Mambrino's Helmet
- from Adventures of Don Quixote
by Miguel De Cervantes (Roots)
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An adventure is an exciting or dangerous experience, journey or series of events.
Now look at these pictures. Which of these things would be the most important to carry on an adventure? Put a tick against three such objects.
=
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. Circle the factual errors in these lines based on your reading. Rewrite them correctly.
a. When Mambrino died, his golden ring was stolen by evil men.
= (ring);
= When Mambrino died, his golden helmet was stolen by evil men.
b. In olden times, barbers used brass basins to mix hair oil for customers.
= (to mix hair oil);
= In olden times, barbers used brass basins for shaving for customers.
c. Don Quixote found the basin to be a very small helmet.
= (very small);
= Don Quixote found the basin to be a large helmet.
d. Don Quixote told Sancho Panza that exchanging saddles would be robbery.
= (would be);
= Don Quixote told Sancho Panza that exchanging saddles was no robbery.
2. Choose the right answer.
a. Mambrino's golden helmet was
i. stolen by evil men. [✓]
ii. misplaced by Mambrino himself. [ ]
iii. found by Don Quixote. [ ]
b. The barber clapped his basin upside down upon his head because
i. he had no place for it on his donkey. [ ]
ii. he did not have a helmet. [ ]
iii. he wanted to cover his new hat. [✓]
c. Don Quixote believes the reason Mambrino's helmet looks like a basin is
i. because it was made over by an armourer. [ ]
ii. because it was transformed by an enchanter. [✓]
iii. because its parts were missing. [ ]
Reference to context
3. "I tell you, it is Mambrino's helmet, and it is gold!" cried Don Quixote, growing angry."
a. Who is Don Quixote speaking to?
= Don Quixote is speaking to Sancho Panza.
b. Why is he growing angry?
= He is growing angry because Sancho Panza did not agree with his opinion that a knight was coming wearing a golden helmet. Rather he saw a common man riding a grey donkey much like his own. There was something bright on the top of the head of the man. But he was not sure that it was made of gold.
c. What does this line tell us about Don Quixote's character?
= This line tells us that Don Quixote was a rigid and self-obsessed man. He is stuck at his mere imagination. He is a stupid man with no rational quality.
4. "The barber saw him coming, and had just time enough to throw himself from his donkey and take to his heels. He leaped the hedge at the side of the road and ran across the fields with the swiftness of a deer."
a. Whom did the barber see coming?
= The barber saw Don Quixote and Sancho Panza coming.
b. What does the phrase 'take to his heels' mean?
= The phrase 'take to his heels' means to run away.
c. Name another animal which is known for its swiftness.
= Another animal which is known for its swiftness is Cheetah.
5. "You are a wise master," said Sancho; and without another word he made his own poor donkey look three times better by dressing him in the barber's saddle."
a. Who was a 'wise master'? Do you agree?
= Don Quixote was a 'wise master'.
I do not agree that Don Quixote was a 'wise master'. Rather he was a stupid and whimsical person with no eligibility of being a knight.
b. What had happened to make Sancho Panza believe his master was wise?
= Sancho Panza made his mind to exchange his donkey with that of the barber. Don Quixote told that exchange was no robbery. But the donkey was very dear to the barber. So Don Quixote asked Sancho to spare the donkey but exchange its saddle. This made Sancho happy and believe that his master was wise.
Reflect and answer
6. Read these three instances from the story. Which qualities of Sancho Panza are demonstrated here? Give reasons for your answers.
a. "I don't see any knight," said Sancho. "I see only a common man riding a grey donkey much like my own. There is something bright on the top of his head; but all is not gold that glitters."
b. "I was only thinking what a big jolthead it must have been to wear a helmet so much like a barber's basin."
c. "You are a wise master," said Sancho; and without another word he made his own poor donkey look three times better by dressing him in the barber's saddle."
= The first instance shows that Sancho Panza is honest and brave enough to put his opinions and observations before his master. He is outspoken to say things on faces.
The second instance depicts that Sancho Panza is intelligent enough to recognise the thing as a barber's basin. It is very weird to wear that thing on one's head.
The third instance shows his faith and subordination towards his master. He is also affectionate towards its donkey. He made his donkey look three times better by dressing him in the barber's saddle.
7. Don Quixote's passion for adventure made him blind to the truth. Do you agree?
= Don Quixote's passion for adventure made him blind to the truth. I definitely agree with this statement. He along with Sancho Panza saw the barber coming. Form the very beginning of the story, Don Quixote assumed that the barber was a knight and he was wearing the golden helmet of Mambrino. Sancho Panza rectified his mistake. But he did not listened to him rather got angry upon him.
He just had read so much about Mambrino's helmet that he could think nothing else. His mind, having dwelt so long upon this subject that he could turn anything he chose into a golden helmet. He was madly in the passion of adventure. Eventually he got the barber's basin. He saw it holding in his hand. Yet he is not ready to accept it as a basin. He opined that it looked like a barber's basin because some enchanter had changed its form.
8. After reading the story, would you call Don Quixote's journey an 'adventure'? Why or why not?
= After reading the story, I would never call Don Quixote's journey an 'adventure'. He is a whimsical person with stupid ideas. He just had read so much about Mambrino's helmet that he could think nothing else. His mind, having dwelt so long upon this subject that he could turn anything he chose into a golden helmet. He was madly in the passion of adventure.
He took the common barber for a knight with the Mambrino's golden helmet. He along with Sancho Panza, chased the poor barber and made him frightened. He fled away. Don Quixote took his basin and Sancho Panza exchanged his saddle with that of the barber's. This is clearly not an adventure. They just harassed a common person.
9. We read about Don Quixote charging towards a barber. The barber knew he was in danger and ran away. What would you do in the following situations?
a. You spot a snake crawling in your surroundings.
b. There is a frightened bird in your room.
c. There is a spider inside your bag.
= In the first situation, I would warn my neighbours about the snake and spread carbolic acid so that the snake leaves our society.
In the second situation, I would calmly open my doors and windows so that the bird can fly out of the room.
In the third situation, I would open my bag very slowly and let the spider come out.
Think about how you cope with stress, and how running away would not be the appropriate reaching for all stressful situations.
= Very first, we should stay calm in stressful situations. If we get excited, the situation would become more complex. We should not leave the situation or run away form it. We should try to find out the basic reason of it and opt out solution to it.