Of the High Adventure and Conquest of Mambrino's Helmet, with Other Events Relating to Our Invincible Knight.
From a distance, Don Quixote sees a knight on a dappled steed wearing a golden, glistening helmet. As they approach, Sancho remarks that it is indeed a person on a gray ass wearing something like a barber's basin on his head. "Nonsense," says the Don, "That is a knight wearing Mambrino's helmet [Mambrino was a Saracen deprived by Don Rinaldo of his golden helmet] and I shall deal with him while you wait here." Sancho is right, of course, for the traveling barber has placed his bronze basin over his new hat to protect it from the rain. Don Quixote charges his adversary, and the poor barber throws himself to the ground to avoid being speared by the lance. He then runs through the fields as fast as possible. Don Quixote wins the helmet and Sancho exchanges the trappings of his ass for the superior packsaddle of the barber's mule. Pleasantly discoursing, the two well-furnished companions ride contentedly along.
