Puss in Boots

Part One · A Cat for a Fortune

Once there was an old miller who had three sons. When he grew too old to work, he gave away everything he owned. The oldest son got the mill, and the second son got the donkey. The youngest son got only the cat. "My brothers can work together and earn a good living," he sighed. "But what can I possibly do with a cat?"

The cat heard every word. "Don't be sad, master," he said. "Just give me a bag and a pair of boots, so I can walk through the brambles. Then you will see that you did not get such a bad share after all." The young man did not really believe him. But he knew this cat was very clever at catching mice, so he gave him what he asked for.

The cat pulled on his fine new boots and hung the bag around his neck. He filled it with lettuce and went to a field full of rabbits. Then he lay down very still, as if he were asleep. Soon a young rabbit hopped into the bag to nibble the lettuce. Snap! The cat pulled the strings tight, and off he marched to the King's palace.

Puss bowed low before the King, sweeping his hat across the floor. "Your Majesty," he said, "here is a fine rabbit from the gardens of my lord, the Marquis of Carabas." That was the grand name the cat had invented for his master. "Tell your master I thank him," said the King, "and that his gift pleases me very much."

Next the cat caught two plump partridges in a wheat field, and he gave them to the King too. For two or three months, Puss kept bringing presents from the Marquis of Carabas. Then one day he heard that the King was going for a drive along the river with his daughter, the most beautiful princess in the world. "Now is our chance," said the cat to his master.

Part Two · The Marquis of Carabas

"Do just as I say," said Puss, "and your fortune is made. Go and swim in the river, right where I show you, and leave the rest to me." His master had no idea why, but he did as he was told. While he was splashing in the water, the cat quickly hid his master's ragged old clothes under a big rock.

Soon the King's coach came rolling along the river road. The cat ran out, shouting at the top of his voice. "Help! Help! My lord the Marquis of Carabas is drowning!" The King looked out of the window and saw the cat who had brought him so many presents. At once he ordered his guards to run and pull the Marquis out of the river.

"Some robbers stole my master's clothes while he was swimming," said Puss sadly. "He has nothing to wear!" The King sent for one of his own finest suits at once. The young man looked so handsome in it that the Princess smiled at him, and then she smiled again. The King invited him to ride along in the royal coach, and the cat raced on ahead.

Soon the cat came to some farmers cutting hay in a meadow. "Good people," he said, twirling his whiskers, "when the King comes by, you must say that this meadow belongs to the Marquis of Carabas. If you don't, you will be very sorry!" The farmers had never seen a cat in boots before, and they were too surprised to say no.

A little later, the King's coach stopped. "Whose fine meadow is this?" asked the King. "It belongs to the Marquis of Carabas," said all the farmers together. Next the coach passed a great field of wheat, and the reapers said the same thing. Everywhere they went, the King heard the same name. "My lord Marquis, you have splendid lands," he said, very impressed.

Part Three · The Ogre's Castle

All this time, the cat was running ahead. At last he came to a grand castle that belonged to an ogre, the richest ogre ever seen. All the lands the King had driven past were really his. Puss knocked politely on the door. "I have heard that you are very clever," he said to the ogre, "and I have come to pay my respects."

"It's true," said the ogre, very pleased. "People say you can turn yourself into any animal you like," said Puss, "even a lion." "Watch this!" roared the ogre, and suddenly a huge lion stood there. The cat was so frightened that he leaped up onto the roof. That was hard work, because boots are no good at all for walking on tiles.

When the ogre turned back into himself, Puss climbed down, still shaking. "That was amazing," he said. "But I bet you could never turn into something tiny, like a little mouse. That must be impossible." "Impossible?" roared the ogre. "You shall see!" And in a blink, a little gray mouse was scampering across the stone floor.

Puss pounced and caught the mouse by its tail. "Now listen to me," he said. "Leave this castle and never come back, or I will gobble you up." The ogre squeaked with fright. As soon as the cat let go, he ran down a hole, out the other side and away over the hills. He was so scared that he never dared to be big again.

Just then, the cat heard the King's coach rolling over the drawbridge. He ran out to meet it and bowed very low. "Welcome, Your Majesty," he said, "to the castle of my lord, the Marquis of Carabas!" "What!" cried the King. "Is this castle yours too?" Inside, a great feast was waiting on the table, because the ogre had been expecting friends for supper.

The King was charmed by the young man's good manners and his fine castle, and the Princess liked him more with every minute. Before long, the miller's youngest son married the Princess, and they were very happy. As for Puss, he became a great lord in fine boots, and after that he only chased mice for fun. Not bad for a son who got nothing but a cat!