SUMMARY

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Duck Quixote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Duck Quixote

Literature Classics

The ingenious gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha:this is the full title of Miguel de Cervantes’ book, knownacross the world simply as Don Quixote. The work isdivided into two parts that were published ten yearsapart, in 1605 and 1615. Don Quixote is a delightfulparody on tales of chivalry; the author gently pokesfun at the archetypical knight in shining armour, theprotagonist of many famous stories popular in Spainin the sixteenth century.Cervantes’ re-working immediately proved successful:readers appreciated his writing and Don Quixote wasdestined to enter that small circle of great masterpiecesof world literature.The hero of this story is Don Alonso Quixano, a hidalgo – in other words a noble but pennilesscountry gentleman.6

DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in anetching by Gustave Doré for an editionof Cervantes’ novel published in the 19th century.

In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I haveno desire to call to mind, there lived not long sinceone of those gentlemen that keeps a lance in thelance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and agreyhound for coursing... The age of this gentleman ofours was bordering on fifty; he was of a hardy habit,spare, gaunt-featured, a very early riser and a greatsportsman... You must know, then, that the above-named gentleman whenever he wasat leisure (which was mostly allthe year round) gave himself upto reading books of chivalrywith such ardour and aviditythat he almost entirelyneglected the pursuit of hisfield-sports, and even themanagement of his property.

THE PARODY IS SET NEARPRESENT-DAY HOLLYWOOD.

AT THE START DONALDDUCK IS UNAWARE THAT HE

IS JUST ABOUT TO BETRANSFORMED INTO DON

QUIXOTE.

“

“

Don Alonso is a lover of tales of chivalry: he readsthem day and night and becomes so immersed in themthat he goes mad; completely lost in his own world,he decides to become a knight errant, to win fame forhimself and honour for his country. From now on hewill be called Don Quixote of La Mancha.

7

The knight Don Quixote did not havea lady to whom he could dedicatehis feats and “to be in love with; fora knight-errant without love waslike a tree without leaves or fruit”. Remembering his neighbour, a countrywoman,who went by the unromanticname of Aldonza Lorenzo, hechose her as his idealised ladyand decided to call her Dulcinea del Toboso, a decidedly more musical name that was better suitedto her role. Reaching an inn that he mistook for a castle with many towers, a moat and a drawbridge,he asked the castle keeper, or rather the innkeeper, to knight him after spending the night keeping the traditional vigil.

THE WEARY, FEEBLE KNIGHT AND DONALD DUCK QUIXOTE’S ARMOUR ANDWEAPONS, RECALL THE IMAGERY OF CERVANTE’S HERO.

So, without giving notice of his intention toanyone, and without anybody seeing him,one morning before the dawning of theday (which was one of the hottest ofthe month of July), he donned his suitof armour, mounted Rocinante with hispatched-up helmet on, braced his buckler,took his lance, and by the back door of theyard sallied forth upon the plain in the highest contentment andsatisfaction at seeing with what ease he had made a start with hisgrand purpose... a terrible thought struck him... It occurred to him thathe had not been knighted, and that according to the law of chivalry heneither could nor ought to bear arms against any knight.

THAT NIGHT, DURING HIS VIGIL, DONALD

DUCK QUIXOTE MEETSA BULL. THE INNKEEPER,

A TYPICAL MEXICAN WEARINGA SOMBRERO, IS NOTMUCH HELP TO HIM.

“

“

THE STORY

WHAT IS IT SIRE?WHY DO YOU

SIGH SO?

HIGH UP, WAY ABOVE THE CLOUDS, IN AN ENCHANTEDPLACE WHERE KNIGHTS OF OLD AND THEIR FAITHFUL

SQUIRES AND THEIR NO LESS FAITHFUL STEEDS LIVE IN ASTATE OF BLISSFUL IMMORTALITY …

SIGH!SIGH!

SIGH!

SIGH!

DUCK

17

Quixote

18

GOOD GRACIOUS! YOU ARE MISTAKEN SIRE!EVERYONE KNOWS DON

QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA!

I’VE GOT PLENTY OF REASON TO GROAN ANDSIGH! LOOK, THE WORLD

HAS FORGOTTEN US! LOOK,WE’RE GOING MOULDY AND

GATHERING COBWEBS!

EVERYONE KNOWS LA MANCHA, BUT HOW MANY KNOW DON

QUIXOTE...PHOOEY...THERE IS NOMORE CHIVALRY LEFT IN THE WORLD!

FOOL! I MEAN CHIVALRY, A KNIGHTFIGHTS FOR HIS LADY AND SEEKS

ADVENTURES, BATTLES WITH GIANTSAND STANDS UP TO WIZARDS AND

POEMS ARE WRITTENABOUT HIM!VERY TRUE! NOW WE

HAVE TANKS INSTEADOF THE CAVALRY!

BUT THEN, WHO READS POETRY ANY MORE?!

WHO? I’D LIKE TO KNOW TOO!

HERE’S WHAT’S KILLEDPOETRY! THE CINEMA,

THE RADIO AND... EVEN WORSE!TELEVISION!

AND SPORTSMAGAZINES,

THRILLERS ANDCOMIC BOOKS!

DID YOU SAYCOMICS?

YES SIRE! THOSETHINGS THEY MAKE

NOWADAYS!

SANCHO! YOU AREA GENIUS! THAT’S

A GREAT IDEA!COMICS! SLAM! UGH!

EMMM! BZZ!SNIFF!

YOU DESERVE A PRIZE, I’LL GIVE YOU AN

ISLAND!

THAT’LL BE THE DAY!

YOU’VE BEENPROMISING ME

THAT FOR THREEHUNDRED

YEARS!

THAT’S A GREAT IDEA!COMICS WILL IMMORTALISE

MY DEEDS AND A NEW HERO WILL TAKE UP MY QUEST!

OH SHIELD! NOBLEBATTLE-WEARY SHIELD!

(KISS, KISS) NEW GLORYAWAITS YOU! YOU WILL GODOWN TO EARTH IN

MY STEAD ANDBELONG TO HE WHO

IS MOST WORTHY!

WHAT AREYOU DOING

SIRE?

TO THE MOSTWORTHY!

19

20

I WILL THROW MYGLORIOUS SHIELD INTOTHE WORLD! WHOEVER

RECEIVES IT WILL BE THENEW DON QUIXOTE, THE

KNIGHT OF THE SADCOUNTENANCE!

I CAN’T WAITTO SEE WHO

GETS IT!

GO!

WITHOUT DOUBT! THE MOST HEROIC OFHEROS WILL RECEIVE IT, THE BOLDEST OF

THE BOLD,THE MOSTIMPASSIONED OF THE

PASSIONATE!

...AND THE SPINNING SHIELD MADE ITSWAY TOWARDS EARTH...

WHERE,SOMEWHERE

NEARHOLLYWOOD,CAPITAL OFCINEMA, OFSTARS, OF

BEAUTYCONTESTS AND

OTHERFILMTASTIC

STUFF

THANK YOU, MYGOOD MAN!

THERE YOU GO!