Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes, Chapter VII, Paragraphs 17-end

PARAGRAPH 17: In short, then, he remained at home fifteen days very quietly without showing any signs of a desire to take up with his former delusions, and during this time he held lively discussions with his two gossips, the curate and the barber, on the point he maintained, that knights-errant were what the world stood most in need of, and that in him was to be accomplished the revival of knight-errantry. The curate sometimes contradicted him, sometimes agreed with him, for if he had not observed this precaution he would have been unable to bring him to reason.

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 17:
Don Quixote hung around the house for 15 days (somebody must have a trust fund). He acted relatively normal, but talked alot with the priest and barber/doctor about the world needing more knights and he was the one that was going to make it trendy to be a knight again. His friends humored him.

PARAGRAPH 18: Meanwhile Don Quixote worked upon a farm labourer, a neighbour of his, an honest man (if indeed that title can be given to him who is poor), but with very little wit in his pate. In a word, he so talked him over, and with such persuasions and promises, that the poor clown made up his mind to sally forth with him and serve him as esquire. Don Quixote, among other things, told him he ought to be ready to go with him gladly, because any moment an adventure might occur that might win an island in the twinkling of an eye and leave him governor of it. On these and the like promises Sancho Panza (for so the labourer was called) left wife and children, and engaged himself as esquire to his neighbour. Don Quixote next set about getting some money; and selling one thing and pawning another, and making a bad bargain in every case, he got together a fair sum. He provided himself with a buckler, which he begged as a loan from a friend, and, restoring his battered helmet as best he could, he warned his squire Sancho of the day and hour he meant to set out, that he might provide himself with what he thought most needful. Above all, he charged him to take alforjas with him. The other said he would, and that he meant to take also a very good ass he had, as he was not much given to going on foot. About the ass, Don Quixote hesitated a little, trying whether he could call to mind any knight-errant taking with him an esquire mounted on ass-back, but no instance occurred to his memory. For all that, however, he determined to take him, intending to furnish him with a more honourable mount when a chance of it presented itself, by appropriating the horse of the first discourteous knight he encountered. Himself he provided with shirts and such other things as he could, according to the advice the host had given him; all which being done, without taking leave, Sancho Panza of his wife and children, or Don Quixote of his housekeeper and niece, they sallied forth unseen by anybody from the village one night, and made such good way in the course of it that by daylight they held themselves safe from discovery, even should search be made for them.

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 18:
Okay, Don Quixote is crazy like a fox. While he is lulling his household into a false sense of security he is chatting up one of his neighborhood peasants by the name of Sancho Panza. Sancho apparently isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Don Quixote convinces him that he should be his squire and ride off with him to seek adventure. He alludes that Sancho could get rich if they encounter any adventure that involves whooping a rich knight and ripping off his kingdom. Don Quixote then starts raising money for his adventures by selling stuff out of his house at bargain prices. He then borrows some new armor from a friend and tapes together his cardboard helmet. The Don tells Sancho when they are going to leave and instructs him to pack some provisions for the journey. Sancho says he will and will also bring along "a very good ass" he has. Once again I will have to take the high road here and say that this phrase had a very different meaning in Cervantes' time. We are talking a donkey type animal. And Don Quixote is a little hesitant to have a squire following him sitting on his ass. But he agrees think he will give Sancho the horse of the first knight he wins a fight with. Don Quixote then packs some clean shirts and underwear and one morning they slink off without telling anyone.

PARAGRAPH 19: Sancho rode on his ass like a patriarch, with his alforjas and bota, and longing to see himself soon governor of the island his master had promised him. Don Quixote decided upon taking the same route and road he had taken on his first journey, that over the Campo de Montiel, which he travelled with less discomfort than on the last occasion, for, as it was early morning and the rays of the sun fell on them obliquely, the heat did not distress them.

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON CHAPTER 19:
Sancho sits on his ass surrounded by provision and thinking about the kingdom he will eventually rule. Don Quixote decides to take the same road he travelled on his last trip.

PARAGRAPH 20: And now said Sancho Panza to his master, "Your worship will take care, Senor Knight-errant, not to forget about the island you have promised me, for be it ever so big I'll be equal to governing it."

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 20:
Sancho tells Don Quixote not to forget that he promised him and island kingdom to rule.

PARAGRAPH 21: To which Don Quixote replied, "Thou must know, friend Sancho Panza, that it was a practice very much in vogue with the knights-errant of old to make their squires governors of the islands or kingdoms they won, and I am determined that there shall be no failure on my part in so liberal a custom; on the contrary, I mean to improve upon it, for they sometimes, and perhaps most frequently, waited until their squires were old, and then when they had had enough of service and hard days and worse nights, they gave them some title or other, of count, or at the most marquis, of some valley or province more or less; but if thou livest and I live, it may well be that before six days are over, I may have won some kingdom that has others dependent upon it, which will be just the thing to enable thee to be crowned king of one of them. Nor needst thou count this wonderful, for things and chances fall to the lot of such knights in ways so unexampled and unexpected that I might easily give thee even more than I promise thee."

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 21:
Don Quixote tells Sancho not to worry. It is a common practise for knights to reward their squires with conquered property. But most don't get anything until they retire. The Don says he figures it shouldn't take him more than six days to acquire some spoils to share with his ass-sitting squire.

PARAGRAPH 22: "In that case," said Sancho Panza, "if I should become a king by one of those miracles your worship speaks of, even Juana Gutierrez, my old woman, would come to be queen and my children infantes."

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 22:
Sancho points out that if he becomes a king, than his wife will become a queen and his children royalty (the boy is pretty sharp).

CHAPTER 23: "Well, who doubts it?" said Don Quixote.

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 23:
Don Quixote says, "Duh."

PARAGRAPH 24: "I doubt it," replied Sancho Panza, "because for my part I am persuaded that though God should shower down kingdoms upon earth, not one of them would fit the head of Mari Gutierrez. Let me tell you, senor, she is not worth two maravedis for a queen; countess will fit her better, and that only with God's help."

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 24:
Sancho says that he has his doubts whether his wife could be a queen and suggests that the most she would be worthy of is being a countess.

PARAGRAPH 25: "Leave it to God, Sancho," returned Don Quixote, "for he will give her what suits her best; but do not undervalue thyself so much as to come to be content with anything less than being governor of a province."

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 25:
Don Quixote tells Sancho not to let God make the decision and not to sell himself short.

PARAGRAPH 26: "I will not, senor," answered Sancho, "specially as I have a man of such quality for a master in your worship, who will know how to give me all that will be suitable for me and that I can bear."

TIM'S OBSERVATIONS ON PARAGRAPH 26:
Sancho agrees, and then sucks up to Don Quixote by telling him how great a master he is. Hey Sancho, whats that on your nose?