The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-23
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Don Quixote is probably the best known prose story-at least by name of any ever written. It has supplied the English language with a host of proverbs and with the words "quixotism" and "quixotic.n It's Spanish is the standard of elegance in that language and whole H. braries have been written In commenta- ries upon 1t.
 Its publication Is supposed to have had a decided effect upon the Spanish char acter Byron says "Cervantes laughed Spains chivalry away''-but that was a harsh judgment. Yet celebrated as the story of Don Quixote Is, comparatively few whose native tongue was not Span ish have ever read 1t through; and of all the adventures of the Knight of the Sor- rowful Figure that of the wnd-mills is the only ones that is really generally known. It is voluminous work and wonderfully fascinating.
 N one of the villages of La Mancha
 lived Alouzo Quxano, a single gentle \ man of 50, sauare of body and meagre of face whose modest income supported him in frugal comfort until. to fill up his spare time, which extended over most of the year, he began the read ing of the romances of chiyalry The con tinued reading of these books finally turned the poor gentleman head, though in all other matters he had an unusual shrewdness of understanding and it was with more alarm than surprise that his two cronies the curate and Master Nch- olas, the barber, learned one day that Alonzo had dubbed himself Don Quixote de la Mancha, and set out upon his aged and bcny steed with the avowed inten- ton of reviving the practice of knight errantry.
 He had donned an old suit of armor which had belonged to his great grand father, and as tine helmet wanted a visor s he had constructed one of pasteboard. As the steeds of all knights errant must haze names, the Don had called his ''Rozinante''-a combnatioins of "rosin.' a drudge horse. and ante before, which might be held to signify that while the dejected animal had formerly been q drudge horse, he was now before all druuge horses.
 A knight crrant not in love is unthinll able, and this at first presented a seem ingly insuperable obstacle to Don Quix- ote's ambitions. But. fortunately, he re- membered that for years ago he had for a short time fanced himself enamored of a peasant girl in the neighborng town of Toboso It was annoying that he should have forgotten her name but he pitched upon Duenea as being good sounding one-Dulcnea del Toboso-and she al once became in his disordered fan cy the peerless princess for whose favor he sighed and whose charms it was his duty to proclaim.
 The knights first sally did not take him far from home, for, falling in with q company of travelling merchants, whom he attempted to charge because they were not prompt enough in acknoweldg- Ing the virtues and charms of Dulcinea, Rozinante, being new to the chivalry business. stumbled and fell in mid-career ba haSi6pS heinz iOinrp0 animal rolling on him, was so soundly belabored by the merchants that he had to be carried home and put to bed for much needed repairs.
 The priest and the barber burned or confiscated the Don's whole library of chvalrous romanees in the vain hope that when he got about again he would forget his mania. But it was of no use; and before long the Don had taken to the road again, this time accompanied by a neighborng rustic, an honest, but shal- low-brained person, to whom he prom ised the government of an island, such being the usual reward of faithful suuires. This squire. sancho PanZa by name, was short and stout his master long and lean. and he rode forth to valorous deeds upon his beloved ass. Dapple All the squires Don Quix- ote had ever read of rode upon horses but even a knight errant must some time yield to the eXigencies of a situa- tlon.
 Don Quixote had patched ur his hel- met and provided himself with a new lance and now as he proceeded over the plains of Montiel and the sun was rising he cried out to his squire: Look yonder friend Sancho where thou mayest dis cover somewhat more than thirty mon strous giants whom l intend to encounter and say."
 ''What giants?" said Sancho.
 Those thou seest wonder with their long arms." replied the knight.
 Look you, sir" replied the squire, 'those are not giants, but windmllls."
 Ut is very evident" retorted the Don. 'that you do not know much about chiv- airy and clapping spurs to Rozinante he went charging full tilt at one of the windmils, the sails of which were just beginning to revolve in the morning breeze The whirling sail caught the lance, broke it to splinters and sent horse and rider rolling over and over cn the plain.
 1 God save us. cried Sancho, as he came running up. Did I not warn you that those were wndmills, and no one could mistake them for anything else who had not the like in his head?"
 Don Quixote, sitting ruefully on the ground, managed to say: Peace. You are not versed In matters of war. A wicked magician has changed these giants into wndmjls so to deprive me of the glory of subduing them"
 They passed the night under a tree, from which the knight tore withered branch to serve in place of his broken lance and on the morrow resumed their adventurous quest. After several minor adventures they saw advancing toward them two monks of the Order of St. Ben edict, mounted upon mules wearing trav- cling masks and carrying umbrellas. Be- hind them came a coach accompanied by four or five men on horseback and two muleteers on foot. In the coach was a Biscalne lady going to join her husband at Seville. The monks were not in her company. but only happened to be trav- cling the same road.
 'Hahi cried Don Quixote, "either am much deceived or those black figures are enchanters carrying off some princess whom they have stolen.'
 So planting himself in the middle of the highway, the valiant knight called out: 'Diabolical and monstrous race, Either immediately release the high born princess whom you carrying pway or prepare for Instant death.'