14-the master cat-第1节

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THE　MASTER　CAT；　OR；　PUSS　IN　BOOTS





THERE　was　a　miller　who　left　no　more　estate　to　the　three

sons　he　had　than　his　mill；　his　ass；　and　his　cat。　The

partition　was　soon　made。　Neither　scrivener　nor　attorney

was　sent　for。　They　would　soon　have　eaten　up　all　the　poor

patrimony。　The　eldest　had　the　mill；　the　second　the　ass；

and　the　youngest　nothing　but　the　cat。　The　poor　young

fellow　was　quite　comfortless　at　having　so　poor　a　lot。



〃My　brothers；〃　said　he；　〃may　get　their　living

handsomely　enough　by　joining　their　stocks　together；　but　for

my　part；　when　I　have　eaten　up　my　cat；　and　made　me　a

muff　of　his　skin；　I　must　die　of　hunger。〃



The　Cat；　who　heard　all　this；　but　made　as　if　he　did　not；

said　to　him　with　a　grave　and　serious　air：



〃Do　not　thus　afflict　yourself；　my　good　master。　You

have　nothing　else　to　do　but　to　give　me　a　bag　and　get　a

pair　of　boots　made　for　me　that　I　may　scamper　through

the　dirt　and　the　brambles；　and　you　shall　see　that　you

have　not　so　bad　a　portion　in　me　as　you　imagine。〃



The　Cat's　master　did　not　build　very　much　upon　what

he　said。　He　had　often　seen　him　play　a　great　many　cunning

tricks　to　catch　rats　and　mice；　as　when　he　used　to

hang　by　the　heels；　or　hide　himself　in　the　meal；　and　make

as　if　he　were　dead；　so　that　he　did　not　altogether　despair

of　his　affording　him　some　help　in　his　miserable　condition。

When　the　Cat　had　what　he　asked　for　he　booted　himself

very　gallantly；　and　putting　his　bag　about　his　neck；　he　held

the　strings　of　it　in　his　two　forepaws　and　went　into　a

warren　where　was　great　abundance　of　rabbits。　He　put

bran　and　sow…thistle　into　his　bag；　and　stretching　out　at

length；　as　if　he　had　been　dead；　he　waited　for　some　young

rabbits；　not　yet　acquainted　with　the　deceits　of　the　world；

to　come　and　rummage　his　bag　for　what　he　had　put　into　it。



Scarce　was　he　lain　down　but　he　had　what　he　wanted。

A　rash　and　foolish　young　rabbit　jumped　into　his　bag；　and

Monsieur　Puss；　immediately　drawing　close　the　strings；

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　reverence；　said　to　him：



〃I　have　brought　you；　sir；　a　rabbit　of　the　warren；　which

my　noble　lord　the　Marquis　of　Carabas〃　（for　that　was　the

title　which　puss　was　pleased　to　give　his　master）　〃has

commanded　me　to　present　to　your　majesty　from　him。〃



〃Tell　thy　master；〃　said　the　king；　〃that　I　thank　him　and

that　he　does　me　a　great　deal　of　pleasure。〃



Another　time　he　went　and　hid　himself　among　some

standing　corn；　holding　still　his　bag　open；　and　when　a

brace　of　partridges　ran　into　it　he　drew　the　strings　and　so

caught　them　both。　He　went　and　made　a　present　of　these

to　the　king；　as　he　had　done　before　of　the　rabbit　which　he

took　in　the　warren。　The　king；　in　like　manner；　received

the　partridges　with　great　pleasure；　and　ordered　him　some

money　for　drink。



The　Cat　continued　for　two　or　three　months　thus　to

carry　his　Majesty；　from　time　to　time；　game　of　his　master's

taking。　One　day　in　particular；　when　he　knew　for　certain

that　he　was　to　take　the　air　along　the　river…side；　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。

You　have　nothing　else　to　do　but　go　and　wash　yourself　in

the　river；　in　that　part　I　shall　show　you；　and　leave　the　rest

to　me。〃



The　Marquis　of　Carabas　did　what　the　Cat　advised　him

to；　without　knowing　why　or　wherefore。　While　he　was

washing　the　King　passed　by；　and　the　Cat　began　to　cry　out：



〃Help！　help！　My　Lord　Marquis　of　Carabas　is　going　to

be　drowned。〃



At　this　noise　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　drawing　the　poor

Marquis　out　of　the　river；　the　Cat　came　up　to　the　coach

and　told　the　King　that；　while　his　master　was　washing；

there　came　by　some　rogues；　who　went　off　with　his　clothes；

though　he　had　cried　out：　〃Thieves！　thieves！〃　several

times；　as　loud　as　he　could。



This　cunning　Cat　had　hidden　them　under　a　great　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　caressed　him　after　a　very　extraordinary　manner；

