don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第164节

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that　reckoning；　for　when　it　comes　to　the　promise　of　the　island　we　must
count　from　the　day　your　worship　promised　it　to　me　to　this　present　hour
we　are　at　now。〃
　　〃Well；　how　long　is　it；　Sancho；　since　I　promised　it　to　you？〃　said　Don
Quixote。
　　〃If　I　remember　rightly；〃　said　Sancho；　〃it　must　be　over　twenty　years；
three　days　more　or　less。〃
　　Don　Quixote　gave　himself　a　great　slap　on　the　forehead　and　began　to
laugh　heartily；　and　said　he；　〃Why；　I　have　not　been　wandering；　either
in　the　Sierra　Morena　or　in　the　whole　course　of　our　sallies；　but　barely
two　months；　and　thou　sayest；　Sancho；　that　it　is　twenty　years　since　I
promised　thee　the　island。　I　believe　now　thou　wouldst　have　all　the
money　thou　hast　of　mine　go　in　thy　wages。　If　so；　and　if　that　be　thy
pleasure；　I　give　it　to　thee　now；　once　and　for　all；　and　much　good　may
it　do　thee；　for　so　long　as　I　see　myself　rid　of　such　a　good…for…nothing
squire　I'll　be　glad　to　be　left　a　pauper　without　a　rap。　But　tell　me；
thou　perverter　of　the　squirely　rules　of　knight…errantry；　where　hast
thou　ever　seen　or　read　that　any　knight…errant's　squire　made　terms　with
his　lord；　'you　must　give　me　so　much　a　month　for　serving　you'？
Plunge；　scoundrel；　rogue；　monster…　for　such　I　take　thee　to　be…　plunge；
I　say；　into　the　mare　magnum　of　their　histories；　and　if　thou　shalt　find
that　any　squire　ever　said　or　thought　what　thou　hast　said　now；　I　will
let　thee　nail　it　on　my　forehead；　and　give　me；　over　and　above；　four
sound　slaps　in　the　face。　Turn　the　rein；　or　the　halter；　of　thy
Dapple；　and　begone　home；　for　one　single　step　further　thou　shalt　not
make　in　my　company。　O　bread　thanklessly　received！　O　promises
ill…bestowed！　O　man　more　beast　than　human　being！　Now；　when　I　was　about
to　raise　thee　to　such　a　position；　that；　in　spite　of　thy　wife；　they
would　call　thee　'my　lord；'　thou　art　leaving　me？　Thou　art　going　now
when　I　had　a　firm　and　fixed　intention　of　making　thee　lord　of　the
best　island　in　the　world？　Well；　as　thou　thyself　hast　said　before
now；　honey　is　not　for　the　mouth　of　the　ass。　Ass　thou　art；　ass　thou
wilt　be；　and　ass　thou　wilt　end　when　the　course　of　thy　life　is　run；　for
I　know　it　will　come　to　its　close　before　thou　dost　perceive　or
discern　that　thou　art　a　beast。〃
　　Sancho　regarded　Don　Quixote　earnestly　while　he　was　giving　him　this
rating；　and　was　so　touched　by　remorse　that　the　tears　came　to　his　eyes；
and　in　a　piteous　and　broken　voice　he　said　to　him；　〃Master　mine；　I
confess　that；　to　be　a　complete　ass；　all　I　want　is　a　tail；　if　your
worship　will　only　fix　one　on　to　me；　I'll　look　on　it　as　rightly　placed；
and　I'll　serve　you　as　an　ass　all　the　remaining　days　of　my　life。
Forgive　me　and　have　pity　on　my　folly；　and　remember　I　know　but
little；　and；　if　I　talk　much；　it's　more　from　infirmity　than　malice；　but
he　who　sins　and　mends　commends　himself　to　God。〃
　　〃I　should　have　been　surprised；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃if　thou
hadst　not　introduced　some　bit　of　a　proverb　into　thy　speech。　Well；
well；　I　forgive　thee；　provided　thou　dost　mend　and　not　show　thyself
in　future　so　fond　of　thine　own　interest；　but　try　to　be　of　good　cheer
