". . . Good sir," quoth Sancho, "as you love me, don't let me stay to see you naked; 'twill grieve me so to the heart, that I shall cry my eyes out; and I have blubbered and howled but too much since yesternight for the loss of my ass. . . ."

In this exchange from Cervantes' Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, the ever-pragmatic squire, voices his reluctance to witness Don Quixote's self-imposed penance. Sancho's wish to avoid the spectacle of his master's "naked" vulnerability is matched by his own recent distress—his beloved donkey has been stolen. By mentioning that he has "blubbered and howled but too much," Sancho highlights his emotional state and his discomfort with further sorrow. This moment underscores the mismatched priorities and emotional responses between the idealistic, self-sacrificial knight and his more down-to-earth companion. Sancho's plea is laced with humor and pathos, emphasizing the human element amid the absurdity of chivalric delusion, and revealing the bond—both touching and comical—between the two characters.