in the hardest
battle I have ever seen him fight. By my faith, he has dealt such a blow
to the giant that his head he has cut clean off.'

'What is that you say?' asked the priest, who was reading out the tale.
'Are you out of your senses, Sancho?' But his question was lost in a
furious noise from above, in which Don Quixote might be heard crying:

'Rogue, thief, villain! I have you fast, and little will your sword
avail you'; then followed loud blows against the wall.

[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE'S BATTLE WITH THE WINE-SKINS]

'Quick, quick! don't stand there listening, but fly to the aid of my
master. Though, indeed, by this time there can be little need, for the
giant must be dead already, and will trouble the world no more. For I
saw his blood spurt and run all over the floor, and his head is cut off
and fallen to one side.'

'As I am alive,' exclaimed the innkeeper, 'I fear that Don Quixote has
been fighting with one of the wine-skins that I put to hang near the
bed, and it is wine not blood that is spilt on the ground.' And he ran
into the room, followed by the rest, to see what had really happened.

They all stopped short at the sight of Don Quixote, who did, in truth,
present a most strange figure. The only garments he had on were a shirt
and a little red cap; his legs were bare, and round his left arm was
rolled the bed covering, while in the right he held a sword, with which
he was cutting and thrusting at everything about him, uttering cries all
the while, as if in truth he were engaged in deadly combat with a giant.
Yet his eyes were tight shut, and it was clear to all that he was fast
asleep; but in his dream he had slashed at so many of the skins that the
whole room was full of wine. When the innkeeper perceived this, the loss
of his wine so enraged him that he in his turn flew at the knight, and
struck him such hard blows with his fists that, had not the priest and
another man pulled him off, the war with the giant would soon have
ended.

Still, curious to say, it was not until a pannikin of cold water had
been poured over him by the barber that Don Quixote awoke, and even then
he did not understand what he had been doing, and why he stood there in
such a dress.

Now the priest had caught hold of Don Quixote's hands, so that he should
not beat those who were pouring the water over him, and the knight,
having only partly come to his senses, took him for the princess, for
whose sake he had made war