Meanwhile, the knight discusses his being enamored with Casildea De Vandalia. She forced him to perform perilous deeds for her hand. She has made him fight giants and to fling himself into a pit to bring back a description of what is down it. Her latest command is to go to other knights and force them to acknowledge that she is without equal. The man brags that he defeated Don Quixote and forced him to admit the woman Casildea is more beautiful than Dulcinea.
Don Quixote replies that he must have defeated a man that looked like Don Quixote. The knight gives an accurate description of Don Quixote. Don Quixote says he was tricked by an enchanter, for he is Don Quixote. The other knight asks to wait until daylight before they battle one another. They go to find their squires and order them to make preparations.
The other squire tells Sancho they must fight each other as well. Sancho says he isn’t going to fight. He is a peaceful squire, and he doesn’t carry a sword. The other squire suggests fighting with flour bags. Sancho is for letting the knights battle only. The other squire insists that they fight too. Sancho doesn’t want to fight with someone he shared a meal with. The man offers to do something to provoke Sancho. Sancho thinks it is dangerous to provoke people.
Sancho, by the morning’s light, sees that the other squire has a really ugly nose with warts on it. He vows not to let himself be provoked into fighting such a revolting person.
The other knight covers his face, though he looks very gallant. Quixote asks to see his face. The man says he can see it after the battle. The two knights agree to the terms of the battle. Sancho wishes to avoid fighting the ugly squire and asks Quixote to hoist him into a tree. Quixote does so.
Quixote and the other knight charge each other. The other knight has problems with his horse and lance. Quixote knocks the other knight to the ground. He is astonished to see that the other knight is Samson Carrasco. Carrasco appears dead.
Sancho advises running a sword through him, for he believes he is one of the enchanters. The other squire comes up without the hideous nose and says it is Carrasco. He reveals himself to be Sancho’s neighbor, Tom Cecial.
Samson recovers. Quixote demands that he acknowledge that Dulcinea is without peer. He orders Samson to present himself to her and do anything she asks. He is then to return to Quixote and tell him what transpired. Samson promises.
Quixote doesn’t believe he really is Samson. The man says he will confess to whatever Quixote demands and asks to be let up, for he is injured. Sancho believes that perhaps the men aren’t really their friends, but bewitched to look like them. The two parties go their separate ways. Samson is to report back if Dulcinea is still enchanted when he sees her.