Once upon a time there was a miller who had three sons. When the miller grew very old, he left his three sons only three things: his mill, his donkey, and his cat. The eldest son took the mill, the second son took the donkey, and the youngest son received only the cat. The youngest son felt very sad. He thought, 'My brothers can work together and earn money, but what can I do with just a cat?' He sat down and sighed. The cat, who was very clever and loved his young master, jumped up beside him and spoke in a calm voice. 'Do not be sad, dear master,' said the cat. 'If you give me a strong pouch and a pair of boots, I will help you. Your share is not so bad at all.' The young man was surprised to hear his cat speak, but he had seen him do many clever tricks, so a little hope grew in his heart. He bought a pouch and had a tiny pair of boots made for the cat. When the boots were ready, Puss in Boots was delighted. He pulled them on and walked off on his back paws like a little person.
First Puss went to a place where many rabbits lived. He opened his pouch and put some fresh carrots inside. Then he lay very still on the grass, pretending to be asleep. Soon a young rabbit hopped over, sniffed the carrots, and slipped inside the pouch. Puss gently pulled the strings and caught the rabbit. Then he went straight to the king's palace. At the big gate he politely asked to see the king. The guards stared at a cat in boots, but they let him in. Puss bowed low before the king and said, 'Your Majesty, I bring you a fine rabbit from the lands of my master, the Marquis of Carabas.' This was a grand name that Puss had invented for his poor young master. The king was pleased and smiled. 'Tell your master that I thank him,' said the king. Week after week, Puss in Boots brought gifts to the king. The king began to think that this Marquis of Carabas must be a very kind and generous gentleman.
One day Puss heard that the king planned to ride along the river with his daughter, the beautiful princess. Puss ran home and said to his master, 'If you do exactly as I say, your fortune will be made. Go to the river and bathe at the place I show you.' The young man trusted his clever cat. He went to the river and stepped into the water. While he was bathing, Puss carefully hid his master's old shabby clothes behind a bush. Just then the king's carriage rolled near the river. Puss began to call out loudly, 'Help! Help! My lord Marquis of Carabas is in the water and has lost his clothes!' The king heard the cries and recognized the cat who had brought him so many gifts. He quickly sent servants to help. They pulled the young man from the river and wrapped him in warm cloths. The king ordered fine clothes to be brought from his own wardrobe. When the young man put them on, he looked handsome and noble. The princess smiled kindly at him. The king invited the young man to sit in the royal carriage beside the princess.
Puss in Boots ran far ahead of the carriage on his quick paws. He came to some farmers working in a large green meadow. 'Good people,' called Puss politely, 'when the king comes and asks whose meadow this is, please say it belongs to my master, the Marquis of Carabas.' The farmers liked the friendly cat in boots and agreed. When the king's carriage came by, he looked out and asked, 'Whose field is this?' The farmers answered, 'It belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty.' The king turned to the young man and said, 'You have a very lovely meadow, Marquis.' Puss ran on and told the same thing to harvesters in golden wheat fields. All along the road it was the same. Everywhere the king looked, he was told that the land belonged to the Marquis of Carabas. The king was very impressed. But Puss knew that all this land really belonged to a powerful ogre who lived in a great castle at the end of the road.
Puss in Boots went straight to the ogre's castle and politely asked to see the master. The ogre let him in, curious about a little cat who walked in boots. 'Sir,' said Puss, bowing low, 'I have heard that you can change yourself into any large animal, like a lion. Is that true?' 'Indeed I can!' said the ogre proudly. In a flash he turned into a roaring lion! Puss was so frightened that he leaped onto a high beam to be safe. When the ogre changed back, Puss climbed down again. 'Very impressive,' said Puss. 'But I have also heard that you can change into something very small, like a mouse. Surely that is too hard?' 'Too hard?' cried the ogre. 'Not at all!' At once he became a little grey mouse running across the floor. Quick as a wink, Puss pounced and caught the mouse! The ogre was gone, and the castle now belonged to Puss and his master. Puss hurried to the gate just as the king's carriage arrived.
Puss bowed deeply and cried, 'Welcome, Your Majesty, to the castle of my master, the Marquis of Carabas!' The king was amazed. 'This beautiful castle is yours too, Marquis?' he asked. 'Nothing could be finer!' The young man gave his hand to the princess, and together they followed the king into the great hall. The tables were set with a wonderful feast. The king, the princess, and the young man sat down and enjoyed the delicious meal. Puss sat nearby on a soft cushion and purred with pleasure. The more the king saw, the more he liked the Marquis of Carabas. The princess liked him even more because he was gentle, modest, and kind. At last the king smiled and said, 'My dear Marquis, if you wish, you may marry my daughter.' The young man said that nothing could make him happier. So that very day, the Marquis of Carabas and the princess were married with music, flowers, and great joy. They lived in the fine castle and cared kindly for everyone. And Puss in Boots? He became the most important cat in the kingdom, happy that his clever tricks had given his dear master a wonderful new life.
