THE CAT WITH BOOTS

Once upon a time there was a miller who had three children. The man was very poor and had almost no assets to inherit. To the eldest son he bequeathed his old mill, to the middle son a donkey and to the youngest a cat.

The youngest of the boys lamented to his brothers for how little he had received.

- You guys have been luckier than me. The mill grinds wheat to make bread and cakes and the donkey helps with the work in the fields, but what can I do with a simple cat?

The cat heard the complaints of his new master and approaching him said:

- Do not get me wrong. I think I can be more useful to you than you think and I will show you very soon. Give me a bag, an elegant coat and boots of my size, I will take care of everything.

The young man gave him what he asked for because after all it was not much and the cat started his plan. Like any self-respecting pussycat, he was very skilled at hunting and it didn’t take him much effort to catch a couple of rabbits that he put in the bag. The new coat and the velvet boots gave him a distinguished demeanor, so very confident he went to the royal palace and managed to be received by the king.

• “Your Majesty, my master, the Marquis of Carabas, sent you these rabbits,” the cat lied.
• Oh thank you very much! — The monarch replied — Tell your owner that I appreciate this gift very much

The cat returned home satisfied and from then on, every week he went to the palace to deliver presents to the king from the supposed Marquis of Carabás. He was bringing him a sack of potatoes, some succulent partridges, flowers to beautify the luxurious royal halls … The king was flattered with so many attentions and intrigued to know who that Marquis of Carabás was who sent him so many gifts through his clever cat.

One day, while the cat was with its master in the forest, he saw that the royal carriage passed by the path that bordered the river.

• Faster Faster! — Said the cat to the young man — Take off your clothes, jump into the water and pretend that you can’t swim and you’re drowning!.

The miller’s son didn’t understand anything but he thought he had nothing to lose and jumped into the river. The water was freezing! Meanwhile, the cunning cat hid the boy’s clothes and when the float was close enough, he began to scream.

• Help! Help! My master, the Marqués de Carabás, can’t swim! Help me!

The king ordered the coachman to stop and his servants rescued the boy. It was the least he could do for that man who was so meticulous who had showered him with gifts!

When it was safe, the cat lied again.

• His clothes are missing! With all this confusion they must have been stolen by thieves!

- Do not worry — said the king to the cat — We will cover him with a blanket so that he does not get cold and right now I am sending my servants to get clothes worthy of a gentleman like him.

No sooner said than done. The servants brought him elegant silk garments and comfortable leather shoes that made the miller’s son feel like a true lord. The cat, in a pompous voice, spoke confidently once more.

• My master and I would like to thank you for everything you have just done for us. Please come to see our lands and our home.
• It will be a pleasure. My daughter will accompany us — said the king, pointing to a beautiful girl who was poking her blond head out of the carriage window.

The false Marquis de Carabás turned to look at her. As expected, he fell in love with her as soon as he saw her, fixing his gaze on her beautiful green eyes. The young woman, blushing, returned him with a sweet smile that showed teeth as white as sea pearls.

• If it suits you, my master will go with you in the carriage. Meanwhile, I will go ahead to check that everything is in order in our properties.

The master obediently climbed into the carriage, allowing himself to be carried out by the cat’s inventiveness. Meanwhile, he started to run and came to some rich and extensive lands that obviously did not belong to its owner, but to an ogre that lived in the region. There he met a few peasants who were working the land. With a serious face and an authoritative gesture he told them:

• When you see the king, you have to tell him that these lands belong to the Marqués de Carabás, understood? In return I will give you a reward.

The peasants accepted and when the king passed by and asked them to whom the well-cared fields belonged, they told him that they belonged to his good master, the Marquis of Carabás.

The cat, meanwhile, had already reached the castle. He had to make the ogre disappear so that his master could remain the owner and lord of everything. He knocked on the door and introduced himself as a passing traveler coming to pay his respects. He was surprised that despite being an ogre, he had such an elegant castle.

• Lord ogre — said the cat — It is known throughout the kingdom that you have powers. I have been told that you have the ability to become whatever you want.
• You heard correctly — answered the giant — Now you will see what I am capable of.

And as if by magic, the ogre turned into a lion. The cat pretended to be surprised and clapped to flatter him.

• Amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it! I wonder if you are capable of turning into a small animal, for example, a mouse.
• Do you doubt my powers? Watch carefully! — And the ogre, proud to show him everything he could do, turned into a mouse.

Yes! He had done it! The ogre was already an easy prey for him. With one leap he pounced on the little animal and gobbled it up without giving the poor man time to blink.

As he had planned, there was no longer an ogre and the castle had been left without an owner, so when there was a knock on the door, the cat came out to greet its master, the king and the princess.

• Welcome to your home, Mr. Marqués de Carabás. It is an honor for us to have Her Highness and her beautiful daughter here. Go into the guest lounge. Dinner is served — the cat exclaimed solemnly, bowing.

Everyone entered and enjoyed a wonderful evening by candlelight. At the end, the king, impressed by how polite the Marquis of Carabás was and dazzled by all his wealth and possessions, gave his consent for him to marry the princess.

And this is how the story of the miller’s son ends, who achieved the most complete happiness thanks to a simple but ingenious cat that his father left him in inheritance.