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The goatherds did not understand this jargon about squires and

knights-errant, and all they did was to eat in silence and stare at their

guests, ith great elegance and appetite were stowing away pieces as

big as one's fist The course of reat heap of parched acorns, and with them they put down a

half cheese harder than if it had been made of mortar All this while the

horn was not idle, for it went round so constantly, now full, now empty,

like the bucket of a water-wheel, that it soon drained one of the two

wine-skins that were in sight When Don Quixote had quite appeased his

appetite he took up a handful of the acorns, and conte them

attentively delivered hie, happy the tiolden, not because in that fortunate age the gold so coveted in this our

iron one was gained without toil, but because they that lived in it knew

not the tords "s were

in common; to win the daily food no labour was required of any save to

stretch forth his hand and gather it fro hi brooks yielded their savoury liacious bees fixed their republic in the clefts

of the rocks and hollows of the trees, offering without usance the

plenteous produce of their fragrant toil to every hand The hty cork

trees, unenforced save of their own courtesy, shed the broad light bark

that served at first to roof the houses supported by rude stakes, a

protection against the inclemency of heaven alone Then all was peace,

all friendship, all concord; as yet the dull share of the crooked plough

had not dared to rend and pierce the tender bowels of our first mother

that without compulsion yielded from every portion of her broad fertile

bosoht the children that then

possessed her Then was it that the innocent and fair young shepherdess