# Of the famous adventure of the enchanted bark explained — Don Quixote

> Chapter companion for Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

## What happens

Don Quixote and Sancho reach the river Ebro, where Don Quixote insists on boarding a small boat he believes is enchanted and meant to carry him to aid a knight in distress. Despite Sancho's protests that the boat belongs to fishermen, they embark. The boat drifts toward water mills, which Don Quixote mistakes for a castle. The millers try to stop the boat, causing it to capsize and throwing both into the river. They are rescued by the millers, and the boat is destroyed. Don Quixote pays for the damage, lamenting that enchanters have thwarted his adventure.

## Themes in this chapter

### Reality vs. Illusion

Don Quixote perceives the boat as enchanted and the mills as a castle, while Sancho and the millers see only a fishing boat and grain mills.

### Madness and Sanity

Don Quixote's insistence on the enchanted bark and his threats to the millers highlight his delusional state, contrasted with Sancho's practical fears.

### Chivalry and Idealism

Don Quixote's desire to rescue an imaginary knight or princess from the mills reflects his unwavering commitment to chivalric ideals.

## Character check-ins

### Don Quixote

Insists on boarding the enchanted bark, mistakes water mills for a castle, and demands the release of imaginary prisoners.

### Sancho Panza

Reluctantly follows his master, warns the boat belongs to fishermen, weeps for their animals, and prays for deliverance after the capsizing.

### Rocinante

Tied to a tree on the bank, struggles to get loose as Don Quixote and Sancho depart.

### Dapple

Tied alongside Rocinante, brays in grief at being left behind.

## Key lines

> this world is all machinations and schemes at cross purposes one with the other. I can do no more.

The world is full of conflicting plots and counterplots, and I am powerless.

_Don Quixote rationalizes his failure by blaming enchanters working against each other._

> I don’t understand that logiquous, nor have I ever heard the word all the days of my life.

I don't understand that word 'logiquous'; I've never heard it before.

_Sancho mishears Don Quixote's archaic word 'longinquous' (meaning far off), showing his lack of Latin education._

> Dapple is braying in grief at our leaving him, and Rocinante is trying to escape and plunge in after us.

Dapple is braying sadly because we are leaving him, and Rocinante is struggling to break free and follow us.

_Sancho anthropomorphizes the animals' distress as they depart in the boat._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se/chapters/part-ii-xxix
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/don_quixote_se/chapters