
this　apparition　coming　down　upon　him；　had　no　other　way　of　saving
himself　from　the　stroke　of　the　lance　but　to　let　himself　fall　off　his
ass；　and　no　sooner　had　he　touched　the　ground　than　he　sprang　up　more
nimbly　than　a　deer　and　sped　away　across　the　plain　faster　than　the
wind。
　　He　left　the　basin　on　the　ground；　with　which　Don　Quixote　contented
himself；　saying　that　the　pagan　had　shown　his　discretion　and　imitated
the　beaver；　which　finding　itself　pressed　by　the　hunters　bites　and　cuts
off　with　its　teeth　that　for　which；　by　its　natural　instinct；　it　knows
it　is　pursued。
　　He　told　Sancho　to　pick　up　the　helmet；　and　he　taking　it　in　his
hands　said：
　　〃By　God　the　basin　is　a　good　one；　and　worth　a　real　of　eight　if　it
is　worth　a　maravedis；〃　and　handed　it　to　his　master；　who　immediately
put　it　on　his　head；　turning　it　round；　now　this　way；　now　that；　in
search　of　fitment；　and　not　finding　it　he　said；　〃Clearly　the　pagan　to
whose　measure　this　famous　head…piece　was　first　forged　must　have　had
a　very　large　head；　but　the　worst　of　it　is　half　of　it　is　wanting。〃
　　When　Sancho　heard　him　call　the　basin　a　headpiece　he　was　unable　to
restrain　his　laughter；　but　remembering　his　master's　wrath　he　checked
himself　in　the　midst　of　it。
　　〃What　art　thou　laughing　at；　Sancho？〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃I　am　laughing；〃　said　he；　〃to　think　of　the　great　head　the　pagan　must
have　had　who　owned　this　helmet；　for　it　looks　exactly　like　a　regular
barber's　basin。〃
　　〃Dost　thou　know　what　I　suspect；　Sancho？〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃that
this　wonderful　piece　of　this　enchanted　helmet　must　by　some　strange
accident　have　come　into　the　hands　of　some　one　who　was　unable　to
recognise　or　realise　its　value；　and　who；　not　knowing　what　he　did；
and　seeing　it　to　be　of　the　purest　gold；　must　have　melted　down　one　half
for　the　sake　of　what　it　might　be　worth；　and　of　the　other　made　this
which　is　like　a　barber's　basin　as　thou　sayest；　but　be　it　as　it　may；　to
me　who　recognise　it；　its　transformation　makes　no　difference；　for　I
will　set　it　to　rights　at　the　first　village　where　there　is　a
blacksmith；　and　in　such　style　that　that　helmet　the　god　of　smithies
forged　for　the　god　of　battles　shall　not　surpass　it　or　even　come　up
to　it；　and　in　the　meantime　I　will　wear　it　as　well　as　I　can；　for
something　is　better　than　nothing；　all　the　more　as　it　will　be　quite
enough　to　protect　me　from　any　chance　blow　of　a　stone。〃
　　〃That　is；〃　said　Sancho；　〃if　it　is　not　shot　with　a　sling　as　they　were
in　the　battle　of　the　two　armies；　when　they　signed　the　cross　on　your
worship's　grinders　and　smashed　the　flask　with　that　blessed　draught
that　made　me　vomit　my　bowels　up。〃
　　〃It　does　not　grieve　me　much　to　have　lost　it；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for
thou　knowest；　Sancho；　that　I　have　the　receipt　in　my　memory。〃
　　〃So　have　I；〃　answered　Sancho；　〃but　if　ever　I　make　it；　or　try　it
again　as　long　as　I　live；　may　this　be　my　last　hour；　moreover；　I　have　no
intention　of　putting　myself　in　the　way　of　wanting　it；　for　I　mean；　with
all　my　five　senses；　to　keep　myself　from　being　wounded　or　from　wounding
anyone：　as　to　being　blanketed　again　I　say　nothing；　for　it　is　hard　to
prevent　mishaps　of　that　sort；　and　if　they　come　there　is　nothing　for　it
but　to　squeeze　our　shoulders　together；　hold　our　breath；　shut　our　eyes；
and　let　ourselves　go　where　luck　and　the　blanket　may　send　us。〃
　　〃Thou　art　a　bad　Christian；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote　on　hearing
this；　〃for　once　an　injury　has　been　done　thee　thou　never　forgettest　it：
but　know　that　it　is　the　part　of　noble　and　generous　hearts　not　to
attach　importance　to　trifles。　What　lame　leg　hast　thou　got　by　it；
what　broken　rib；　what　cracked　head；　that　thou　canst　not　forget　that
jest？　For　jest　and　sport　it　was；　properly　regarded；　and　had　I　not　seen
it　in　that　light　I　would　have　returned　and　done　more　mischief　in
revenging　thee　than　the　Greeks　did　for　the　rape　of　Helen；　who；　if
she　were　alive　now；　or　if　my　Dulcinea　had　lived　then；　might　depend
upon　it　she　would　not　be　so　famous　for　her　beauty　as　she　is；〃　and　here
he　heaved　a　sigh　and　sent　it　aloft；　and　said　Sancho；　〃Let　it　pass
for　a　jest　as　it　cannot