The Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots

There was a miller, who left his three sons nothing butwho left no more estate to the three sons he had, than his Mill, his Donkey, and his Cathis Mill, his Ass, and his Cat. They soon divided the inheritance.The partition was soon made. They sent for neither a legal clerk nor a lawyer.Neither the scrivener nor attorney were sent for. Their fees would soon have eaten upThey would soon have eaten up the whole small inheritanceall the poor patrimony. The eldest had the Mill, the second the Donkeythe second the Ass, and the youngest nothing but the Cat.

The poor young fellow was in despair at receiving so littlequite comfortless at having so poor a lot.

"My brothers," said he, "can make a good living by pooling their resources. But as for memay get their living handsomely enough, by joining their stocks together; but for my part, when I have eaten up my Cat, and made myself a hand warmer from his skin, I will starvemade me a muff of his skin, I must die with hunger."

The Cat, who heard all this, but pretended not tobut made as if he did not, said to him with a grave and serious air:

"Do not be so upsetDo 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 I can scamper through the dirt and brambles. You will see that inheriting me is not as bad as you thinkthat I may scamper thro' the dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you have not so bad a portion of me as you imagine."

The Cat’s master did not put much faith in this promise. But he had often seen the Cat use clever tricks to catch rats and mice.Tho' the Cat's master did not build very much upon what he said, he had however often seen him play a great many cunning tricks to catch rats and mice; He would hang by his back paws, or hide in the flour and pretend to be dead. So his master still hoped the Cat might help him escape his misery.as when he used to hang by the heels, or hide himself in the meal, and make as if he were dead; so that he did not altogether despair of his affording him some help in his miserable condition.

When the Cat had what he asked for, he pulled on his boots with a fine swagger. He slung his bag around his neck, held its strings in his front paws, and went to a warren full of rabbits.he booted himself very gallantly; and putting his bag about his neck, he held the strings of it in his two fore paws, and went into a warren where was great abundance of rabbits. He put bran and sow-thistle into his bag, and stretching out as if he were deadstretching himself out at length, as if he had been dead, he waited for some young rabbit, who did not yet know how deceitful the world could benot yet acquainted with the deceits of the world, to come and rummage his bag for what he had put into it.

He had barely lain down when he got what he wanted:Scarce was he lain down, but he had what he wanted; a rash and foolish young rabbit jumped into his bag, and Monsieur Puss immediately pulled the strings tight, caught him and killed him without pityMonsieur Puss, immediately drawing close the strings, took and killed him without pity. Proud of his prey, he went with it to the palace, and asked to speak with his Majesty. He was shown upstairsshewed up stairs into the King's apartment, and, bowing lowmaking a low reverence, said to him:

"I have brought you, sir, a rabbit from the warrena rabbit of the warren which my noble lord the Marquis of Carabas" (for that was the title which Puss was pleased to give his master) "has commanded me to present to your Majesty from him."

"Tell your masterTell thy master," said the King, "that I thank him, and that he has given me great pleasurehe does me a great deal of pleasure."

Another time he went and hid himself among some standing corn, keeping his bag open. When a pair of partridges ran into itholding still his bag open; and when a brace of partridges ran into it, he drew the strings, and so caught them both. He went and made a present of these to the King, just as he had done with the rabbit from the warrenas he had done before of the rabbit which he took in the warren. The King likewisein like manner received the partridges with great pleasure, and ordered that he be given money for a drinkordered him some money to drink.

For two or three months, the Cat continued bringing his Majesty game that he said his master had caught.The Cat continued for two or three months, thus to carry his Majesty, from time to time, game of his master's taking. One day in particular, when he knew for certain that the King was going for a drive along the riverwas to take the air, along the river side, with his daughter, the most beautiful Princess in the world, he said to his master:

"If you will follow my advice, your fortune is made. All you have to do isyour fortune is made; you have nothing else to do, but go and wash yourself in the river, at the spot I show youin that part I shall shew you, and leave the rest to me."

The Marquis of Carabas did what the Cat advised him to, without knowing whywithout knowing why or wherefore.

While he was washing, the King passed by, and the Cat began to cry out, as loud as he could:

"Help, help, my lord Marquis of Carabas is drowning."

At this noise the King put his head out of his coach-window. his coach-window, He recognised the Cat who had so often brought him such good game, and ordered his guards to hurry to the Marquis of Carabas’s rescue.and finding it was the Cat who had so often brought him such good game, he commanded his guards to run immediately to the assistance of his lordship the Marquis of Carabas.

While they were drawing the poor Marquis out of the river, the Cat came up to the coach, and told the King that while his master was washing, some thieves had come by and taken his clothes, although he had cried outthere came by some rogues, who went off with his clothes, tho' he had cried out "Thieves, thieves," several times, as loud as he could. This cunning Cat had hidden them under a great stone. The King immediately commanded the servants in charge of his clothesthe officers of his wardrobe to run and fetch one of his best suits for the lord Marquis of Carabas.

The King received him with great kindness. great kindness, The fine clothes made the young man look even better, for he was well built and very handsome. The King’s daughter secretly took a liking to him. After just two or three respectful, tender glances from the Marquis of Carabas, she fell madly in love with him.and as the fine clothes he had given him extremely set off his good mien (for he was well made, and very handsome in his person), the King's daughter took a secret inclination to him, and the Marquis of Carabas had no sooner cast two or three respectful and somewhat tender glances, but she fell in love with him to distraction. The King insisted that he join him in the coach for the drivewould needs have him come into his coach, and take part of the airing. The Cat, quite overjoyed to see his planhis project begin to succeed, marched on before, and meeting with some countrymen, who were mowing a meadow, he said to them:

"Good people, you who are mowing, if you do not tell the King, that the meadow you mow belongs to my lord Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince-meat."

