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TRACK 7 (PRACTICE 2, ACTIVITY 7)
“Puss in Boots” By Charles Perrault

There was a miller who could only leave his three sons his mill, his donkey, and his cat. The division
was soon made. They hired neither a clerk nor an attorney, for they would have eaten up all the poor
patrimony. The eldest took the mill, the second the donkey, and the youngest nothing but the cat.
The poor young fellow was quite inconsolable for having received so little. "My brothers," said he,
"may make a handsome living by joining their shares together; but, for my part, after I have eaten up
my cat, and made myself a muff from his skin, I must then die of hunger."
The cat, who heard all this, but pretended otherwise, said to him with a grave and serious air, "Do
not be so concerned, my good master. If you will but give me a bag, and have a pair of boots made
for me, that I may scamper through the dirt and the brambles, then you shall see that you are not so
poorly off with me as you imagine."
The cat's master did not take much stock in what he said. However, he had often seen him play a
great many cunning tricks to catch rats and mice, such as hanging by his heels, or hiding himself in
the meal, and pretending to be dead; so he did take some hope that he might give him some help in
his miserable condition.
After receiving what he had asked for, the cat gallantly pulled on the boots and slung the bag
around his neck. Holding its drawstrings in his forepaws, he went to a place where there was a great
abundance of rabbits. He put some bran and greens into his bag, then stretched himself out as if he
were dead. He thus waited for some young rabbits, not yet acquainted with the deceits of the world,
to come and look in his bag.
He had scarcely lain down before he had what he wanted. A rash and foolish young rabbit jumped
into his bag, and the master cat, immediately closed the strings, then took and killed him without pity.
Proud of his prey, he went with it to the palace, and asked to speak with his majesty. He was shown
upstairs into the king's apartment, and, making a low bow, said to him, "Sir, I have brought you a
rabbit from my noble lord, the Master of Carabas." (for that was the title which the cat was pleased to
give his master)
"Tell your master," said the king, "that I thank him, and that I am very pleased with his gift."
Another time he went and hid himself in a grain field. He again held his bag open, and when a brace
of partridges ran into it, he drew the strings, and caught them both. He presented these to the king,
as he had done before with the rabbit. The king, in like manner, received the partridges with great
pleasure, and gave him a tip. The cat continued, from time to time for two or three months, to take
game to his majesty from his master.
One day, when he knew for certain that the king would be taking a ride along the riverside 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. All you must do is to go and bathe yourself in the river at the place I show you,
then leave the rest to me."

The Marquis of Carabas did what the cat advised him to, without knowing why. While he was
bathing, the king passed by, and the cat began to cry out, "Help! Help! My Lord Marquis of Carabas
is going to be drown."
At this commotion, 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 his guards to run immediately to the
assistance of his lordship, the Marquis of Carabas. While they were helping the poor marquis out of
the river, the cat came up to the coach and told the king that, while his master was bathing, some
rogues had come by and stolen his clothes, even though he had cried out, "Thieves! Thieves!" several
times, as loud as he could. In truth, the cunning cat had hidden the clothes under a large 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 received him very courteously. And, because the king's fine clothes gave him a striking
appearance (for he was very handsome and well proportioned), the king's daughter took a secret
inclination to him. The Marquis of Carabas had only to cast two or three respectful and somewhat

Teacher’s Book 193