Once upon a time, there was a miller who had three sons. When he passed away, he left them three things: a mill, a donkey, and a cat. The oldest son took the mill, the middle son took the donkey, and the youngest son got the cat. The youngest son felt sad because he thought he got the worst deal.
“My brothers can work together and make a good living,” he said. “But all I have is a cat. What am I going to do with a cat?”
The cat heard his master and said, “Don’t worry, my master. Just give me a bag and a pair of boots, and you’ll see that I’m not just any cat.”
The young man was curious, so he gave the cat what he asked for. The cat put on the boots, took the bag, and went to a place where there were lots of rabbits. He put some greens in the bag and lay down as if he were dead. A silly rabbit jumped into the bag, and the cat quickly closed it. Proud of his catch, he went to the king’s palace.
The cat bowed to the king and said, “Your Majesty, I bring you a rabbit from my master, the noble Marquis de Carabas.” The king was pleased with the gift.
One day, the cat heard that the king would be traveling by the river with his daughter. He told his master, “If you follow my advice, you will be very lucky. Go and bathe in the river.” The young man did as the cat said.
As the king’s carriage passed by, the cat shouted, “Help! My master, the Marquis de Carabas, is drowning!” The king recognized the cat and ordered his guards to help. The cat told the king that some thieves had stolen his master’s clothes while he was bathing. In truth, the clever cat had hidden them.
The king ordered his servants to bring one of his finest suits for the young man and invited him to join their ride. Meanwhile, the cat ran ahead and met some farmers working in a field.
The cat told the farmers, “If you don’t tell the king that this field belongs to the Marquis de Carabas, you will be in trouble.” When the king asked the farmers whose field it was, they all said it belonged to the Marquis, just as the cat had instructed.
The cat then reached a grand castle owned by a rich ogre. The cat knew the ogre could change into any creature and asked to meet him. The ogre welcomed the cat.
“I hear you can change into any animal,” said the cat. “Can you become a lion?” The ogre turned into a lion, scaring the cat onto the roof. When the ogre changed back, the cat came down.
“I also heard you can turn into something small, like a mouse,” said the cat. The ogre laughed and turned into a mouse. Quick as a flash, the cat pounced and ate the mouse.
When the king arrived at the castle, the cat greeted him, saying, “Welcome to the castle of my master, the Marquis de Carabas!” The king was amazed and went inside. There, they found a grand feast waiting for them.
The king was so impressed with the young man that he said, “You should marry my daughter and become my son-in-law.” The young man happily agreed, and they were married that very day. The cat became a great lord and lived happily ever after, never needing to chase mice again, except for fun.
Role-Playing Adventure: Gather a few friends or family members and act out the story of “The Adventures of Puss in Boots.” Take turns playing different characters such as the cat, the young man, the king, and the ogre. Use simple props like a bag, boots, and a crown to make it more fun. Think about how each character feels at different points in the story and try to express those emotions while acting.
Create Your Own Clever Plan: Imagine you are the clever cat. Think of a new plan to help your master become successful. Draw a picture or write a short story about your plan. What would you do differently? How would you use your cleverness to solve a problem? Share your story with your classmates or family and see what they think of your creative ideas.
Observation and Discussion: Next time you are outside, look for animals in your neighborhood or park. Observe how they move and interact with their surroundings. Discuss with a friend or family member how these animals might use their own clever tricks to find food or stay safe. How do these real-life animals compare to the clever cat in the story?
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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**Puss in Boots**
There was a miller whose only inheritance to his three sons was 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 the cat. The poor young fellow was quite comfortless for having received so little.
“My brothers,” he said, “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, 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.”
After receiving what he had asked for, the cat pulled on the boots and slung the bag about his neck. He went to a place where there was a great abundance of rabbits. He put his greens into his bag, then stretched himself out as if he were dead. A foolish rabbit jumped into his bag, and the master cat immediately closed the strings. 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 Marquis de Carabas.” “I am very pleased with his gifts,” said the king.
One day, when he knew that the king would be driving along the riverside with his daughter, he said to his master, “If you will follow my advice, your fortune is made. You must bathe yourself in the river.” The master did what the cat advised him to. While he was bathing, the king passed by, and the cat began to cry out, “Help! My lord Marquis de Carabas is going to be drowned!”
At this noise, the king put his head out of the coach window and found it was the cat who had brought him the rabbit. He commanded his guards to run immediately and assist. While they were drawing in the poor lord, the cat told the king that while his master was bathing, some rogues had stolen his clothes. In truth, the cunning cat had hidden the clothes under a large stone.
The king commanded the officers to fetch one of his best suits for the Marquis de Carabas and asked the lord to join them on their drive. At that time, the cat ran ahead, meeting some countrymen who were mowing a meadow. He said to them, “My good fellows, if you do not tell the king that the meadow belongs to my lord Marquis de Carabas, you should be punished.”
The king did not fail to ask the mowers whose meadow it was that they were mowing. “It belongs to the lord,” they answered all together, for the cat’s threats had frightened them. “You see, sir,” said the Marquis, “this is a meadow which never fails to yield a plentiful harvest every year.”
The master cat came at last to a stately castle, the lord of which was an ogre, the richest that had ever been known. The cat had known who this ogre was and what he could do, and asked to speak with him, saying he could not pass his castle without having the honor of paying his respects to him. The ogre received him as civilly as an ogre could.
“I have heard,” said the cat, “that you are able to change yourself into any kind of creature. You can transform yourself into a lion, an elephant, or the like.” “That is true,” answered the ogre, “and to convince you, I shall now become a lion.” The cat was so terrified that he leaped onto the roof. However, the ogre resumed his natural form, and the cat came down.
“I have further been told,” said the cat, “that you can also transform yourself into a rat or a mouse, but I could scarcely believe that. I think that would be quite impossible.” “Impossible?” cried the ogre. “You shall see!” He immediately changed himself into a mouse and began to run about the floor. As soon as the cat saw this, he fell upon him and ate him up.
Meanwhile, the king, who saw this fine castle of the ogre as he passed, decided to go inside. The cat, who heard the noise of his majesty’s coach, ran out and said to the king, “Your majesty is welcome to the castle of my lord Marquis de Carabas.” “What? My lord Marquis?” cried the king. “Does this castle also belong to you? Let us go inside if you don’t mind.”
The Marquis gave his hand to the princess and followed the king. They passed into the spacious hall where they found a magnificent feast. His majesty was perfectly charmed with the good qualities of Lord Marquis de Carabas, as was his daughter, who had fallen in love with him. “It will be your own fault, my lord Marquis, if you do not become my son-in-law,” said the king.
The Marquis de Carabas, making several low bows, accepted the honor which his majesty conferred upon him and forthwith that very same day married the princess. The cat became a great lord and never again ran after mice, except for entertainment.
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a more polished narrative style.