and　as　the　fine　clothes　he　had　given　him　extremely

set　off　his　good　mien　（for　he　was　well　made　and　very

handsome　in　his　person）；　the　King's　daughter　took　a　secret

inclination　to　him；　and　the　Marquis　of　Carabas　had　no

sooner　cast　two　or　three　respectful　and　somewhat　tender

glances　but　she　fell　in　love　with　him　to　distraction。　The

King　would　needs　have　him　come　into　the　coach　and　take

part　of　the　airing。　The　Cat；　quite　overjoyed　to　see　his

project　begin　to　succeed；　marched　on　before；　and；　meeting

with　some　countrymen；　who　were　mowing　a　meadow；　he

said　to　them：



〃Good　people；　you　who　are　mowing；　if　you　do　not　tell

the　King　that　the　meadow　you　mow　belongs　to　my　Lord

Marquis　of　Carabas；　you　shall　be　chopped　as　small　as

herbs　for　the　pot。〃



The　King　did　not　fail　asking　of　the　mowers　to　whom　the

meadow　they　were　mowing　belonged。



〃To　my　Lord　Marquis　of　Carabas；〃　answered　they

altogether；　for　the　Cat's　threats　had　made　them　terribly

afraid　。



〃You　see；　sir；〃　said　the　Marquis；　〃this　is　a　meadow

which　never　fails　to　yield　a　plentiful　harvest　every　year。〃



The　Master　Cat；　who　went　still　on　before；　met　with

some　reapers；　and　said　to　them：



〃Good　people；　you　who　are　reaping；　if　you　do　not　tell

the　King　that　all　this　corn　belongs　to　the　Marquis　of

Carabas；　you　shall　be　chopped　as　small　as　herbs　for　the

pot。〃



The　King；　who　passed　by　a　moment　after；　would　needs

know　to　whom　all　that　corn；　which　he　then　saw；　did　belong。



〃To　my　Lord　Marquis　of　Carabas；〃　replied　the　reapers；

and　the　King　was　very　well　pleased　with　it；　as　well　as　the

Marquis；　whom　he　congratulated　thereupon。　The　Master

Cat；　who　went　always　before；　said　the　same　words　to　all

he　met；　and　the　King　was　astonished　at　the　vast　estates

of　my　Lord　Marquis　of　Carabas。



Monsieur　Puss　came　at　last　to　a　stately　castle；　the

master　of　which　was　an　ogre；　the　richest　had　ever　been

known；　for　all　the　lands　which　the　King　had　then　gone

over　belonged　to　this　castle。　The　Cat；　who　had　taken

care　to　inform　himself　who　this　ogre　was　and　what　he

could　do；　asked　to　speak　with　him；　saying　he　could　not

pass　so　near　his　castle　without　having　the　honor　of　paying

his　respects　to　him。



The　ogre　received　him　as　civilly　as　an　ogre　could　do；

and　made　him　sit　down。



〃I　have　been　assured；〃　said　the　Cat；　〃that　you　have　the

gift　of　being　able　to　change　yourself　into　all　sorts　of

creatures　you　have　a　mind　to；　you　can；　for　example；　transform

yourself　into　a　lion；　or　elephant；　and　the　like。〃



〃That　is　true；〃　answered　the　ogre　very　briskly；　〃and

to　convince　you；　you　shall　see　me　now　become　a　lion。〃



Puss　was　so　sadly　terrified　at　the　sight　of　a　lion　so　near

him　that　he　immediately　got　into　the　gutter；　not　without

abundance　of　trouble　and　danger；　because　of　his　boots；

which　were　of　no　use　at　all　to　him　in　walking　upon　the

tiles。　A　little　while　after；　when　Puss　saw　that　the　ogre

had　resumed　his　natural　form；　he　came　down；　and　owned

he　had　been　very　much　frightened。



〃I　have　been；　moreover；　informed；〃　said　the　Cat；　〃but

I　know　not　how　to　believe　it；　that　you　have　also　the

power　to　take　on　you　the　shape　of　the　smallest　animals；

for　example；　to　change　yourself　into　a　rat　or　a　mouse；　but

I　must　own　to　you　I　take　this　to　be　impossible。〃



〃Impossible！〃　cried　the　ogre；　〃you　shall　see　that

presently。　〃



And　at　the　same　time　he　changed　himself　into　a　mouse；

and　began　to　run　about　the　floor。　Puss　no　sooner　perceived

this　but　he　fell　upon　him　and　ate　him　up。



Meanwhile　the　King；　who　saw；　as　he　passed；　this　fine

castle　of　the　ogre's；　had　a　mind　to　go　into　it。　Puss；　who

heard　the　noise　of　his　Majesty's　coach　running　over　the

draw…bridge；　ran　out；　and　said　to　the　King：



〃Your　Majesty　is　welcome　to　this　castle　of　my　Lord

Marquis　of　Carabas。〃



〃What！　my　Lord　Marquis；〃　cried　the　King；　〃and　does

this　castle　also　belong　to　you？　There　can　be　nothing　finer

than　this　court　and　all　the　stately　buildings　which　surround

it；　let　us　go　into　it；　if　you　please。〃



The　Marquis　gave　his　hand　to　the　Princess；　and

followed　the　King；　who　went　first。　They　passed　into　a

spacious　hall；　where　they　found　a　magnificent　collation；

which　the　ogre　had　prepared　for　his　friends；　who　were

that　very　day　to　visit　him；　but　dared　not　to　enter；　knowing

the　King　was　there。　His　Majesty　was　perfectly

charmed　with　the　good　qualities　of　my　Lord　Marquis　of

Carabas；　as　was　his　daughter；　who　had　fallen　violently　in

love　with　hi