But no one took the least notice of him, and he sat sadly down on the
road, waiting till Sancho brought "Rozinante" to him. Then master and
man went on their way, Don Quixote sore ashamed of his defeat, hurt as
much in mind as in body.
That evening they dismounted at the door of an inn, and put up
"Rozinante" and "Dapple" in the stable. Sancho asked the landlord what
he could give them for supper.
"Why," said the man, "you may have anything you choose to call for.
The inn can provide fowls of the air, birds of the earth, and fishes
of the sea."
"There's no need for all that," said Sancho. "If you roast a couple of
chickens it will be enough, for my master eats but little, and for
myself, I have no great appetite."
"Chickens?" said the host. "I am sorry I have no chickens just now.
The hawks have killed them all."
"Well, then, roast us a pullet, if it be tender."
"A pullet? Well, now, that is unlucky. I sent away fifty to the market
only yesterday. But, putting pullets aside, ask for anything you
like."
"Why, then," said Sancho, pondering, "let us have some veal, or a bit
of kid."
"Sorry sir, we are just out of veal and kid also. Next week we shall
have enough and to spare."
"That helps us nicely," said Sancho. "But at any rate, let us have
some eggs and bacon."
"Eggs!" cried the landlord. "Now didn't I tell him I had no hens or
pullets, and how then can I have eggs? No, no! Ask for anything you
please in the way of dainties, but don't ask for hens."
"Body o' me!" said Sancho, "let us have something. Tell me what you
have, and have done."
"Well, what I really and truly have is a pair of cow-heels that look
like calves'-feet, or a pair of calves'-feet that look like cow-heels.
You can have that and some bacon."
"They are mine," cried Sancho. "I don't care whether they are feet or
heels."
And as Don Quixote had supper with some other guests who carried with
them their own cook and their own larder, Sancho and the landlord
supped well on the cow-heels.
Some days after this, the Knight and his squire reached Barcelona.
Neither of them had ever before been near the sea, and the galleys
that they saw in the distance being rowed about in the bay sorely
puzzled Sancho, who thought that the oars were their legs, and that
they must be some strange kind of beast.
Now, one morning, when Don Quixote rode out, fully armed as usual, to
take the air on the seashore, he saw a knight riding toward
|