“The biggest I ever saw,” said the man on top of the wagon.  “I am the keeper, and I have had charge of many lions, but I never saw one so large as this.  Pray get out of the way, sir, for we must hurry on to our stopping-place.  It is already past his feeding-time; he is beginning to get hungry, and they are always savage when they are hungry.”

“What!” cried Don Quixote, “lion whelps against me!  I’ll let those gentlemen know who send lions this way, that I am not to be scared by any of their lions.  So, Mr. Keeper, just jump down and open his cage, and let him out.  In spite of all the enchanters in the world that have sent him to try me, I’ll let the animal see who Don Quixote de la Mancha is.”

Up ran Sancho to the gentleman in green.

“O good, dear sir,” he cried, “don’t let my master get at the lion, or we shall all be torn to pieces.”

“Why,” said the gentleman, “is your master so mad that you fear he’ll set upon such a dangerous brute.”

“Oh no, sir, he’s not mad; he’s only rash, very, very rash,” cried Sancho.

“Well,” said the gentleman, “I’ll see to it,” and up he went to Don Quixote, who was trying to get the keeper to open the cage.

“Sir,” said he, “knight-errants ought not to engage in adventures from which there is no hope of coming off in safety.  That is more like madness than courage.  Besides, this is the King’s wagon; it will never do to stop that.  And after all, the lion has not been sent against you; it is a present to the King.”

“Pray, sir,” cried Don Quixote, “will you attend to your own business?  This is mine, and I know best whether this lion has been sent against me or not.  Now you, sir,” he cried to the keeper, “either open that cage at once, or I’ll pin you to your wagon with my spear.”

“For mercy’s sake, sir,” cried the driver, “do but let me take my mules out of harm’s way before the lion gets out.  My cart and my mules are all I have in the world, and I shall be ruined if harm comes to them.”

“Take them out quickly, then,” said Don Quixote, “and take them where you please.”

On this the driver made all the haste he could to unharness his mules, while the keeper called aloud, “Take notice, everybody, that it is against my will that I am forced to let loose the lion, and that this gentleman here is to blame for all the damage that will be done.  Get out of the way, everybody:  look out for yourselves.”

Once more the gentleman in green tried to persuade Don Quixote not to be so foolish, but the Knight only said, “I know very well what I am doing.  If you are afraid, and do not care to see the fight, just put spurs to your mare and take yourself where you think you will be safe.”

Sancho now hurried up, and with tears in his eyes begged his master not to put himself in so great danger, but Don Quixote only said, “Take yourself away, Sancho, and leave me alone.  If I am killed, go, as I have so often told you, to the beautiful Dulcinea, and tell her—­you know what to tell her.”