The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, Part 34

Don Quixote, ever eager to prove his knightly prowess, is drawn into a flamboyant challenge engineered by a duke and duchess. They have hired a Gascon lacquey to pose as a rival knight, promising a showdown that will test the hidalgo’s famed arm and honor. With the date set, the master of La Mancha basks in anticipation, convinced that destiny has finally granted him a chance to perform true chivalric deeds.

Meanwhile, his faithful squire Sancho Panza rides along, half‑glad to reunite with his master and half‑sad at the thought of leaving his brief governorship. Along the road he encounters a troupe of foreign pilgrims begging for alms, and his generous spirit compels him to share his meager provisions. The encounter quickly spirals into comic confusion as the pilgrims mistake Sancho for a long‑lost companion, setting the stage for more unexpected misadventures.