Mother goose's fairy tales/Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots

TALE IV.
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 the ſcrivener nor attorney were ſent for. They would ſoon have eaten up all the 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 enough, 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 with hunger." The Cat, who heard all this, yet made as if he did not, ſaid to him with a grave and ſerious air, "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 the brambles, and you ſhall ſee that you have not ſo bad a portion as you imagine." Though 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; 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 the bag about his neck, 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-thiſtles into the bag, and ſtretched himſelf out at length, as if he had been dead, he waited for ſome young rabbits, not yet acquianted with the deceits of the world, to come and rummage his bag for what he had put into it.

Scarce was he lain down, but he had what he wanted: a raſh and fooliſh young rabbit, jumped into his bag, and Monſieur Puſs immedately drawing cloſe the strings, took and killed him without pity. Proud of his prey, he went with it into the palace, and aſked to speak with his majeſty. He was ſhewed up ſtairs 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 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 thy maſter," ſaid the king, "that I thank him, and he does me a great deal of pleaſure"

Another time he went and hid himſelf amongſt ſome ſtanding corn, holding 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, as he had done before of the rabbit which he took in the warren. The king, in like manner received the partridges with great pleaſure, and ordered him ſome money to 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 the king was 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; you have nothing elſe to do, but go and waſh yourſelf in the river in that part I ſhall ſhew you, and leave the reſt to me." Thc Marquis of Carabas did what the Cat adviſed, without 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 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 the 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, there came by ſome rogues who went off with his clothes, though 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 officers of his wardrobe to run and fetch one of his beſt ſuits for the lord Marquis of Carabas.

The king careſſed him after a very extraordinary manner, 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 tender glances, but ſhe fell in love with him to diſtraction. The king would have him come into his coach; and take a part of the airing. The Cat overjoyed to ſee his project begin to ſucceed, marched on before, and meeting with ſome countrymen, who were mowing a meadow, he ſaid to them, "Good people, if you do not tell the king, that the meadow you mow belongs to the Marquis of Caralas, you shall be chopped as ſmall as herbs for the pot."

The king did not fail aſking the mowers to whom the meadow they were mowing belonged? "To my Lord Marquis of Carabas," anſwered they altogether; for the Cat's threats had made them terribly afraid. "You ſee, Sir," ſaid the Marquis, "this is a meadow that never fails to yield a plentiful harveſt every year." The Cat, who went on ſtill 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 herbs for the pot." The king who paſſed by a moment after, would needs know to whom all that corn did belong? "To my Lord Marquis of Carabas," replied the reapers; and the king was very well pleaſed with it, as well as the Marquis whom he congratulated thereupon. The maſter Cat went always before, ſaying the ſame words to all he met; and the king was aſtoniſhed at the vaſt eſtates of my Lord Marquis of Carabas. Monſieur Paſs came at laſt to a ſtately caſtle, the maſter of which was an Ogre, the richeſt that had ever been known; for all the lands the king had then gone over, belonged to this caſtle. The Cat having 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, witho 't having the honour 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." "This is true, anſwered the Ogre, very briſkly, and to convince you, you ſhall ſee me now 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 of no uſe at all to him in walking upon the tiles. A little while after, when Puſs ſaw that the Ogre had reſumed his natural form, he came down and owned he had been very much frightened.

"I have been moreover informed," ſaid the Cat, "but I know not how to believe it, that you have alſo the power to take upon you the ſmalleſt animal; for example, to change yourſelf into a rat or a mouſe: but I muſt own to you, I take this to be impoſſible." "Impoſſible," cried the Ogre, "you ſhall ſee that preſently," and at the ſame time, changed himſelf into a mouſe, and began to run about the floor Puſs no ſooner perceived this, but he fell upon him, and eat him up.

Meanwhile the king, who ſaw as he paſſed, this fine caſtle of the Ogre's, had a mind to go into it. Puſs who heard the noiſe of his majeſty's coach, running over the draw-bridge, run out and ſaid to the king," your majeſty is welcome to this caſtle of my Lord marquis of Carabas." "Wnat! my Lord Marquis? cried the king: And does this caſtel 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 king went up firſt, the Marquis, handing the princeſs, following. They paſſed into a ſpacious hall, where they found a magnificent collation the Ogre had prepared for his friends, who dared not enter, knowing the king was there. His majeſty was perfectly charmed with the good qualities of the Marquis, and his daughter was violently in love with him. The king, after having drank five or ſix glaſſes, ſaid to him, "My Lord Marquis, you will be only to blame, if you are not my ſon-in-law." The marquis making ſeveral low bows, accepted the honour his majeſty conferred upon him, and forthwith, the very ſame day, married the princeſs.

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