There was
a miller who had
three sons, and when he died he divided what he possessed among them in
the following manner: He gave his mill to the eldest, his ass to the
second,
and his cat to the youngest. Each of the brothers accordingly took what
belonged to him, without the help of an attorney, who would soon have
brought
their little fortune to nothing, in law expenses. The poor young fellow
who had nothing but the cat, complained that he was hardly used: "My
brothers,"
said he, "by joining their stocks together, may do well in the world,
but
for me, when I have eaten my cat, and made a fur cap of his skin, I may
soon die of hunger!" The cat, who all this time sat listening just
inside
the door of a cupboard, now ventured to come out and addressed him as
follows:
"Do 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 that I may scamper
through
the dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you are not so ill
provided
for as you imagine." Though the cat's master did not much depend upon
these
promises, yet, as he had often observed the cunning tricks puss used to
catch the rats and mice, such as hanging upon his hind legs, and hiding
in the meal to make believe that he was dead, he did not entirely
despair
of his being of some use to him in his unhappy condition.
When the cat
had obtained what
he asked for, he gayly began to equip himself: he drew on his boots;
and
putting the bag about his neck, he took hold of the strings with his
fore
paws, and bidding his master take courage, immediately sallied forth.
The
first attempt Puss made was to go into a warren in which there were a
great
number of rabbits. He put some bran and some parsley into his bag; and
then stretching himself out at full length as if he was dead, he waited
for some young rabbits, who as yet knew nothing of the cunning tricks
of
the world, to come and get into the bag, the better to feast upon the
dainties
he had put into it. Scarcely had he lain down before he succeeded as
well
as could be wished. A giddy young rabbit crept into the bag, and the
cat
immediately drew the strings, and killed him without mercy. Puss, proud
of his prey, hastened directly to the palace, where he asked to speak
to
the king. On being shown into the apartment of his majesty, he made a
low
bow, and said, "I have brought you, sire, this rabbit from the warren
of
my lord the marquis of Carabas, who commanded me to present it to your
majesty with the assurance of his respect." (This was the title the cat
thought proper to bestow upon his master.) "Tell my lord marquis of
Carabas,"
replied the king, "that I accept of his present with pleasure, and that
I am greatly obliged to him." Soon after, the cat laid himself down in
the same manner in a field of corn, and had as much good fortune as
before;
for two fine partridges got into his bag, which he immediately killed
and
carried to the palace: the king received them as he had done the
rabbit,
and ordered his servants to give the messenger something to drink. In
this
manner he continued to carry presents of game to the king from my lord
marquis of Carabas, once at least in every week.
One day,
the cat having heard
that the king intended to take a ride that morning by the river's side
with his daughter, who was the most beautiful princess in the world, he
said to his master: "If you will but follow my advice, your fortune is
made. Take off your clothes, and bathe yourself in the river, just in
the
place I shall show you, and leave the rest to me," The marquis of
Carabas
did exactly as he was desired, without being able to guess at what the
cat intended. While he was bathing the king passed by, and puss
directly
called out as loud as he could bawl: "Help! help! My lord marquis of
Carabas
is in danger of being drowned!" The king hearing the cries, put his
head
out at the window of his carriage to see what was the matter: when,
perceiving
the very cat who had brought him so many presents, he ordered his
attendants
to go directly to the assistance of my lord marquis of Carabas. While
they
were employed in taking the marquis out of the river, the cat ran to
the
king's carriage, and told his majesty, that while his master was
bathing,
some thieves had run off with his clothes as they lay by the river's
side;
the cunning cat all the time having hid them under a large stone. The
king
hearing this, commanded the officers of his wardrobe to fetch one of
the
handsomest suits it contained, and present it to my lord marquis of
Carabas,
at the same time loading him with a thousand attentions. As the fine
clothes
they brought him made him look like a gentleman, and set off his
person,
which was very comely, to the greatest advantage, the king's daughter
was
mightily taken with his appearance, and the marquis of Carabas had no
sooner
cast upon her two or three respectful glances, then she became
violently
in love with him.
