Puss in Boots

Once there was a miller who had three sons. When he died, he left them very little: the eldest son received the mill, the second son received the donkey, and the youngest son received only a cat.

The youngest brother sat down and sighed. "My brothers can work together with the mill and the donkey to earn their bread. But once I have eaten my cat and made a muff from his fur, what will become of me?"

To his great surprise, the cat spoke up. "Do not worry, master," said the cat calmly. "All you need to do is give me a sack and have a pair of boots made for me, so I may walk through the brambles, and you will see that you are not so poorly off as you think."

The young man had never heard his cat speak before, but he was curious enough — and desperate enough — to do as he was asked. He found an old sack and had a fine pair of boots made for the cat's paws.

The Cat Begins His Tricks

As soon as Puss had his boots, he slung the sack over his shoulder, held its strings in his front paws, and marched off to a meadow full of rabbits. He filled the sack with bran and lettuce, lay down as if he were dead, and waited. Before long, a plump young rabbit hopped right into the sack, and Puss pulled the strings tight and caught it.

Off he strutted to the royal palace and asked to see the king. "Sire," he said, bowing low, "my master, the Marquis of Carabas, has instructed me to present you with this rabbit from his warren."

There was no Marquis of Carabas — the clever cat had simply invented the name for his poor master! But the king, delighted, said, "Tell your master I thank him."

Day after day, Puss brought partridges and other fine gifts to the king, always announcing they came from the Marquis of Carabas, until the king grew very curious about this mysterious, generous nobleman.

A Bath and a Grand Plan

One day, Puss learned that the king would be riding along the river with his beautiful daughter. He told his master, "Go and bathe in the river exactly where I tell you, and leave the rest to me."

While the young man splashed in the water, Puss hid his master's ragged clothes under a rock. When the royal carriage approached, Puss cried out, "Help! Help! My lord the Marquis of Carabas is drowning!"

The king recognized the cat who had brought him so many gifts and ordered his guards to rescue the young man at once. Then, since the "Marquis's" clothes had supposedly been stolen, the king offered him one of his own fine suits. Dressed in royal clothing, the miller's son looked so handsome that the princess fell in love with him immediately.

Outwitting the Ogre

Meanwhile, Puss ran ahead to a great castle owned by a fearsome ogre who could change his shape into any animal. "I have heard you can turn into a lion," Puss said boldly to the ogre.

The ogre transformed at once into a huge, roaring lion, and Puss nearly leapt out of his boots in fright! But he steadied himself and said, "Impressive — but surely a creature as large as yourself cannot turn into something as small as a mouse?"

The ogre, wanting to prove his skill, instantly shrank into a tiny mouse scurrying across the floor. In a flash, Puss pounced and gobbled him up! The castle — and everything the ogre owned — now belonged to no one at all.

A Happy Ending

When the king's carriage arrived at the castle gates, Puss stood proudly and announced, "Welcome to the castle of my lord, the Marquis of Carabas!" The king was amazed by the splendid halls and grounds, and before long, the miller's son married the princess. He became a great lord, and Puss became a grand and celebrated cat, chasing mice only for his own amusement from then on.

Moral / Lesson: Cleverness, courage, and quick thinking can open doors that riches alone cannot. Even someone who starts with very little can rise far, with a good friend and a sharp mind on their side.

Attribution: Adapted from Charles Perrault, Contes de ma mère l'Oye (1697) — public domain.