At this point Master Pedro came up in quest of Don Quixote, totell him the show was now ready and to come and see it, for it wasworth seeing. Don Quixote explained his wish, and begged him to askhis ape at once to tell him whether certain things which hadhappened to him in the cave of Montesinos were dreams or realities,for to him they appeared to partake of both. Upon this Master Pedro,without answering, went back to fetch the ape, and, having placed itin front of Don Quixote and Sancho, said: "See here, senor ape, thisgentleman wishes to know whether certain things which happened tohim in the cave called the cave of Montesinos were false or true."On his making the usual sign the ape mounted on his left shoulderand seemed to whisper in his ear, and Master Pedro said at once,"The ape says that the things you saw or that happened to you inthat cave are, part of them false, part true; and that he only knowsthis and no more as regards this question; but if your worshipwishes to know more, on Friday next he will answer all that may beasked him, for his virtue is at present exhausted, and will not returnto him till Friday, as he has said."
"Did I not say, senor," said Sancho, "that I could not bringmyself to believe that all your worship said about the adventures inthe cave was true, or even the half of it?"
"The course of events will tell, Sancho," replied Don Quixote;"time, that discloses all things, leaves nothing that it does not draginto the light of day, though it be buried in the bosom of theearth. But enough of that for the present; let us go and see MasterPedro's show, for I am sure there must be something novel in it."
"Something!" said Master Pedro; "this show of mine has sixtythousand novel things in it; let me tell you, Senor Don Quixote, it isone of the best-worth-seeing things in the world this day; butoperibus credite et non verbis, and now let's get to work, for it isgrowing late, and we have a great deal to do and to say and show."
Don Quixote and Sancho obeyed him and went to where the show wasalready put up and uncovered, set all around with lighted wax taperswhich made it look splendid and bright. When they came to it MasterPedro ensconced himself inside it, for it was he who had to work thepuppets, and a boy, a servant of his, posted himself outside to act asshowman and explain the mysteries of the exhibition, having a wandin his hand to point to the figures as they came out. And so, allwho were in the inn being arranged in front of the show, some ofthem standing, and Don Quixote, Sancho, the page, and cousin,accommodated with the best places, the interpreter began to say whathe will hear or see who reads or hears the next chapter.CHAPTER XXVI
WHEREIN IS CONTINUED THE DROLL ADVENTURE OF THE PUPPET-SHOWMAN,TOGETHER WITH OTHER THINGS IN TRUTH RIGHT GOOD
ALL were silent, Tyrians and Trojans; I mean all who were watchingthe show were hanging on the lips of the interpreter of its wonders,when drums and trumpets were heard to sound inside it and cannon to gooff. The noise was soon over, and then the boy lifted up his voice andsaid, "This true story which is here represented to your worships istaken word for word from the French chronicles and from the Spanishballads that are in everybody's mouth, and in the mouth of the boysabout the streets. Its subject is the release by Senor Don Gaiferos ofhis wife Melisendra, when a captive in Spain at the hands of the Moorsin the city of Sansuena, for so they called then what is now calledSaragossa; and there you may see how Don Gaiferos is playing at thetables, just as they sing it-
At tables playing Don Gaiferos sits,
For Melisendra is forgotten now.And that personage who appears there with a crown on his head and asceptre in his hand is the Emperor Charlemagne, the supposed father ofMelisendra, who, angered to see his son-in-law's inaction andunconcern, comes in to chide him; and observe with what vehemenceand energy he chides him, so that you would fancy he was going to givehim half a dozen raps with his sceptre; and indeed there are authorswho say he did give them, and sound ones too; and after having saida great deal to him about imperilling his honour by not effectingthe release of his wife, he said, so the tale runs,
Enough I've said, see to it now.Observe, too, how the emperor turns away, and leaves Don Gaiferosfuming; and you see now how in a burst of anger, he flings the tableand the board far from him and calls in haste for his armour, and askshis cousin Don Roland for the loan of his sword, Durindana, and howDon Roland refuses to lend it, offering him his company in thedifficult enterprise he is undertaking; but he, in his valour andanger, will not accept it, and says that he alone will suffice torescue his wife, even though she were imprisoned deep in the centre ofthe earth, and with this he retires to arm himself and set out onhis journey at once. Now let your worships turn your eyes to thattower that appears there, which is supposed to be one of the towers ofthe alcazar of Saragossa, now called the Aljaferia; that lady whoappears on that balcony dressed in Moorish fashion is the peerlessMelisendra, for many a time she used to gaze from thence upon the roadto France, and seek consolation in her captivity by thinking ofParis and her husband. Observe, too, a new incident which nowoccurs, such as, perhaps, never was seen. Do you not see that Moor,who silently and stealthily, with his finger on his lip, approachesMelisendra from behind? Observe now how he prints a kiss upon herlips, and what a hurry she is in to spit, and wipe them with the whitesleeve of her smock, and how she bewails herself, and tears her fairhair as though it were to blame for the wrong. Observe, too, thatthe stately Moor who is in that corridor is King Marsilio of Sansuena,who, having seen the Moor's insolence, at once orders him （thoughhis kinsman and a great favourite of his） to be seized and given twohundred lashes, while carried through the streets of the cityaccording to custom, with criers going before him and officers ofjustice behind; and here you see them come out to execute thesentence, although the offence has been scarcely committed; foramong the Moors there are no indictments nor remands as with us."
