Whilst they were thus busied, Don Quixote began to cry aloud, saying: 'This way, this way, valorous Knights! Show the force of your valiant arms lest we lose the tournament.'
Called away by this noise and clamour they left the books and ran to Don Quixote, who had risen from his bed and was repeating his outcries and ravings, cutting about with his sword all over the room with slashes and back strokes, as wide awake as if he had never been asleep. Wherefore, taking him up in their arms, they returned him by main force into his bed.
With some difficulty they persuaded him to rest where he was, and after he had eaten his breakfast he fell asleep once again.
That same night the Housekeeper set fire to and burned all the books in the yard, and some went to the flames that had no harm in them; and thus was fulfilled the old proverb, 'The Saint sometimes pays for the Sinner.'
Now one of the remedies which the Curate and the Barber suggested for their friend's malady was to wall up and close his library, so that when he rose he should not find the books, and they might tell him the Enchanters had carried them off, room and all.
This was done, and when two days afterwards Don Quixote rose from his bed, the first thing he did was to go and visit his books. Not finding the library where he had left it, he went from one corner of the house to the other, looking for it. Sometimes he came to the place where the door had been, and felt it with his hands, then would turn his eyes up and down, here and there, to seek it, without speaking a word.
But at last he asked the Housekeeper where his library was. She being well schooled what she should answer, replied: 'What library? There is neither library nor books in this house now, for an Enchanter has carried them all away.'
'Yes, dear Uncle,' said his Niece, 'while you were away, an Enchanter came upon a cloud, and, alighting from a serpent on which he was riding, entered the library, and what he did therein I know not. But within a while after, he fled out at the roof of the house, and left all the place full of smoke, and when we went to see what he had done we found neither room nor books.'
'This must be the work of the learned Enchanter Freston,' replied Don Quixote seriously; 'a great enemy of mine who has a grudge against me, for he knows through his arts and his learning that I am in course of time to fight and vanquish in single combat a Knight whom he favours. But I tell him it is useless to oppose what is decreed.'
'Who doubts that, dear Uncle?' said his Niece. 'But why mix yourself up in these quarrels? Better stay at home peacefully, for remember the proverb says, "Many who go for wool come back shorn."'