PUSS IN BOOTS
There was a miller who had three sons, and when he died he divided what
he possessed among them in the following manner: He gave his mill to the
eldest, his ass to the second, and his cat to the youngest. Each of the
brothers accordingly took what belonged to him, without the help of an
attorney, who would soon have brought their little fortune to nothing,
in law expenses. The poor young fellow who had nothing but the cat,
complained that he was hardly used: "My brothers," said he, "by joining
their stocks together, may do well in the world, but for me, when I have
eaten my cat, and made a fur cap of his skin, I may soon die of hunger!"
The cat, who all this time sat listening just inside the door of a
cupboard, now ventured to come out and addressed him as follows: "Do not
thus afflict yourself, my good master. You have only to give me a bag,
and get a pair of boots made for me, so that I may scamper through the
dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you are not so ill
provided for as you imagine." Though the cat's master did not much
depend upon these promises, yet, as he had often observed the cunning
tricks puss used to catch the rats and mice, such as hanging upon his
hind legs, and hiding in the meal to make believe that he was dead, he
did not entirely despair of his being of some use to him in his unhappy
condition.
When the cat had obtained what he asked for, he gayly began to equip
himself: he drew on his boots; and putting the bag about his neck, he
took hold of the strings with his fore paws, and bidding his master take
courage, immediately sallied forth. The first attempt Puss made was to
go into a warren in which there were a great number of rabbits. He put
some bran and some parsley into his bag; and then stretching himself out
at full length as if he was dead, he waited for some young rabbits, who
as yet knew nothing of the cunning tricks of the world, to come and get
into the bag, the better to feast upon the dainties he had put into it.
Scarcely had he lain down before he succeeded as well as could be
wished. A giddy young rabbit crept into the bag, and the cat immediately
drew the strings, and killed him without mercy. Puss, proud of his prey,
hastened directly to the palace, where he asked to speak to the king. On
being shown into the apartment of his majesty, he made a low bow, and
said, "I have brought you, sire, this rabbit from the warren of my lord
the marquis of Carabas, who commanded me to present it to your majesty
with the assurance of his respect." (This was the title the cat thought
proper to bestow upon his master.) "Tell my lord marquis of Carabas,"
replied the king, "that I accept of his present with pleasure, and that
I am greatly obliged to him." Soon after, the cat laid himself down in
the same manner in a field of corn, and had as much good fortune as
before; for two fine partridges got into his bag, which he immediately
killed and carried to the palace: the king received them as he had done
the rabbit, and ordered his servants to give the messenger something to
drink. In this manner he continued to carry presents of game to the king
from my lord marquis of Carabas, once at least in every week.
One day, the cat having heard that the king intended to take a ride that
morning by the river's side with his daughter, who was the most
beautiful princess in the world, he said to his master: "If you will but
follow my advice, your fortune is made. Take off your clothes, and bathe
yourself in the river, just in the place I shall show you, and leave the
rest to me," The marquis of Carabas did exactly as he was desired,
without being able to guess at what the cat intended. While he was
bathing the king passed by, and puss directly called out as loud as he
could bawl: "Help! help! My lord marquis of Carabas is in danger of
being drowned!" The king hearing the cries, put his head out at the
window of his carriage to see what was the matter: when, perceiving the
very cat who had brought him so many presents, he ordered his attendants
to go directly to the assistance of my lord marquis of Carabas. While
they were employed in taking the marquis out of the river, the cat ran
to the king's carriage, and told his majesty, that while his master was
bathing, some thieves had run off with his clothes as they lay by the
river's side; the cunning cat all the time having hid them under a large
stone. The king hearing this, commanded the officers of his wardrobe to
fetch one of the handsomest suits it contained, and present it to my
lord marquis of Carabas, at the same time loading him with a thousand
attentions. As the fine clothes they brought him made him look like a
gentleman, and set off his person, which was very comely, to the
greatest advantage, the king's daughter was mightily taken with his
appearance, and the marquis of Carabas had no sooner cast upon her two
or three respectful glances, then she became violently in love with him.
