There was once a generous, old miller who was very, very sick.
He could not get out of bed, so he called his three sons to his bedside.
He said to them, "I will be dying very soon and I want to give you my last gifts."
To his eldest son, he gave his entire mill.
To his middle son, he gave his donkey.
And to his youngest son, he gave his cat.
"My son, I have only my cat left for you.
Take good care of it and it is sure to bring you good luck."
Then, after he blessed them, he died.
The son gazed at his gift and said, "What can I do with this cat? A cat is of no value!"
But the cat replied, "If you take good care of me, you will have good luck all the days of your life.
But first bring me a cloak, a hat with a feather in it, a bag, and a pair of boots.
Then I will bring you good luck!"
The young man thought to himself, "Can this be true?
I suppose it wouldn't hurt to wait and see."
So he gave the cat what he asked for.
Then the cat told him, "Don't doubt me.
I am much smarter than any cat around. From now on call me Puss in Boots."
Then Puss in Boots went into the woods and caught some birds.
He put them in the bag and went to see the king.
The king inquired, "What brings you here to my court?"
The cat said proudly, "The Lord of Carabas sends you these beautiful birds as a gift."
"Why, thank you," replied the king.
Puss in Boots hunted for more birds and animals for the king.
Each time he presented them, he told the king they were from the Lord of Carabas.
One day the king asked the cat, "Who is this Lord of Carabas?
He is a very skillful hunter! Is he also young and handsome?
I have a young daughter. Perhaps he can marry her!"
Puss in Boots replied, "Oh yes! He is young and skillful and handsome. He's also very rich."
"Hmm. I would like to visit this Lord of Carabas.
Then I can thank him myself," the king answered.
Puss in Boots hurried home to tell his master about the king's visit.
"My master, the king is coming to visit you."
"What?" the young man cried out. "When he sees me like this, he will know that I am poor!
Then perhaps he will force me to become a servant in his castle!"
"Do not worry," assured Puss in Boots.
"Just do what I say because I have a plan!"
Finally the day of the king's visit arrived.
That morning Puss in Boots discovered that the king was taking his daughter out for a carriage ride. He ran quickly to his master.
"Master, it is time to carry out my plan.
Get into the river and pretend to be drowning."
"But I can't swim!" he exclaimed.
But Puss in Boots urged his master, "Please, master! Trust me.
Hurry and get into the water. The king is coming!"
The son hesitated, then finally agreed. "Well, okay."
The young man cried out from the water, "Help! Help! I can't swim!"
Then Puss in Boots shouted out, "Help! Help! The Lord of Carabas is drowning!"
The king, seeing that it was the Lord of Carabas who was drowning, ordered his servant, "Go and rescue the lad!
Then bring him some clothes from my wardrobe!"
The princess looked at the young man.
He was now wearing the king's very own clothes so he looked more handsome than ever before.
"Wouldn't you like to marry such a handsome young man?" the king asked his daughter.
"However we must make sure he is really as rich as his cat says he is."
Pointing to the vast fields, Puss in Boots replied, "My master owns all this land and the castle on the hill.
Come and see for yourself. I will meet you later at the castle."
Then Puss in Boots ran ahead of the carriage to the castle.
Soon Puss in Boots reached some peasants working in the field.
He instructed them, "If anyone asks who this land belongs to, you must tell them, 'the Lord of Carabas.'
If you don't I will scratch your children's faces until they cry, and I will no longer catch any mice for you."
The peasants were terrified. So they did what Puss in Boots ordered them to do.
When the king arrived, he asked them, "Whom does this land belong to?"
"This land belongs to the Lord of Carabas," replied the peasants.
Meanwhile Puss in Boots arrived at the castle and knocked on the door. In the castle lived an ogre.
The ogre hollered, "Who is bothering me?"
Puss in Boots bowed his head and replied, "I saw your fine castle and wanted to pay my respects to the owner."
"Come in, then, and see my fine castle!" the ogre exclaimed.
Puss in Boots then said, "I was told that you are very powerful and that you can change into a lion or an elephant."
"That is true. Very true! Ha-ha!" the ogre replied.
"But I also heard that you can't change into tiny creatures such as mice or squirrels," added Puss in Boots.
Insulted, the ogre shouted, "What? That's not true! I'll show you!"
Then the ogre changed himself into a mouse.
As soon as Puss in Boots saw the mouse, he pounced on it and ate it up.
Soon the king arrived at the castle, so the cat ran to the door to greet him.
Puss in Boots bowed his head and said, "Welcome to my master's castle."
"Why, thank you," the king replied. Then turning to the young man, he declared, "You are indeed a very wealthy young man! Are you married?"
The young man looked at the princess and smiled. "No, I am not married."
"Then you may marry my daughter!" the king declared.
The young man gazed upon his cat and exclaimed, "What a smart and clever cat!
You are the best gift my father ever gave to me! Ha-ha-ha!"
The young man married the princess.
He provided for Puss in Boots a happy home and all the mice he could possibly care to eat for the rest of his life.
And they lived happily ever after in the ogre's castle.