“What art thou?” exclaimed Don Quixote on his potent steed.  “Who art thou?  Speak! or, by the eternal vengeance of mine arm, thy whole machinery shall perish at sound of this my trumpet!”

Astonished at so rude a salutation, the great Sphinx stopped short, and bridling up herself, drew in her head, like a snail when it touches something that it does not like:  the bulls set up a horrid bellowing, the crickets sounded an alarm, and Gog and Magog advanced before the rest.  One of these powerful brothers had in his hand a great pole, to the extremity of which was fastened a cord of about two feet in length, and to the end of the cord was fastened a ball of iron, with spikes shooting from it like the rays of a star; with this weapon he prepared to encounter, and advancing thus he spoke:—­

“Audacious wight! that thus, in complete steel arrayed, doth dare to venture cross my way, to stop the great Munchausen.  Know then, proud knight, that thou shalt instant perish ’neath my potent arm.”

When Quixote, Mancha’s knight, responded firm:—­

“Gigantic monster! leader of witches, crickets, and chimeras dire! know thou, that here before yon azure heaven the cause of truth, of valour, and of faith right pure shall ordeal counter try it!”

Thus he spoke, and brandishing his mighty spear, would instant prodigies sublime perform, had not some wight placed ’neath the tail of dark Rosinante furze all thorny base; at which, quadrupedanting, plunged the steed, and instant on the earth the knight roared credo for his life.

At that same moment ten thousand frogs started from the morions of Gog and Magog, and furiously assailed the knight on every side.  In vain he roared, and invoked fair Dulcinea del Toboso:  for frogs’ wild croaking seemed more loud, more sonorous than all his invocations.  And thus in battle vile the knight was overcome, and spawn all swarmed upon his glittering helmet.

“Detested miscreants!” roared the knight; “avaunt!  Enchanters dire and goblins could alone this arduous task perform; to rout the knight of Mancha, foul defeat, and war, even such as ne’er was known before.  Then hear, O del Toboso! hear my vows, that thus in anguish of my soul I urge, midst frogs, Gridalbin, Hecaton, Kai, Talon, and the Rove! [for such the names and definitions of their qualities, their separate powers.] For Merlin plumed their airy flight, and then in watery moonbeam dyed his rod eccentric.  At the touch ten thousand frogs, strange metamorphosed, croaked even thus:  And here they come, on high behest, to vilify the knight that erst defended famed virginity, and matrons all bewronged, and pilgrims hoar, and courteous guise of all!  But the age of chivalry is gone, and the glory of Europe is extinguished for ever?”

He spake, and sudden good Lord Whittington, at head of all his raree-show, came forth, armour antique of chivalry, and helmets old, and troops, all streamers, flags and banners glittering gay, red, gold, and purple; and in every hand a square of gingerbread, all gilded nice, was brandished awful.  At a word, ten thousand thousand Naples biscuits, crackers, buns, and flannel-cakes, and hats of gingerbread encountered in mid air in glorious exaltation, like some huge storm of mill-stones, or when it rains whole clouds of dogs and cats.