Student Question
What prevents Don Quixote from finding Alifanfaron?
Quick answer:
What stops Don Quixote from locating Alifanfaron is an attack by shepherds who throw rocks and stones at him, knocking him off his horse in the process. This is in response to the Don's attacking some sheep, which he believes to be Alifanfaron's knights.
In his latest mad adventure, Don Quixote gets it into his addled brain that he must vanquish a mighty emperor called Alifanfaron, lord of the great isle of Taprobana. Apparently, Alifanfaron is a pagan who is deeply in love with the daughter of Pentapolin of the Bare Arm, king of the Garamantas. And so the Don, by killing Alifanfaron, hopes to save Pentapolin's daughter from his evil clutches.
Unsurprisingly, this is all just a figment of the Don's overactive imagination. Yet, as we might expect, he's absolutely convinced that there really is such a person as Alifanfaron who must be slain in order to preserve the modesty and faith of a Christian king's daughter.
As he and Sancho Panza approach some flocks of sheep, Don Quixote is convinced that they're Alifanfaron's knights. So he descends upon them like a crazed wolf, attacking them with his trusty spear, all the while demanding that Alifanfaron show his face.
Upon seeing what's happening, a group of shepherds and drovers try to get the Don to stop, but he plows on regardless. There's nothing for it; they are going to have to use force to drive him away from the sheep. So they start attacking him with rocks and stones, some of which hit their target, knocking the old knight off his horse.
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