Chapter 23
Into the Sierra Morena
OF WHAT BEFELL DON QUIXOTE IN THE SIERRA MORENA, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE RAREST ADVENTURES RELATED IN THIS VERACIOUS HISTORY Seeing himself served in this way, Don Quixote said to his squire, “I have always heard it said, Sancho, that to do good to boors is to throw water into the sea. If I had believed thy words, I should have avoided this trouble; but it is done now, it is only to have patience and take warning for the future.” “Your worship will take warning as much as I am a Turk,” returned Sancho; “but, as you say…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Name the Paying for Mercy in the Mountains Move
Re-read the chapter summary and write down where paying for mercy in the mountains first appears, who pays for it, and who benefits from keeping it going. Then write one sentence you could say to interrupt the pattern without shaming the person caught in it.
Consider:
- •Separate the person's worth from the pattern's cost
- •Notice who has power to stop or fuel the scene
- •Ask what truth would require someone to give up
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you saw paying for mercy in the mountains in your own life. What finally made the pattern impossible to ignore?
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