The king
insisted on his
getting into the carriage and taking a ride with them. The cat,
enchanted
to see how well his scheme was likely to succeed, ran before to a
meadow
that was reaping, and said to the reapers: "Good people, if you do not
tell the king, who will soon pass this way, that the meadow you are
reaping
belongs to my lord marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as
mince meat." The king did not fail to ask the reapers to whom the
meadow
belonged? "To my lord marquis of Carabas," said they all at once; for
the
threats of the cat had terribly frighted them. "You have here a very
fine
piece of land, my lord marquis," said the king. "Truly, sire," replied
he, "it does not fail to bring me every year a plentiful harvest." The
cat who still went on before, now came to a field where some other
labourers
were making sheaves of the corn they had reaped, to whom he said as
before:
"Good people, if you do not tell the king who will presently pass this
way, that the corn you have reaped in this field belongs to my lord
marquis
of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince meat." The king
accordingly
passed a moment after, and inquired to whom the corn he saw belonged?
"To
my lord marquis of Carabas," answered they very glibly; upon which the
king again complimented the marquis upon his noble possessions. The cat
still continued to go before, and gave the same charge to all the
people
he met with; so that the king was greatly astonished at the splendid
fortune
of my lord marquis of Carabas. Puss at length arrived at a stately
castle,
which belonged to an Ogre, the richest ever known; for all the lands
the
king had passed through and admired were his. The cat took care to
learn
every particular about the Ogre, and what he could do, and then asked
to
speak with him, saying, as he entered the room in which he was, that he
could not pass so near his castle without doing himself the honour to
inquire
after his health. The Ogre received him as civilly as an Ogre could do,
and desired him to be seated, "I have been informed," said the cat,
"that
you have the gift of changing yourself to all sorts of animals; into a
lion or an elephant for example." "It is very true," replied the Ogre
somewhat
sternly; "and to convince you I will directly take the form of a lion."
The cat was so much terrified at finding himself so near to a lion,
that
he sprang from him, and climbed to the roof of the house; but not
without
much difficulty, as his boots were not very fit to walk upon the tiles.
Some
minutes after, the cat
perceiving that the Ogre had quitted the form of a lion, ventured to
come
down from the tiles, and owned that he had been a good deal frightened,
"I have been further informed," continued the cat, "but I know not how
to believe it, that you have the power of taking the form of the
smallest
animals also; for example of changing yourself to a rat or a mouse: I
confess
I should think this impossible." "Impossible! you shall see;" and at
the
same instant he changed himself into a mouse, and began to frisk about
the room. The cat no sooner cast his eyes upon the Ogre in this form,
than
he sprang upon him and devoured him in an instant. In the meantime the
king, admiring as he came near it, the magnificent castle of the Ogre,
ordered his attendants to drive up to the gates, as he wished to take a
nearer view of it. The cat, hearing the noise of the carriage on the
drawbridge,
immediately came out, saying: "Your majesty is welcome to the castle of
my lord marquis of Carabas." "And is this splendid castle yours also,
my
lord marquis of Carabas? I never saw anything more stately than the
building,
or more beautiful than the park and pleasure grounds around it; no
doubt
the castle is no less magnificent within than without: pray, my lord
marquis,
indulge me with a sight of it."
The marquis
gave his hand
to the young princess as she alighted, and followed the king who went
before;
they entered a spacious hall, where they found a splendid collation
which
the Ogre had prepared for some friends he had that day expected to
visit
him; but who, hearing that the king with the princess and a great
gentleman
of the court were within, had not dared to enter. The king was so much
charmed with the amiable qualities and noble fortune of the marquis of
Carabas, and the young princess too had fallen so violently in love
with
him, that when the king had partaken of the collation, and drunk a few
glasses of wine, he said to the marquis: "It will be you own fault, my
lord marquis of Carabas, if you do not soon become my son-in-law." The
marquis received the intelligence with a thousand respectful
acknowledgments,
accepted the honour conferred upon him, and married the princess that
very
day. The cat became a great lord, and never after ran after rats and
mice
but for his amusement.
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