Which recounts the strange manner in which Don Quixote de La Mancha was enchanted

I am enchanted and they have put me in some sort of cage from which I cannot escape. A sage tells me that I will return to my village and reunite with my family and marry my love, Dulcinea. I understand that I am enchanted but what I don’t quite get is why I am traveling so slowly. When knights errant are enchanted they usually travel at a very fast speed. I guess this is one of the ways enchantments have changed over the years.

Sancho does not believe that I am enchanted. But when it comes to matters of enchantment, Sancho is not exactly an expert. He says that if I still feel certain bodily functions I cannot be enchanted. He is obviously mistaken.

Which recounts when Sancho was enchanted

Poor Sancho. Sometimes I cannot stand his ignorance but other times I feel bad for his simple mind. In my opinion it is the castle and its enchanters that are to blame.

Today Sancho told everyone that he saw Princess Micomiconia kissing someone at the castle and therefore, she cannot be a Princess. At first, I was infuriated with him for saying these things. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized that he is not to blame. The evil enchanters probably pick on him because he does not know any better. He does not realize that he is under enchantment.

My poor squire… he is deceived so easily.

In which questions regarding the helmet of Mambrino are resolved and other entirely true adventures

The very knight that I won the helmet of Mambrino from came to the castle today demanding I return his basin. I do not know what he is talking about though. If he wants the helmet back, why is he calling it a basin? And how can he demand things that I rightly won in the spoils of a battle?

It is obvious this poor knight is either enchanted or confused. Even Sancho believes me this time! He is my witness that I have won a battle with this confused knight. The rest of my friends in the castle also support my belief that it is a helmet and not a basin.

He is crazy to think I would give away such a valuable item such as this golden helmet. Who does he think he is, marching into my castle and stealing my things?

After this knight has settled down, another disturbed man comes into the castle. This man demands my arrest for which he says he has a warrant for. Do these men not know who they are talking to? Are they not schooled in the order of chivalry? I don’t understand how they can treat such a famous knight-errant such as I with such little disrespect and honor. They are fools – madmen in states of lunacy.

Thank God, they came to their senses and realized it is impossible to arrest a knight-errant. =)

In which is recounted Sancho’s lies and more enchantments

After my duel with the giant, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I was sleeping quite peacefully when Sancho woke me up with the most incredulous lies. He tried to tell me that Princess Micomiconia isn’t actually a princess. How dare he! He also told me that I did not really slay a giant and that it was some wineskins.

Oh no, no, no, I know a giant when I see one and I most definitely did kill a giant. I don’t know what he is talking about and why he insists on lying to me! Idiot squire, what is wrong with you?! Why can’t you see by now that our lives are under such great enchantments so that they cloud the truth and confuse us.

I then approached Princess Micomiconia to find out the truth. Indeed she is a princess and is still in need of my assistance.

I am furious with Sancho for his lies and fear I cannot handle any more of this castle’s enchantments.

Until next time,

Don Quixote de La Mancha

Regarding the slaying of the giant

 

Soon enough I came across a giant, the enemy of Princess Micomiconia. In order to avenge him, I took out my sword and cut off his head. His blood began pouring out from his body everywhere. I knew that it was only a matter of time before the great Don Quixote slaughtered this giant and gave the kingdom back to Princess Micomiconia. I was not scared and fought like a true knight. Sancho, on the other hand, was extremely frightened. Especially when he saw the blood pouring from everywhere and his slain head on the ground. He went to call for help however, when the townspeople arrived I had already killed the giant and my adventure was over.

Regarding the words that passed between Don Quixote and Sancho about Dulcinea del Toboso

I was desperately eager to hear what happened between Sancho and Dulcinea. I am so envious that he was able to see her beautiful face. I called him to the side and told him to tell me every detail: what she said, what she looked like, what she was doing, and what she was wearing. Sancho told me what he thought, but surely he was enchanted and was led to believe she is something other than a princess, or he simply has a god-awful memory. Although I love him, he is really starting to annoy me.

I miss Dulcinea and wish to see her soon. 

 

Regarding Princess Micomiconia

A damsel in distress has come seeking my assistance. Her name is Princess Micomiconia and she comes from the kingdom of Micomicon. I have made a vow to follow her wherever she may take me to help get her kingdom back from a giant who has usurped it. Until I have served her faithfully and fully, I will not embark on any new adventures.

She has expressed her wishes to marry me after I avenge the giant and return the rightful ownership back to her kingdom. Although I am extremely flattered, I cannot even think of marriage to someone other than my lady. I will keep my promise to Dulcinea to be faithful at all times. No one, not even this beautiful Princess Micomiconia, will allow me to forget about my love.

Sancho will never understand my decision for he still does not comprehend the responsibilities of a knight-errant to his lady. I could not bear to hear his blasphemies and cursing, so I had no choice but to raise my lance to him. He really needs to learn how to treat me with respect. I am getting fed up with his ill speaking of Dulcinea. If he does not stop this soon I shall find myself another squire, one who ACTUALLY understands the order of chivalry. It is so hard to find a good squire these days…

Which recounts the elegant deeds performed by an enamored Don Quixote in the Sierra Morena

I have decided to stay in the Sierra Morena to do penance. It is said that the knight who imitates Amadis most closely will be closer to attaining chivalric perfection and this is what I plan to do. I wish to play the part of the one who is desperate and mad for I feel that great achievement is to lose one’s reason for no reason. I will stay on this land and perform acts of madness and I shall do all of this in the name of my love Dulcinea, for her absence pains my heart.

I will write a letter to my love that my squire will deliver. She will give him a response and then he will return to me.

Sancho Panza, the simpleton that he is, does not recognize my love Dulcinea as the beautiful princess she is. He refuses to see her as a noble and insists that she is but a peasant girl. I tried to explain to him the ways of knights-errant to make up ladyloves in order to pursue what their mind and the order of chivalry tells them, but he is such a fool he does not understand. Dulcinea’s sole purpose is to inspire me and indulge my knighthood.

If the great Don Quixote de La Mancha says Dulcinea is a princess than that is exactly what she is.

Which relates the high adventure and the rich price of the helmet of Mambrino

Today I came across a great knight wearing the famous Mambrino’s helmet! I challenged him to a duel or to hand over the helmet, which is so rightly mine. Seeing the great Don Quixote de La Mancha ready to duel frightened him terribly because he so quickly left the famous helmet on the ground and rode away. After justly winning the helmet I quickly realized it had been extremely mistreated. The owner surely had no sense of the great value it holds and not realizing what he was doing, he melted half of it to sell the pure gold it was made of.

This slight mutation does not bother me the least, for I am both lucky and happy to own such a famous helmet. I will carry it with me in my adventures and the first chance I get I shall get it repaired.

-Until my next adventure –

Don Quixote de La Mancha

Which recounts the naming of The Knight of the Sorrowful Face

Today Sancho has given me a magnificent new name: The Knight of the Sorrowful Face. However, to attribute this great name to the simple mind of my squire would be far too naïve. Sancho claims he came up with this name because of my sad looking face, however I believe a sage put this great name on Sancho’s tongue.  This wise sage quietly follows me around and takes note of my adventures so that in due time he can write the history of my deeds. This sage must seemed it necessary I take a formal title, like so many knights in history have done.

It comforts me that this sage is using Sancho as a forum to enhance by knighthood and the order of chivalry. From now on I plan to call myself The Knight of the Sorrowful Face for I feel this name is extremely fitting. In due time I will depict this sorrowful face on my shield for all the world to see.