Here Don Quixote called out, "Child, child, go straight on with yourstory, and don't run into curves and slants, for to establish a factclearly there is need of a great deal of proof and confirmation;"and said Master Pedro from within, "Boy, stick to your text and doas the gentleman bids you; it's the best plan; keep to your plainsong, and don't attempt harmonies, for they are apt to break down frombeing over fine."
"I will," said the boy, and he went on to say, "This figure that yousee here on horseback, covered with a Gascon cloak, is Don Gaiferoshimself, whom his wife, now avenged of the insult of the amorous Moor,and taking her stand on the balcony of the tower with a calmer andmore tranquil countenance, has perceived without recognising him;and she addresses her husband, supposing him to be some traveller, andholds with him all that conversation and colloquy in the ballad thatruns-
If you, sir knight, to France are bound,
Oh! for Gaiferos ask-which I do not repeat here because prolixity begets disgust; sufficeit to observe how Don Gaiferos discovers himself, and that by herjoyful gestures Melisendra shows us she has recognised him; and whatis more, we now see she lowers herself from the balcony to placeherself on the haunches of her good husband's horse. But ah! unhappylady, the edge of her petticoat has caught on one of the bars of thebalcony and she is left hanging in the air, unable to reach theground. But you see how compassionate heaven sends aid in our sorestneed; Don Gaiferos advances, and without minding whether the richpetticoat is torn or not, he seizes her and by force brings her to theground, and then with one jerk places her on the haunches of hishorse, astraddle like a man, and bids her hold on tight and claspher arms round his neck, crossing them on his breast so as not tofall, for the lady Melisendra was not used to that style of riding.You see, too, how the neighing of the horse shows his satisfactionwith the gallant and beautiful burden he bears in his lord and lady.You see how they wheel round and quit the city, and in joy andgladness take the road to Paris. Go in peace, O peerless pair oftrue lovers! May you reach your longed-for fatherland in safety, andmay fortune interpose no impediment to your prosperous journey; maythe eyes of your friends and kinsmen behold you enjoying in peaceand tranquillity the remaining days of your life- and that they may beas many as those of Nestor!"
Here Master Pedro called out again and said, "Simplicity, boy!None of your high flights; all affectation is bad."
The interpreter made no answer, but went on to say, "There was nowant of idle eyes, that see everything, to see Melisendra come downand mount, and word was brought to King Marsilio, who at once gaveorders to sound the alarm; and see what a stir there is, and how thecity is drowned with the sound of the bells pealing in the towers ofall the mosques."
"Nay, nay," said Don Quixote at this; "on that point of the bellsMaster Pedro is very inaccurate, for bells are not in use among theMoors; only kettledrums, and a kind of small trumpet somewhat like ourclarion; to ring bells this way in Sansuena is unquestionably agreat absurdity."
On hearing this, Master Pedro stopped ringing, and said, "Don't lookinto trifles, Senor Don Quixote, or want to have things up to apitch of perfection that is out of reach. Are there not almost everyday a thousand comedies represented all round us full of thousandsof inaccuracies and absurdities, and, for all that, they have asuccessful run, and are listened to not only with applause, but withadmiration and all the rest of it? Go on, boy, and don't mind; forso long as I fill my pouch, no matter if I show as many inaccuraciesas there are motes in a sunbeam."