Everyone Loves Don Quixote

EVERYONE loves Don Quixote... how could you not? 

I am reading a really nice leather-bound copy I bought from Costco

Excerpt: 

Chapter 8 
OF THE GOOD FORTUNE WHICH THE VALIANT DON QUIXOTE HAD IN THE TERRIBLE AND UNDREAMED-OF ADVENTURE OF THE WINDMILLS, WITH OTHER OCCURRENCES WORTHY TO BE FITLY RECORDER

At this point they came in sight of forty windmills that there are on plain, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them he said to his squire, “Fortune is arranging matters for us better than we could have shaped our desires ourselves, for look there, friend Sancho Panza, where thirty or more monstrous giants present themselves, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and slay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes, for this is a righteous warfare, and it is God’s good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the heart.”

“What giants?” said Sancho Panza.

“Those though seest there,” answered his master, “with the long arms, and some have them nearly two leagues long.”

“Look, your worship,” said Sancho, “what we see there are not giants but windmills, and what seem to be their arms are the sails that turned by the wind make the millstone go.”

“It is easy to see, “replied Don Quixote, “that tho art not used to the business of adventures. Those are giants; and if thou art afraid, away with thee out of this and betake thyself to prayer while I engage them in fierce and unequal combat.”

“So saying, he gave the spur to his steed Rocinate, heedless of the cries of his squire Sancho sent after him, warning him that most certainly they were windmills and not giants he was going to attack, He, however, was so positive they were giants that he neither heard the cries of Sancho, nor Perceived, near as he was, what they were, but made at them shouting, “Fly not, cowards and vile beings, for a single knight attacks you.”

A slight breeze at this moment sprang up, and the great sails began to move, seeing which Don Quixote exclaimed, “Though ye flourish more arms than the giant Briareus, ye have to reckon with me.”

So saying, and commending himself with all his heart to his lady Dulcinea, imploring her to support him in such a peril, with lance in rest and covered by his buckler, he charged at Rocinate’s fullest gallop and fell upon the first mill that stood in front of him; but as he drove his lance point into the sail the wind whirled it round with such force that it shivered the lance to pieces, sweeping with it horse and rider, who went rolling over the plain, in a sorry condition. Sancho hastened to his assistance as fast as his ass could go, and when he came up he found him unable to move, with such a shock had Rocinate fallen with him.

“God bless me!” said Sancho, “did I not tell your worship to mind what you were about, for they were only windmills? And no one could have made any mistake about it but one who had something of the same kind in his head.”

“Hush friend Sancho,” replied Don Quixote, “the fortunes of war more than any other are label to frequent fluctuations; and moreover I think, and it is the truth, that the same sage Freston who carried off my study and books, has turned these giants into mills in order to rob me of the glory of vanquishing them, such is the enmity he bears me; but in the end his wicked arts will avail but little against my good sword.” 

Don Quixote

Written by: Miquel de Cervantes

Page 44 - 45