The king insisted on his getting into the carriage and taking a ride
with them. The cat, enchanted to see how well his scheme was likely to
succeed, ran before to a meadow that was reaping, and said to the
reapers: "Good people, if you do not tell the king, who will soon pass
this way, that the meadow you are reaping belongs to my lord marquis of
Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince meat." The king did not
fail to ask the reapers to whom the meadow belonged? "To my lord marquis
of Carabas," said they all at once; for the threats of the cat had
terribly frighted them. "You have here a very fine piece of land, my
lord marquis," said the king. "Truly, sire," replied he, "it does not
fail to bring me every year a plentiful harvest." The cat who still went
on before, now came to a field where some other labourers were making
sheaves of the corn they had reaped, to whom he said as before: "Good
people, if you do not tell the king who will presently pass this way,
that the corn you have reaped in this field belongs to my lord marquis
of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince meat." The king
accordingly passed a moment after, and inquired to whom the corn he saw
belonged? "To my lord marquis of Carabas," answered they very glibly;
upon which the king again complimented the marquis upon his noble
possessions. The cat still continued to go before, and gave the same
charge to all the people he met with; so that the king was greatly
astonished at the splendid fortune of my lord marquis of Carabas. Puss
at length arrived at a stately castle, which belonged to an Ogre, the
richest ever known; for all the lands the king had passed through and
admired were his. The cat took care to learn every particular about the
Ogre, and what he could do, and then asked to speak with him, saying, as
he entered the room in which he was, that he could not pass so near his
castle without doing himself the honour to inquire after his health. The
Ogre received him as civilly as an Ogre could do, and desired him to be
seated, "I have been informed," said the cat, "that you have the gift of
changing yourself to all sorts of animals; into a lion or an elephant
for example." "It is very true," replied the Ogre somewhat sternly; "and
to convince you I will directly take the form of a lion." The cat was so
much terrified at finding himself so near to a lion, that he sprang from
him, and climbed to the roof of the house; but not without much
difficulty, as his boots were not very fit to walk upon the tiles.
Some minutes after, the cat perceiving that the Ogre had quitted the
form of a lion, ventured to come down from the tiles, and owned that he
had been a good deal frightened, "I have been further informed,"
continued the cat, "but I know not how to believe it, that you have the
power of taking the form of the smallest animals also; for example of
changing yourself to a rat or a mouse: I confess I should think this
impossible." "Impossible! you shall see;" and at the same instant he
changed himself into a mouse, and began to frisk about the room. The cat
no sooner cast his eyes upon the Ogre in this form, than he sprang upon
him and devoured him in an instant. In the meantime the king, admiring
as he came near it, the magnificent castle of the Ogre, ordered his
attendants to drive up to the gates, as he wished to take a nearer view
of it. The cat, hearing the noise of the carriage on the drawbridge,
immediately came out, saying: "Your majesty is welcome to the castle of
my lord marquis of Carabas." "And is this splendid castle yours also, my
lord marquis of Carabas? I never saw anything more stately than the
building, or more beautiful than the park and pleasure grounds around
it; no doubt the castle is no less magnificent within than without:
pray, my lord marquis, indulge me with a sight of it."
The marquis gave his hand to the young princess as she alighted, and
followed the king who went before; they entered a spacious hall, where
they found a splendid collation which the Ogre had prepared for some
friends he had that day expected to visit him; but who, hearing that the
king with the princess and a great gentleman of the court were within,
had not dared to enter. The king was so much charmed with the amiable
qualities and noble fortune of the marquis of Carabas, and the young
princess too had fallen so violently in love with him, that when the
king had partaken of the collation, and drunk a few glasses of wine, he
said to the marquis: "It will be you own fault, my lord marquis of
Carabas, if you do not soon become my son-in-law." The marquis received
the intelligence with a thousand respectful acknowledgments, accepted
the honour conferred upon him, and married the princess that very day.
The cat became a great lord, and never after ran after rats and mice but
for his amusement.