and　take　heart；　and　encourage　thyself　to　look　forward　to　the
fulfillment　of　my　promises；　which；　by　being　delayed；　does　not　become
impossible。〃
　　Sancho　said　he　would　do　so；　and　keep　up　his　heart　as　best　he
could。　They　then　entered　the　grove；　and　Don　Quixote　settled　himself　at
the　foot　of　an　elm；　and　Sancho　at　that　of　a　beech；　for　trees　of　this
kind　and　others　like　them　always　have　feet　but　no　hands。　Sancho　passed
the　night　in　pain；　for　with　the　evening　dews　the　blow　of　the　staff
made　itself　felt　all　the　more。　Don　Quixote　passed　it　in　his
never…failing　meditations；　but；　for　all　that；　they　had　some　winks　of
sleep；　and　with　the　appearance　of　daylight　they　pursued　their
journey　in　quest　of　the　banks　of　the　famous　Ebro；　where　that　befell
them　which　will　be　told　in　the　following　chapter。
　　

CHAPTER　XXIX
　　OF　THE　FAMOUS　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　ENCHANTED　BARK

　　BY　STAGES　as　already　described　or　left　undescribed；　two　days　after
quitting　the　grove　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　reached　the　river　Ebro；
and　the　sight　of　it　was　a　great　delight　to　Don　Quixote　as　he
contemplated　and　gazed　upon　the　charms　of　its　banks；　the　clearness
of　its　stream；　the　gentleness　of　its　current　and　the　abundance　of
its　crystal　waters；　and　the　pleasant　view　revived　a　thousand　tender
thoughts　in　his　mind。　Above　all；　he　dwelt　upon　what　he　had　seen　in　the
cave　of　Montesinos；　for　though　Master　Pedro's　ape　had　told　him　that　of
those　things　part　was　true；　part　false；　he　clung　more　to　their　truth
than　to　their　falsehood；　the　very　reverse　of　Sancho；　who　held　them　all
to　be　downright　lies。
　　As　they　were　thus　proceeding；　then；　they　discovered　a　small　boat；
without　oars　or　any　other　gear；　that　lay　at　the　water's　edge　tied　to
the　stem　of　a　tree　growing　on　the　bank。　Don　Quixote　looked　all
round；　and　seeing　nobody；　at　once；　without　more　ado；　dismounted　from
Rocinante　and　bade　Sancho　get　down　from　Dapple　and　tie　both　beasts
securely　to　the　trunk　of　a　poplar　or　willow　that　stood　there。　Sancho
asked　him　the　reason　of　this　sudden　dismounting　and　tying。　Don　Quixote
made　answer；　〃Thou　must　know；　Sancho；　that　this　bark　is　plainly；　and
without　the　possibility　of　any　alternative；　calling　and　inviting　me　to
enter　it；　and　in　it　go　to　give　aid　to　some　knight　or　other　person　of
distinction　in　need　of　it；　who　is　no　doubt　in　some　sore　strait；　for
this　is　the　way　of　the　books　of　chivalry　and　of　the　enchanters　who
figure　and　speak　in　them。　When　a　knight　is　involved　in　some　difficulty
from　which　he　cannot　be　delivered　save　by　the　hand　of　another
knight；　though　they　may　be　at　a　distance　of　two　or　three　thousand
leagues　or　more　one　from　the　other；　they　either　take　him　up　on　a
cloud；　or　they　provide　a　bark　for　him　to　get　into；　and　in　less　than
the　twinkling　of　an　eye　they　carry　him　where　they　will　and　where　his
help　is　required；　and　so；　Sancho；　this　bark　is　placed　here　for　the
same　purpose；　this　is　as　true　as　that　it　is　now　day；　and　ere　this
one　passes　tie　Dapple　and　Rocinante　together；　and　then　in　God's　hand
be　it　to　guide　us；　for　I　would　not　hold　back　from　embarking；　though
barefooted　friars　were　to　beg　me。〃
