Curious to learn more about the Knight of the White Moon, Don Antonio follows him to his lodging. "I am the bachelor Carrasco," answers the knight. "I live in the same town with Don Quixote." He tells of his first attempt to vanquish the knight, and says Samson, to retrieve my credit, I made this second attempt and have now succeeded. He packs his armor on a mule and slowly rides homeward. Don Quixote, meanwhile, melancholy and out of humor, keeps to his bed, with Sancho trying to comfort him. The knight says that after a year's retirement he shall again take up his profession. Don Antonio now enters the room, telling them of the Don Gaspar's successful escape from prison. The lovers are reunited, and the Viceroy now promises Ricote to petition the king and gain permission for him and his family to remain in Spain. Two days after this joyful scene, Don Quixote, his armor piled on Dapple, rides Rosinante slowly homeward, Sancho walking beside him.
On their fourth day of travel, they encounter a group of peasants disputing in front of an inn. The argument is between a fat and a skinny rival who intend to run a race. The three-hundred-pound challenger insists that the other man carry a heavy load in order to equalize their weights during the race. Sancho is asked to render judgment. Being experienced at this, he decides: "The challenger, so big and fat, must cut, pare, slice, or shave off a hundred and fifty pounds of his flesh," and then they can run an equal race. The peasants approve the judgment, and Don Quixote and his wise squire continue on their way. The next person they meet is Tosilos, the duke's footman. For his desire to marry Rodriguez's daughter, the duke had him flogged, packed off the girl to a nunnery, and released the duenna from his service. So terminated one of Don Quixote's most successful adventures.
