Summary Chapter 3




Don Quixote finishes his supper and goes to the stable. He drops to his knees and refuses to get up, asking the innkeeper to knight him the next morning. The innkeeper realizes that his guest is indeed as mad as he suspected. He humors Quixote, agreeing to his terms. He tells Quixote he also traveled in his youth and had many adventures before he retired. He recommends some sites that Quixote should visit, which happen to be places known to cure afflictions of many sorts.

He asks Quixote if he has money. Don Quixote says no—it was never mentioned in his stories that knights carried money. The innkeeper tells him that of course they carried money—as well as some clean shirts and medicine. The medicine was necessary should they become ill or wounded and are too far away to receive medical attention. The innkeeper tells Quixote he should not travel without these things, and Quixote agrees.

The landlord tells the other guests about Quixote’s insanity and his request to be knighted. The others watch Quixote as he patrols the outside grounds to guard his armor.

A muleteer needs to water his mules. He removes Quixote’s armor from the trough, despite the man’s protests. Quixote hits him in the head. A second muleteer comes with the same intention, and Quixote attacks him as well.

The guests come out when they hear the ruckus. The muleteers, when they see their fallen comrades, begin to throw rocks at Quixote. The landlord tells them to stop, explaining that Quixote is insane. Quixote calls them traitors and tells the innkeeper that he is a coward to allow his fellow knight to be treated this way. Quixote refuses to back down and promises retribution. His attackers become frightened and stop pelting him with stones. They carry off the wounded, and Quixote resumes his patrol.

The innkeeper apologizes for the conduct of the muleteers. Wanting to be rid of this madman before he causes any more harm, he tells Quixote that he can knight him now. He does a little ceremony where he knights Quixote. Then Don Quixote mounts his horse, and the landlord encourages him to leave at godspeed.



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