Puss in Boots
Once upon a time, a miller died,
leaving the mill to his eldest son,
a donkey to his second son,
and nothing but a cat to his youngest son.
The eldest son kept the mill.
The second son took the donkey
and set off in search of his fortune,
while the third, finding the whole
situation quite unfair,
sat down on a stone and sighed.
The cat, though, heard his words and said,
Give me a cloak,
a hat with a feather in it,
a bag, and a pair of boots,
and you will see what I can do.
The young man gave the
cat what he asked for,
and the cat was off.
He swiftly caught a plump wild rabbit,
popped it into his bag,
knocked at the castle gate,
went before the king,
and removing his hat with
a sweeping bow said,
The famous Marquis of Carabas,
for this is what he called his master,
sends you this fine plump rabbit as a gift.
Oh, said the king,
thank you very much.
The next day, he came back
with some partridges
tucked away in his bag.
Another gift from the brave Marquis of Carabas,
he announced.
In the days that followed,
Puss in Boots
regularly visited the castle,
carrying rabbits, hares,
partridges,
and skylarks,
presenting them all to the king
in the name of the Marquis of
Carabas.
People at the palace
began to gossip
about this noble gentleman.
The queen was very interested
in the generous man
who sent this abundance of presents.
"'Is your master young and
handsome?'
she asked the cat.
"'Yes. In fact, he would be very honored
if you and the king called to see
him in his castle.'
When the cat returned home
and told his master
that the king and queen were
going to visit him,
the master was horrified.
Leave everything to me.
I have a plan,
replied Puss in Boots.
The clever creature
continued presenting gifts to the
king and queen.
One day he discovered
that they were taking the princess on
a carriage ride.
The cat hurried home
in great excitement.
Master, master, come
along, he cried.
You must go for a swim in the river.
But I can't swim,
fretted the young man.
That's all right, replied Puss in Boots.
So they went to the river.
When the king's carriage appeared,
the cat pushed his master
into the water.
The king heard his cries
and sent his escorts to
the rescue.
They arrived just in time
to save the poor bedraggled man
who was really drowning.
The king and the queen and
the princess tended to him
and ordered him new clothes to
be bought.
In these new clothes from the royal wardrobe,
the master looked extremely
handsome.
"'Wouldn't you like to marry such a
handsome man?'
the queen asked her daughter.
"'Oh, yes,' replied the princess.
However, the crafty cat overheard
one of the minister's remark
that they must find out how rich he was.
He owns the castle and all this land.
Come and see for yourself."
And with that, the cat scurried
off
in the direction of the castle,
shouting at the peasants working in
the fields.
If anyone asks you who
is your master,
answer, the Marquis of Carabas.
And so, frightened by what the
cat might do to them
if they didn't follow his orders,
the peasants told the king
that their master was the Marquis of
In the meantime, Puss in Boots
had arrived at the castle,
the home of a huge, cruel ogre.
Sire, I've heard you possess great powers,
that, for instance,
you can change into anything you like.
That's perfectly true, said the ogre.
And what of it?
Well, said the cat, I
was talking to certain friends of mine
who said that you can't
turn yourself into anything you like.
So that's what they say, is it?"
exclaimed the ogre.
The cat nodded. Oh, yes?
Well just watch this, retorted the ogre,
turning into a mouse.
In a flash, the cat leaped on the mouse
and ate it whole.
Then he dashed to the castle gate,
and just in time for the king's carriage
had arrived.
With a bow, Puss in Boots said, Sire,
welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas.
The king and queen, the princess,
and the miller's son
got out of the carriage.
The king said, My dear Marquis,
you are a fine, handsome young man.
You have a great deal of land
and a magnificent castle.
Tell me, are you married?
No, the young man answered,
but I would like to find a wife.
He looked at the princess as he
spoke.
She in turn smiled at him.
Soon, they married
and lived happily ever after.
