. . . his master's loathsome drench . . . caused such a sudden rumbling in his maw, that, before he could turn his head, he unladed the whole cargo of his stomach full in his master's face, and put him in so delicate a pickle as he was himself. Sancho having thus paid him in his own coin, half blinded as he was, ran to his ass. . . .

Cervantes crafts a moment of slapstick humor that underscores the absurdity at the heart of Don Quixote. Here, Sancho Panza inadvertently retaliates against Don Quixote's misguided heroics by vomiting onto him. The phrase "paid him in his own coin" takes a literal turn as Sancho mirrors the chaos and mess his master has caused. This episode not only highlights the physical comedy prevalent throughout the novel, but also subtly critiques Don Quixote’s quixotic ventures. His distorted sense of reality leads to consequences that are as inconvenient for him as they are embarrassing. Through this comical mishap, Cervantes illustrates the cyclical nature of folly; just as Quixote's actions disrupt the peace, Sancho's involuntary response restores the balance, albeit in a most ungraceful manner.