Puss in Boots
A young man who inherits nothing but a cat becomes a marquis thanks to the cat's wits.
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When a miller died he left his three sons an inheritance: the mill to the eldest, the donkey to the middle son, and to the youngest only a cat. The youngest was upset: "What am I to do with a cat? I'll make gloves out of its fur and be done with it."
The cat heard this and spoke in a serious voice: "Master, give me a sack and a pair of boots, and I will bring you your fortune." The astonished young man gave him what he asked. The cat put on his boots, slung the sack over his shoulder and went to the forest. He put carrots in the sack, left it open and lay down. A rabbit hopped into the sack; the cat pulled the string. He took the rabbit straight to the palace: "A gift from the Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty." The king was surprised but thanked him. For months the cat carried such gifts; the king began to wonder about this Marquis of Carabas.
One day the king went for a drive along the river with his daughter. The cat sent his master into the river: "Swim, and leave the rest to me." As the carriage passed he shouted: "Help! The Marquis of Carabas is drowning! Thieves stole his clothes!" The king had the young man rescued and dressed in the finest clothes from the palace. The young man looked so handsome that the princess smiled at him. The king took him into the carriage.
The cat ran ahead of the carriage. He told the peasants working in the fields, "If the king asks, say these fields belong to the Marquis of Carabas, or I'll chop you into mincemeat!" The king asked, and the peasants said just that. The meadows, the vineyards, the mills... all "the Marquis of Carabas's." The king was impressed.
The real owner of all these lands was a terrible ogre who lived in a castle. The cat reached the castle first. "Sir Ogre, I hear you can take any shape; can you become a lion?" The ogre became a roaring lion; the cat climbed onto the roof in fright. "And a tiny mouse? That must be harder." The ogre became a mouse. The cat swallowed the mouse in one gulp.
When the king arrived at the castle the cat met him at the gate: "Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas!" The king was enchanted. That evening the princess and the miller's youngest son were engaged. And the cat never chased mice again, except for fun.
What does this tale teach? It is not the size of the inheritance that matters but how cleverly it is used. And one more thing: treat your cat well; you never know what it might do.
The tale ends here. Sleep well.
Puss in Boots is a children's tale from Charles Perrault, suitable for ages 4-9 and about 3 minutes long. Read it free on Masal Merkezi, play a lullaby or nature sound in the background, tap any word to see its Turkish meaning and save it to your favorites. For similar tales browse the Classic Tales category.
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