Puss in Boots

Long ago, in a small village, there lived an old miller with three sons. When the miller died, he had little to leave behind: only his mill, his donkey, and his cat. The eldest son got the mill, the middle son got the donkey, and the youngest got only the cat. The young man sat on a stump outside the cottage and sighed heavily. 'My brothers can earn their bread together,' he said, 'but when I have eaten up my cat and made a muff of his skin, I shall starve to death.'

The Cat had heard it all, though he pretended to be asleep. He sat up, tilted his head, and said in a very grave voice: 'Do not despair, dear master. Just get me a bag and have a fine pair of boots made for me, so I can scamper through brambles and thistles. Then you shall see I am not such a poor inheritance as you think.' The young man blinked and stared. A cat that spoke! And a cat that demanded boots! But he had nothing to lose. He took his last coins and bought a small pair of leather boots and a bag with a drawstring.

The Cat pulled on his boots very smartly, slung the bag around his neck, and grasped the strings with both forepaws. Then he crept off to a great wooded slope where there were plenty of rabbits. He put bran and dandelions into his bag, stretched out on the ground, and lay perfectly still, as if he were dead. A little rabbit, who did not yet know how cunning the world could be, hopped curiously forward and crawled into the bag to nibble. Quick as a flash, the Cat drew the strings and caught the rabbit. He was very proud of his first prize.

With the rabbit in his bag, the Cat went straight to the palace and asked to see the king. He bowed deeply, took off his hat, and said: 'Your Majesty, my master, the noble Marquis of Carabas, has bidden me bring you this rabbit as a gift.' The king smiled broadly and frowned a little, for he had never heard of any Marquis of Carabas. But the gift was fine and the Cat was polite. 'Thank your master,' said the king kindly, 'and tell him his gift gives me great pleasure.' The Cat bowed again and padded home very pleased.