When she heard of the unequal match, the poor queen mother died, and the daughter and Don Clavijo accompanied the body to its grave. Suddenly Malambruno the giant, cousin to the queen, appeared at the grave, mounted on a wooden horse. In revenge, he changed the princess and her lover into statues, placing a plaque between them which said that these presumptuous lovers would remain enchanted until Don Quixote de La Mancha engaged in single combat with the giant. Inflicting a lasting mortification on Trifaldi, the giant planted a beard on her face and on the faces of all her women. At this, the countess and all her attendants tear off their veils, shocking Sancho and Don Quixote by the sight of their bearded visages.
Don Quixote repeats his vow to aid the distressed ladies. Trifaldi says that Malambruno will send his wooden horse, Clavileno, which flies in the air and is guided by a wooden peg in its forehead. Sancho swears that he will not suffer the discomfort of straddling a wooden steed, nor engage in such a dangerous expedition. Trifaldi begs him with tears.
