Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-01-27
DON QUIx0TE;
Or, Adventures of the Mad Knight
of La Mancha.
BY ERV N TIES.

IN certain village in La Mancha
there lived a lean, thin faced, old fash
ioned gentleman named Alonzo Quixana.
He had Il great library of books on
knight errantry, which he pored over
night and day, till at last he stumbled
on the crazy fancy of turning knight
himself and setting forth upon his steed,
armed cop-a-pie, in quest of adven-
lures.
So he secured up suit of rusty old
armor, dubbed his bony nag Rozinante,
rechristened himself Don Quixote de Ia
Mancha, and pitched upon good look
ing country girl named Allonza Loren
20 to be the lady of his devotion, renam-
ing her Dulcinea del Toboso.
Thus prepared, he mounted Roznante,
grasped his lance, and sailed forth
from his back yard into the fields early
one morning, i'll the greatest heat of July.
"Ob, happy age!" he cried, de-
creed TO usher into the world my famous
achievements. Oh, Princess Dulcinea,
lady OF this captive heart remember
your slave, who for your love submits to
SO many miseries!'
Full of such soliloq,,ies, he rode on
till toward evening, when, being almost
famished, he reached an inn, which he
fancied to be castle with towers and
pinnacles, moat and drawbridge. The
lat innheeper Hospitality received him,
and, pig driver happening to sound
his whistle several times, Don Quixote
grew the more positive that he was in
IL famous castle and entertained with
music at supper. Then he gravely de-
posted his arms in the horse trough and
fell to watching them, preparatory to re-
ceiving the honor of knighthood, which
the innkeeper, becoming aware of his
lelusion, readily agreed to confer. But,
before the ceremony, two innocent car
riers, who removed the arms to water
their mules, were so valorously battered
by our hero's lance that their comrades
returned the attack with volley of
stones The host, disrelishing these
mad tricks, quietel the carriers and has
tened to slap Don Quixote on the back
with his sword, which was then buckled
on by a cobbler's daughter, and the new
made knight started for home to get some
money and clean shirts.
On the way he rescued Il lad whose
master was strapping him soundly for
carelessness. But no sooner was Don
Quixote out Of sight than the man gave
the lad a seven-fold drubbing
Highly pleased with himself as n re-
dresser of grievances, the valiant knight
next essayed to make train of Toledo
merchants confess the peerlessness of his
Dulcinea. But Rozinante stumbled and
rolled him on the ground and muleteer
broke his lance and belabored him with
the pieces.
In this plight he was found by an hon
est husbandman, who helped him home,
where he informed his niece, in presence
of DR.. Perez, the curate, that he was
bruised by dreadful fall from his horse
while fighting ten outrageous giants.
Ho, ho!" cried the curate, "then
we will have them all burned by to-mor-
row night"
This threat he executed by rummag-
ing through the knights library while
he slept, and making bonfire of the
romances that had bewilder-
ed his mind.
After some days rest Don Quixote
sailed forth secretly again, accompanied
by Sancho Panza, silly fellow whom he
had secured as his squire by promising
to make him governor of some island or
other which they were likely to conquer.
The first enemies they met were thirty
or forty windmills, which Don Quixote
defied as giants, without giving
ear to Sancho, who assured him they
we're windmills and no giants !
"Stand, towards p cried the hero,
. and fly not basely from a single
Knight y
Then, devoutly recommending himself
% his Dulcinea, he couched his lance,
'ushed with Romantics utmost speed
ipon the first windmill, and ran his
ance into the whirling sail, which shiv-
red his weapon and hurled both knight
md horse upon the ground. Sancho ran
lp as fast as his ass Dapple could go,
nd exclaimed: /