The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old FavoritesTappan, Eva March
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The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old Favorites
Tappan, Eva March
Children's stories; Literature -- Adaptations
As they jogged on, "I beseech your worship, Sir Knight-errant," quoth
Sancho to his master, "be sure you don't forget what you promised me
about the island; for I dare say I shall make shift to govern it, let
it be never so big."--"You must know, friend Sancho," replied Don
Quixote, "that it has been the constant practice of knights-errant in
former ages to make their squires governors of the islands or kingdoms
they conquered. Now I am not only resolved to keep up that laudable
custom, but even to improve it, and outdo my predecessors in
generosity; for whereas sometimes, or rather most commonly, other
knights delayed rewarding their squires till they were grown old, and
worn out with services, bad days, worse nights, and all manner of hard
duty, and then put them off with some title, either of count, or at
least marquis of some valley or province, of great or small extent;
now, if thou and I do but live, it may happen that before we have
passed six days together I may conquer some kingdom, having many other
kingdoms annexed to its imperial crown; and this would fall out most
luckily for thee; for then would I presently crown thee king of one of
them. Nor do thou imagine this to be a mighty matter; for so strange
accidents and revolutions, so sudden and so unforeseen, attend the
profession of chivalry, that I might easily give thee a great deal
more than I have promised."--"Why, should this come to pass," quoth
Sancho Panza, "and I be made a king by some such miracle, as your
worship says, then Joan Gutierez (my mis'ess) would be at least a
queen, and my children infantas."--"Who doubts of that?" cried Don
Quixote. "I doubt of it," replied Sancho Panza; "for I cannot help
believing, that though it should rain kingdoms down upon the face of
the earth, not one of them would sit well upon Mary Gutierez's head;
for I must needs tell you, she's not worth two brass jacks to make a
queen of: no, countess would be better for her, an't please you; and
that too, God help her, will be as much as she can handsomely
manage."--"Recommend the matter to Providence," returned Don Quixote,
"'twill be sure to give what is most expedient for thee; but yet
disdain to entertain inferior thoughts, and be not tempted to accept
less than the dignity of a viceroy."--"No more I won't, sir," quoth
Sancho, "especially since I have so rare a master as your worship, who
will take care to give me whatever may be fit for me, and what I may
be able to deal with."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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