Sure enough, the King asked the mowers who owned the meadow.The King did not fail asking of the mowers, to whom the meadow they were mowing belonged.

"To my lord Marquis of Carabas," answered they all together; for the Cat's threats had made them terribly afraid.

"Truly a fine estate," said the King to the Marquis of Carabas.

"You see, sir," said the Marquis, "this is a meadow which never fails to yield a plentiful harvest every year."

The Master Cat, who still went on before, met with some reapers, and said to them:

"Good people, you who are reaping, if you do not tell the King that all this corn belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince-meat."

The King, who passed by a moment after, insisted on knowing who owned all the corn he could seewould needs know to whom all that corn, which he then saw, did belong. "To my lord Marquis of Carabas," replied the reapers; and the King again congratulated the Marquis.

The Master Cat, who went always before, said the same words to all he met; and the King was astonished at the vast estates of my lord Marquis of Carabas.

Monsieur Puss came at last to a stately castle. a stately castle, It belonged to an Ogre, the richest ever known. In fact,the master of which was an Ogre, the richest had ever been known; for all the lands the King had just passed throughall the lands which the King had then gone over belonged to this castle. The Cat, who had taken care to find out who this Ogre was and what he could dohad taken care to inform himself who this Ogre was, and what he could do, asked to speak with him, saying, he could not pass so near his castle, without having the honour of paying his respects to him.

The Ogre received him as politely as an Ogre couldas civilly as an Ogre could do, and made him sit down.

"I have been assured," said the Cat, "that you have the gift of being able to change yourself into any creature you likeall sorts of creatures you have a mind to; you can, for example, transform yourself into a lion, or elephant, and the like."

"This is true," answered the Ogre very briskly, "and to convince you, you shall see me now become a lion."

Puss was so terrifiedso sadly terrified at the sight of a lion so near him, that he immediately got into the gutter, with a great deal of trouble and dangernot without abundance of trouble and danger, because of his boots, which were ill-suited for walking upon the tiles. A little while after, when Puss saw that the Ogre had resumed his natural form, he came down, and admitted he had been very frightenedowned he had been very much frightened.

"I have also been toldI have been moreover informed," said the Cat, "though I find it hard to believebut I know not how to believe it, that you have also the power to take the shapetake on you the shape of the smallest animals; for example, to change yourself into a rat or a mouse; but I must admit, I think this is impossibleI must own to you, I take this to be impossible."

"Impossible?" cried the Ogre, "you will see in a momentyou shall see that presently," and at the same time changed into a mouse, and began to run about the floor.

As soon as Puss saw this, he pounced on him and ate him up.Puss no sooner perceived this, but he fell upon him, and ate him up.

Meanwhile the King, who saw, as he passed, this fine castle of the Ogre's, wanted to go insidehad a mind to go into it. Puss, who heard the noise of his Majesty's coach running over the drawbridge, ran out and said to the King:

"Your Majesty is welcome to this castle of my lord Marquis of Carabas."

"What! my lord Marquis?" cried the King, "and does this castle also belong to you? There can be nothing finer than this court, and all the stately buildings which surround it; let us go into it, if you please."

The Marquis gave his hand to the Princess, and followed the King, who went up first. They passed into a spacious hall, where they found a magnificent meala magnificent collation which the Ogre had prepared for his friends, who were coming to visit him that very day. were that very day to visit him, They dared not enter when they learned the King was therebut dared not to enter knowing the King was there. His Majesty was delighted with the Marquis of Carabas’s good qualities. So was his daughter, who had fallen madly in love with him. Seeing the vast estate the Marquis owned, and after drinking five or six glasses, the King said to him:His Majesty was perfectly charmed with the good qualities of my lord Marquis of Carabas, as was his daughter who was fallen violently in love with him; and seeing the vast estate he possessed, said to him, after having drank five or six glasses:

"It is entirely up to you, my lord Marquis, whether you become my son-in-law.It will be owing to yourself only, my lord Marquis, if you are not my son-in-law."

The Marquis making several low bows, accepted the honour which his Majesty conferred upon him, and at once, that very same dayforthwith, that very same day, married the Princess.

Puss became a great lord, and never ran after mice any more, except for his own amusementbut only for his diversion.

The Moral

However useful it may be
To inherit, through a long family line,
A great estate,
Knowing how to act, we see,
Together with hard work,
(And this should come as no surprise)
Often proves a greater blessing,
As young people should know.How advantageous it may be,
By long descent of pedigree,
T'enjoy a great estate,
Yet knowledge how to act, we see,
Join'd with consummate industry,
(Nor wonder ye thereat)
Doth often prove a greater boon,
As should be to young people known.

Another

If a miller's son so quickly wins the heart
Of a beautiful princess, making her cast
Tender glances, her eyes melting with love,
Notice how fine clothes can help!
Youth, a handsome face and a graceful manner
Can certainly help win
A woman's love, and gently kindle
The flames of love and tender desire.If the son of a miller so soon gains the heart
Of a beautiful princess, and makes her impart
Sweet languishing glances, eyes melting for love,
It must be remark'd of fine clothes how they move,
And that youth, a good face, a good air, with good mien,
Are not always indifferent mediums to win
The love of the fair, and gently inspire
The flames of sweet passion, and tender desire.