Don Quixote Notes | Volume 1, Chapter 41

Together with a Moor, the renegade buys a ship and makes trips to another port where he anchors in a cove very near Zoraida's summer home. They arrange for some other Christians to man the oars. The captive, using the pretense of gathering herbs for his master Arnaute Mamí's (actual name of pirate captain that had captured Cervantes), meets Zoraida's father while he is on his property and speaks with him in lingua franca. Soon, Zoraida appears and her father calls her over. She is, of course, absolutely gorgeous and perfect; the epitome of idealized beauty and not only that, but she is one smart cookie too! For, while acting as if she does not know the captive, she asks why he has not been ransomed, and he informs that he has. Quick on her feet she tells him, that if he had belonged to her father, she would have demanded twice as much ransom since Christians always lie and pretend poverty.

Topic Tracking: Idealized Women 18

A commotion arises elsewhere on the property leaving Zoraida and the captive alone to discuss the plans.

According to the plan, they manage to tie up the Moors that are on the ship, and go to get Zoraida. Unfortunately, Hadji Murad awakes and they have to stuff a hankie in his mouth and take him along too. They disembark and her father discovers that she is in on all this and wants to become a Christian. He throws himself into the sea but they retrieve him. He then says his daughter's real reason for leaving is so she can indulge her sexual appetite, and then calls her a slut. After they leave him and the Moors on land, he changes his tune and calls her beloved and that he forgives her.

A French ship approaches and asks them who they are and where they are going and they try to sail by without answering since they fear they are pirates. The French fire at them; causing their ship to sink and they beg the Frenchmen to take them on. (The Renegade had dropped the money box overboard.) The French blame the captive; explaining they wouldn't have fired upon them if they had just been polite enough to answer their question. After answering all their questions, the French ruthlessly strip them of all their possessions. Heh, but they are not all bad; they give them their skiff, some biscuits, water, and forty doubloons for pretty Zoraida.

Topic Tracking: Scapegoat 13

Heading for Gibraltar, they arrive on Christian soil and are soon met by fifty cavalrymen. One of the captives recognizes his uncle on a horse and soon the whole city comes out to see them. Zoraida gets to go to a real church with real pictures of the Virgin Mary. The captive and Zoraida buy a donkey with the doubloons and soon leave.

As they captive ends his tale; he explains that before he marries her (he is acting only as her squire right now) he wants to visit his father.