Puss in BootsAltersversion

There was a miller who left his three sons nothing more than his mill, his donkey, and his cat. The division was soon made. No lawyer or notary was needed. They would have quickly eaten up all the poor inheritance. The eldest got the mill, the second got the donkey, and the youngest got only the cat.

The poor young man was very sad to have such a poor share.

"My brothers," he said, "can earn a decent living by joining their resources together. But as for me, when I have eaten my cat and made a muff from his skin, I will die of hunger."

The cat, who heard all this but pretended not to, said to him with a serious and thoughtful air:

"Do not worry so much, my good master. All you have to do is give me a bag and have a pair of boots made for me, so that I can run through the dirt and brambles. Then you will see that you have not such a bad lot in me as you think."

Though the cat's master did not have much faith in what he said, he had often seen him play many clever tricks to catch rats and mice, such as hanging by his heels or hiding in the flour and pretending to be dead. So he did not completely lose hope that the cat might help him in his miserable condition.

When the cat had what he asked for, he put on his boots very bravely. Hanging the bag around his neck, he held the strings with his front paws and went into a rabbit warren where there were plenty of rabbits. He put bran and sow-thistle into his bag, stretched out as if he were dead, and waited for some young rabbit, not yet familiar with the tricks of the world, to come and look for the food in his bag.

He had hardly lain down when he got what he wanted. A rash and foolish young rabbit jumped into his bag. Monsieur Puss immediately pulled the strings tight, caught the rabbit, and killed it without mercy. Proud of his prey, he went to the palace and asked to speak to the King. He was shown upstairs to the King's room, and after bowing low, he said:

"My lord, I have brought you a rabbit from the warren, which my noble master, the Marquis of Carabas" (for that was the name Puss had chosen to give his master) "has commanded me to present to Your Majesty."

"Tell your master," said the King, "that I thank him and that he gives me great pleasure."

Another time the cat went and hid among some standing corn, still holding his bag open. When a pair of partridges ran into it, he pulled the strings and caught them both. He went and presented these to the King, just as he had done with the rabbit from the warren. The King received the partridges with great pleasure and gave him some money to drink.

For two or three months, the cat continued to bring the King game from time to time, pretending it was from his master. One day, when he knew for certain that the King would be taking a walk along the riverbank with his daughter, the most beautiful princess in the world, he said to his master:

"If you follow my advice, your fortune will be made. All you have to do is go and wash yourself in the river at the spot I will show you, and leave the rest to me."

The Marquis of Carabas did what the cat advised, without knowing why.

While he was washing, the King passed by. The cat began to shout as loudly as he could:

"Help! Help! The Marquis of Carabas is drowning!"

At this noise, the King put his head out of the coach window. Recognizing the cat who had so often brought him such good game, he ordered his guards to run immediately to the assistance of the Marquis of Carabas.

While they were pulling the poor Marquis out of the river, the cat came up to the coach and told the King that while his master was washing, some thieves had come and stolen his clothes, even though he had cried 'Thieves! Thieves!' several times as loud as he could. The clever cat had hidden the clothes under a large stone. The King immediately ordered the officers of his wardrobe to fetch one of his best suits for the Marquis of Carabas.

The King received him very warmly. Since the fine clothes the King had given him made him look extremely handsome (for he was well-built and very good-looking), the King's daughter took a secret liking to him. The Marquis of Carabas had only to cast two or three respectful and slightly tender glances, and she fell in love with him completely. The King insisted that he get into the coach and join them for the ride.

The cat, overjoyed to see his plan begin to succeed, marched ahead. Meeting some farm workers who were mowing a meadow, he said to them:

"Good people, if you do not tell the King that this meadow belongs to my lord Marquis of Carabas, you will be chopped into tiny pieces!"

The King did not fail to ask the mowers to whom the meadow they were mowing belonged.

"To my lord Marquis of Carabas," they all answered together, for the cat's threats had made them very afraid.

"Truly a fine estate," said the King to the Marquis of Carabas.

"You see, sir," said the Marquis, "this is a meadow that never fails to produce a plentiful harvest every year."

The Master Cat, who still went on ahead, met some reapers and said to them:

"Good people, if you do not tell the King that all this corn belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, you will be chopped into tiny pieces!"

The King, who passed by a moment later, wanted to know to whom all that corn belonged.

"To my lord Marquis of Carabas," the reapers replied. The King again congratulated the Marquis.

The Master Cat, who always went ahead, said the same thing to everyone he met. The King was astonished at the vast estates of the Marquis of Carabas.

At last Monsieur Puss came to a stately castle. The master of this castle was an ogre, the richest ogre who had ever been known, for all the lands the King had passed through actually belonged to this castle. The cat, who had taken care to find out who this ogre was and what he could do, asked to speak with him, saying he could not pass so close to the castle without paying his respects.

The ogre received him as politely as an ogre could and made him sit down.

"I have been told," said the cat, "that you have the ability to change yourself into all sorts of creatures. You can, for example, transform yourself into a lion or an elephant, and the like."

"That is true," answered the ogre briskly, "and to prove it to you, you shall see me become a lion now."

Puss was so terribly frightened at the sight of a lion so near him that he immediately scrambled onto the roof. This was not easy, because his boots were not suited for walking on tiles. A little while later, when Puss saw that the ogre had returned to his natural form, he came down and admitted he had been very frightened.

"I have also heard," said the cat, "but I can hardly believe it, that you have the power to take the shape of the smallest animals, for example, to change yourself into a rat or a mouse. But I must say, I think this is impossible."

"Impossible?" cried the ogre. "You shall see that right now!" And at the same moment, he changed into a mouse and began to run across the floor.

Puss no sooner saw this than he pounced on the mouse and ate it up.

Meanwhile, the King, as he passed by, saw the ogre's beautiful castle and wanted to go inside. Puss heard the noise of the King's coach crossing the drawbridge, ran out, and said to the King:

"Your Majesty is welcome to this castle of my lord Marquis of Carabas."

"What! My lord Marquis!" cried the King. "Does this castle also belong to you? Nothing could be finer than this courtyard and all the stately buildings around it. Let us go inside, if you please."

The Marquis gave his hand to the Princess and followed the King, who went up first. They entered a large hall where they found a magnificent banquet that the ogre had prepared for his friends, who were supposed to visit that day but dared not enter knowing the King was there. His Majesty was completely charmed by the good qualities of the Marquis of Carabas, as was his daughter, who had fallen deeply in love with him. Seeing the vast estates he owned, the King said, after drinking five or six glasses:

"It will be up to you alone, my lord Marquis, if you wish to become my son-in-law."

The Marquis bowed deeply, accepted the honor that His Majesty gave him, and that very same day married the Princess.

Puss became a great lord and never chased mice anymore, except for fun.

The Moral:

How advantageous it may be To have a great estate from a long line of ancestors, Yet knowing how to act, along with hard work, Often proves to be a greater boon, As young people should know.

Another Moral:

If the son of a miller so soon wins the heart Of a beautiful princess and makes her give Sweet loving glances, eyes melting with love, It must be noted how fine clothes help, And that youth, a good face, a good air, and good manners Are not always useless tools to win The love of the fair and to gently inspire The flames of sweet passion and tender desire.