The Cat in Boots Who Changed Everything

When the old miller died, he left his three sons everything he owned. The eldest got the mill. The middle son got the donkey. And the youngest? He got the cat.

"A cat," groaned Tom, slumping against a tree. "What am I supposed to do with a cat? I can't grind grain with it. I can't ride it to market. I'll starve!"

The cat, who had been washing his whiskers, stopped mid-lick. "Starve? My dear master, you worry too much. Get me a pair of boots and a bag, and I'll show you what a cat can do."

Tom's mouth fell open. "You can talk?"

"Of course I can talk. I can also catch mice, climb trees, and apparently, I need to save you from poverty. Now, about those boots?"

Tom had nothing to lose. He traded his last copper coins for a pair of leather boots and a drawstring bag. The cat pulled on the boots, stretched each leg admiringly, and grinned.

"Perfect. Now watch a master at work."

The cat strutted into the forest, caught three plump rabbits, and marched straight to the King's palace. "A gift for His Majesty," he announced to the guards, "from my master, the Marquis of Carabas."

The King, who loved rabbit stew, was delighted. "Tell your master he has my thanks!"

Day after day, the cat brought gifts—partridges, pheasants, even a deer. Each time, he bowed low and said, "From the Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty."

The King grew curious about this generous Marquis he'd never met.

One morning, the cat's ears twitched. "Master! The King's carriage is coming down the road. Quick—take off your clothes and jump in the river!"

"What? Are you mad?"

"Trust me!" The cat's green eyes gleamed.

Tom jumped in. The cat hid his ragged clothes under a rock, then ran toward the royal carriage, yowling, "Help! Help! The Marquis of Carabas is drowning! Thieves stole his fine clothes!"

The King recognized the cat immediately. "The Marquis? Guards, help him at once! Bring royal robes from my trunk!"

Soon Tom stood beside the carriage, dressed in velvet and gold, dripping but dignified. The King's daughter, Princess Sofia, peeked out the window. Her eyes widened. Tom's heart skipped—she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen.

"Join us," insisted the King. "I must see your estates, Marquis."

The cat raced ahead. He found farmers cutting hay. "Listen carefully," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous purr. "When the King asks whose land this is, say it belongs to the Marquis of Carabas. If you don't, the ogre who really owns it will gobble you up!"

The terrified farmers agreed.

"Whose beautiful fields are these?" asked the King as his carriage rolled past.

"The Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty!" the farmers chorused.

The King beamed at Tom. Princess Sofia smiled shyly.

Meanwhile, the cat reached a magnificent castle. An ogre lived there—a real one, with tusks and terrible breath. The cat knocked boldly.

"What do YOU want?" roared the ogre.

"I heard you can transform into anything," said the cat, examining his claws. "I don't believe it."

"ANYTHING!" The ogre became a lion, shaking the walls with his roar.

The cat's fur stood on end, but he forced a yawn. "Impressive. But can you become something small? A mouse, perhaps? That takes real skill."

"Easy!" The ogre shrank into a tiny gray mouse.

The cat pounced. One gulp, and the ogre was gone.

When the royal carriage arrived, the cat stood at the castle gates. "Welcome to the home of the Marquis of Carabas!"

The King toured the castle, growing more impressed by the minute. Princess Sofia and Tom walked through the gardens, talking and laughing. By sunset, they were holding hands.

"My boy," said the King, "I'd be honored if you'd marry my daughter—if she agrees, of course."

Princess Sofia squeezed Tom's hand. "I agree."

Tom knelt before his cat that night. "You've given me everything. How can I ever repay you?"

The cat stretched luxuriously on a velvet cushion.

"Just keep me in fine boots and cream, master. And perhaps," he added with a wink, "let me sleep past sunrise now and then. Even clever cats need their rest."

And so Tom married Princess Sofia, the cat retired from trickery to enjoy castle life, and they all lived happily—with plenty of cream and comfortable boots—ever after.