the Blue Fairy book by Andrew Lang the master cat
or Puss in Boots there was a Miller who left no more estate to the three sons he had than his Mill
his ass and his cat the partition was soon made neither scrivener nor attorney was sent for they
would soon have eaten up all the poor patrimony the eldest had the mill the second the ass and the
youngest nothing but the cat the poor young fellow was quite comfortless at having so poor a lot my
brothers said he may get their living handsomely E
nough by joining their stocks together but for
my part when I have eaten up my cat and made me a muff of his skin I must die of hunger the cat
who heard all this but made as if he did not said to him with a grave and serious Heir do not thus
afflict yourself my good Master you have nothing else to do but to give me a bag and get a pair
of boots made for me that I may Scamper through the dirt and brambles and you shall see that you
have not so bad a portion in me as you imagine the cat's Mas
ter did not build very much upon what
he said he had often seen him play a great many cunning tricks to catch rats and mice 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 booted himself very gallantly and putting his bag about his neck he held the
strings of it in his two Four Paws and went into a Warren where the
re was a great abundance of
rabbits he put bran and so thistle into his bag and stretching out at lengths as if he had been
dead he waited for some young rabbits not yet acquainted with the deceits of the world to come
and rummage his bag for what he had put into it scarce was he laying down but he had what he
wanted a rash and foolish young rabbit jumped into his bag and Monsieur puss immediately drawing
close the strings took and killed him Without Pity proud of his prey he went with it t
o the palace
and asked to speak with his majesty he was shown upstairs into the king's apartment and making
a low reverence said to him I have brought you sir a rabbit of the Warren which my Noble Lord
The Marquis of Carrabbas for that was the title which puss was pleased to give to his master has
commanded me to present to your majesty from him tell thy Master said the king that I thank him
and that he does me a great deal of pleasure another time he went and hid himself among some
standi
ng corn holding still his bag open and when abrasive partridges ran to it he drew the strings
and so caught them both he went and made a present of these to the king as he had done before of the
rabbit which he took in the Warren the king in like Manor received the partridges with great
pleasure and ordered him some money for drink 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 he was to take the air along the Riverside 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 you have nothing else to do but to go and wash yourself in the river in that
part I shall show you and leave the rest to me The Marquis of carrabbis did what the cat
advised him to without knowing why or wherefore while he was washing the king passed by and the
cat began to cry out help help my Lord Marquis of Carr
abbas is going to be drowned at this noise
the king put his head out of the coach window 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 Marquee of Carrabbas while they were drawing the poor Marquis out of
the river the cat came up to the coach and told the king that well his master was washing
there came by some Rogues who went off with his clothes though he had cried out thieves
thieve
s several times as loud as he could this canning cat had hidden them under a great
Stone the king immediately commanded the officers of his wardrobe to run and fetch one of the
best suits for the Lord Marquis of Carrabbas the king caressed him after a very extraordinary
Manner and as the fine clothes he had given him extremely set off his good men 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 carrabbis had no soo
ner cast two or three respectful and somewhat tender glances but
she fell in love with him to distraction the king would need to have him come into the coach and
take part of the airing the cat quite Overjoyed to see his project begin to succeed marched before
and meeting with some countrymen who were mowing a meadow he said to them good people you are mowing
if you do not tell the king that the metal you mow belongs to my Lord Marquis of Carrabbas who
shall be chopped as small as herbs for
the pot the king did not fail asking of the mowers to whom
the meadow they were mowing belonged to my Lord Marquis of carrabbis answered they all together
for the cats threats had made them terribly afraid you see sir said the Marquee 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
Carrabbas you shall be chopped as
small as herbs for the pot the king who passed by a moment after wood needs know to whom All
That Corn which he then saw did belong to my Lord Marquis of Carrabbas replied the Reapers and
the King was very well pleased with it as well as the Marquis whom he congratulated there upon the
master cat who always went before said the same words to all he met and the King was astonished at
the vast Estates of my Lord Marquis of Carrabbas Messier post came at last
to a stately Castle the
master of which was an ogre the richest had ever been known for all the lands which the king had
then gone over belonged to this Castle the cat who had taken care to inform himself who this ogre was
and what he could do asked to speak to him saying he could not pass so near his castle without
having the honor of paying his respects to him the ogre received him as 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 all sorts of creatures you have a mind to you can for example transform
yourself into a lion or elephant and the like that is true answered the ogre very briskly and
to convince you you shall now see me become a lion puss was so sadly terrified at the sight of a
lion so near him that he immediately got into the gutter not without abundance of trouble
and danger because of his boots which were no use at all to him in Walking upon the tiles a
little whi
le after when pus saw that the ogre had resumed his natural form he came down
and owned he had been very much frightened I have been more over informed to said the cat
but I know not how to believe it but you have also the power to take on you the shape of the
smallest animals for example to change yourself into a rat or a mouse but I must own to you
I take this to be impossible impossible cry the ogre you shall see that presently and at
the same time he changed himself into a mouse and beg
an to run about the floor post no sooner
received this but P fell upon him and ate him up meanwhile the king who saw as he passed this
fine castle of the ogres had a mind to go into it Huss 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 Carrabbas what my Lord Marquis caught the king and does this Castle also belong
to you there can be nothing finer than this court and all the st
ately buildings which surround
it let us go into it if you please the Marquee gave his hand to the princess and followed the
king who went first they passed into a spacious Hall where they found a magnificent collation
which the ogre had prepared for his friends who were that very day to visit him but dared not
enter knowing the King was there his majesty was perfectly Charmed with the good qualities of my
Lord Marquis of Carrabbas as was his daughter who had fallen violently in love with h
im and
seeing the vast estate he possessed said to him after having drunk five or six glasses it will be
owing to yourself only my Lord Marquis if you are not my son-in-law the Marquee making several
low bows accepted the honor which his majesty conferred upon him and forthwith that very same
day married the princess puss became a great Lord and never ran after mice anymore but only for his
diversion end of the master cat or Puss in Boots
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