Volume 1, Chapter 23
Don Quijote admits that he should have listened to Sancho. Sancho tells him to listen to him now, and advises him that they should high-tail it out of there before the constables come. Sancho leads the way into the Sierra Morena mountains where they can hide. They come upon a cushion and a rotting suitcase that turns out to contain some fine linens (some are shirts), more than 100 gold coins and an elegant memo book. Don Quijote, letting Sancho have the gold coins (much to his delight) looks through the memo book for clues as to the fate of its previous owner.
It is filled with poems and letters that suggest its owner was heartbroken over some lady. A man, with a thick beard, long unkempt hair and wearing worn, ripped pants, appears on the mountain peak leaping about the crags and bushes. Believing him to be the owner of the case, Don Quijote tries to follow, but Rocinante (who has not recovered from her last adventure with her master) cannot keep up.
They meet up with an old shepherd and learn this man (described as young, handsome) has been living like this for about six months; is at turns courteous and well mannered, then turns violent when he is having a mad fit. The shepherds want to catch him and bring him to a hospital or find out if he has any relatives that can help him. No sooner had Don Quijote decided that he too would look for the madman than he shows up in front of them. Sounding depressed he politely says hello to them all and Don Quijote gives the man a long hug as if he were a long lost friend.
View More Summaries on Don Quixote