　　〃As　that's　the　case；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　your　worship　chooses　to　give
in　to　these…　I　don't　know　if　I　may　call　them　absurdities…　at　every
turn；　there's　nothing　for　it　but　to　obey　and　bow　the　head；　bearing
in　mind　the　proverb；　'Do　as　thy　master　bids　thee；　and　sit　down　to
table　with　him；'　but　for　all　that；　for　the　sake　of　easing　my
conscience；　I　warn　your　worship　that　it　is　my　opinion　this　bark　is
no　enchanted　one；　but　belongs　to　some　of　the　fishermen　of　the　river；
for　they　catch　the　best　shad　in　the　world　here。〃
　　As　Sancho　said　this；　he　tied　the　beasts；　leaving　them　to　the　care
and　protection　of　the　enchanters　with　sorrow　enough　in　his　heart。
Don　Quixote　bade　him　not　be　uneasy　about　deserting　the　animals；　〃for
he　who　would　carry　themselves　over　such　longinquous　roads　and
regions　would　take　care　to　feed　them。〃
　　〃I　don't　understand　that　logiquous；〃　said　Sancho；　〃nor　have　I　ever
heard　the　word　all　the　days　of　my　life。〃
　　〃Longinquous；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃means　far　off；　but　it　is　no
wonder　thou　dost　not　understand　it；　for　thou　art　not　bound　to　know
Latin；　like　some　who　pretend　to　know　it　and　don't。〃
　　〃Now　they　are　tied；〃　said　Sancho；　〃what　are　we　to　do　next？〃
　　〃What？〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃cross　ourselves　and　weigh　anchor；　I　mean；
embark　and　cut　the　moorings　by　which　the　bark　is　held；〃　and　the　bark
began　to　drift　away　slowly　from　the　bank。　But　when　Sancho　saw
himself　somewhere　about　two　yards　out　in　the　river；　he　began　to
tremble　and　give　himself　up　for　lost；　but　nothing　distressed　him
more　than　hearing　Dapple　bray　and　seeing　Rocinante　struggling　to　get
loose；　and　said　he　to　his　master；　〃Dapple　is　braying　in　grief　at　our
leaving　him；　and　Rocinante　is　trying　to　escape　and　plunge　in　after　us。
O　dear　friends；　peace　be　with　you；　and　may　this　madness　that　is　taking
us　away　from　you；　turned　into　sober　sense；　bring　us　back　to　you。〃
And　with　this　he　fell　weeping　so　bitterly；　that　Don　Quixote　said　to
him；　sharply　and　angrily；　〃What　art　thou　afraid　of；　cowardly　creature？
What　art　thou　weeping　at；　heart　of　butter…paste？　Who　pursues　or
molests　thee；　thou　soul　of　a　tame　mouse？　What　dost　thou　want；
unsatisfied　in　the　very　heart　of　abundance？　Art　thou；　perchance；
tramping　barefoot　over　the　Riphaean　mountains；　instead　of　being　seated
on　a　bench　like　an　archduke　on　the　tranquil　stream　of　this　pleasant
river；　from　which　in　a　short　space　we　shall　come　out　upon　the　broad
sea？　But　we　must　have　already　emerged　and　gone　seven　hundred　or
eight　hundred　leagues；　and　if　I　had　here　an　astrolabe　to　take　the
altitude　of　the　pole；　I　could　tell　thee　how　many　we　have　travelled；
though　either　I　know　little；　or　we　have　already　crossed　or　shall
shortly　cross　the　equinoctial　line　which　parts　the　two　opposite
poles　midway。〃
　　〃And　when　we　come　to　that　line　your　worship　speaks　of；〃　said　Sancho；
〃how　far　shall　we　have　gone？〃
　　〃Very　far；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　of　the　three　hundred　and　sixty
degrees　that　this　terraqueous　globe　contains；　as　computed　by
Ptolemy；　the　greatest　cosmographer　known；　we　shall　have　travelled