Chapter I: Preface

A version of _Don Quixote_ which is appended to Mr. Walter Crane's illustrations needs perhaps no apology, but I desire to state briefly what I have endeavoured to do. No existing abridgment of _Don Quixote_, known to me, gives in simple narrative form the adventures of Knight and Squire, with as much of the wisdom and humour of their discourse as would be within the grasp of the younger generation of readers. This—_The Story of Don Quixote_, as I call it—I have tried to produce. In doing it I have made use of all the English translations, but the basis of this book is Thomas Shelton's translation, the language of which seems to me better to express the humour of Cervantes than any other. Many will consider such a task in the nature of sacrilege or, at the best, verging on the impertinent. With these views I have much sympathy myself. But at least, let it be understood that all I have attempted to do is to tell a well-known story in print, as one who loves it would seek to tell it in words, to those around his own fireside; in the hope that some may gather from this story that there is a vast storehouse of humour and wisdom awaiting them in the book itself.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. An Introduction to that famous gentleman, Don
Quixote of the Mancha, 1

II. Of the First Sally that Don Quixote made to
seek Adventures, 7

III. Of the Pleasant Manner of the Knighting of Don
Quixote, 14

IV. Of what befell our Knight when he left the Inn, 21

V. How Don Quixote returned home, and what happened
to his Library, and how he sallied
forth a second time to seek Adventures, 30

VI. Of the dreadful and never-to-be-imagined Adventure
of the Windmills, and of the fearful
Battle which the gallant Biscayan fought
with Don Quixote, 38

VII. Of what passed between Don Quixote and the
Goatherds, and of the unfortunate Adventure
with the Yanguesian Carriers, 48

VIII. How Don Quixote arrived at an Inn which he
imagined to be a Castle, and there cured
himself and Sancho with the Balsam of
Fierabras, 58

IX. How Sancho paid the Reckoning at the Inn
which Don Quixote supposed was a Castle, 68

X. Of the Adventure of the Two Armies, 75

XI. Of a wonderful Adventure which Don Quixote
went through without peril to himself or
Sancho, 83

XII. The great Adventure and rich Winning of the
Helmet of Mambrino, 92

XIII. How Don Quixote set at liberty many poor
Wretches who were being taken to a
Place to which they had no wish to go, 98

XIV. Of what befell Don Quixote in the Brown
Mountains, 108

XV. The Story of Cardenio, 118

XVI. Of the Strange Adventures that happened to
the Knight of the Mancha in the Brown
Mountains, and of the Penance he did
there in imitation of Beltenebros, 126

XVII. Of Sancho's Journey to the Lady Dulcinea, 136

XVIII. The Story of Cardenio continued, 143

XIX. The Story of Dorothea, who loved Don
Fernando, 152

XX. Of the pleasant Plan they carried out to persuade
Don Quixote not to continue his
Penance, 160

XXI. Of the Journey to the Inn, 168

XXII. The Story Sancho Panza told his Master of
his Visit to the Lady Dulcinea, 177

XXIII. What happened during their further Journey
towards the Inn, 184

XXIV. Of the extraordinary Battle which Don
Quixote waged with what he took to
be a Giant, 191

XXV. Which treats of other rare Adventures which
happened at the Inn, 198

XXVI. Wherein is continued the History of the
famous Princess Micomicona, 205

XXVII. Of the strange Enchantment of the Unfortunate
Knight, 212

XXVIII. Wherein is continued the wonderful Adventures
at the Inn, 220

XXIX. Wherein is finally decided the Dispute about
Mambrino's Helmet and the Pannel, 227

XXX. In which is finished the notable Adventures
of our good Knight, 236

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FULL PAGES

TITLE-PAGE.

DON QUIXOTE TESTING HIS VISOR, _Frontispiece_

DON QUIXOTE KNIGHTED BY THE INNKEEPER, _facing page_ 14

THE WINDMILLS, " 38

THE GOATHERDS, " 48

THE TOSSING OF SANCHO, " 68

THE HELMET OF MAMBRINO, " 92

MEETING CARDENIO, " 108

DON QUIXOTE'S PENANCE, " 126

MEETING DOROTHEA, " 160

THE WINE-SKINS, " 191

DON QUIXOTE'S ENCHANTMENT, " 212

HALF PAGES

PAGE

DON QUIXOTE WATCHING HIS ARMOUR, 7

DON QUIXOTE TO THE RESCUE OF ANDREW, 21

THE DESTRUCTION OF DON QUIXOTE'S LIBRARY, 30

THE MANNER OF DON QUIXOTE'S TRAVEL TO THE INN, 58

OF THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO ARMIES, 75

OF A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE, 83

DON QUIXOTE FREES THE GALLEY SLAVES, 98

THE STORY OF CARDENIO, 118

THE CURATE AND THE BARBER IN DISGUISE, 136

THE STORY OF CARDENIO CONTINUED, 143

THE DISCOVERY OF DOROTHEA, 152

SANCHO PANZA RECOVERS HIS DAPPLE, 168

SANCHO'S STORY OF HIS VISIT TO THE LADY
DULCINEA, 177

ANDREW SALUTES DON QUIXOTE, 184

OF THE RARE ADVENTURES AT THE INN, 198

DON QUIXOTE ADDRESSING DOROTHEA, 205

THE DISPUTED POMMEL, 220

DON QUIXOTE ARRESTED, 227

THE MANNER OF DON QUIXOTE'S RETURN HOME, 236