Puss in Boots
The son of a miller inherits only a cat. This one makes him rich, gets him princess and a whole kingdom. The tomcat also makes his fortune.
A miller had three sons, his mill, a donkey and a tomcat; the sons had to grind, the donkey had to fetch grain and carry flour and the cat caught the mice. When the miller died, the three sons divided into inheritance, the eldest got the mill, the second the donkey, the third the cat, nothing else was left for him. Then he was sad and said to himself: "I got it the worst of all, my eldest brother can grind, my second one can ride his donkey, what can I do with the cat? Let me make some fur gloves out of his fur and it's over." don't need to kill me to get a pair of bad gloves out of my fur, just let me make a pair of boots so that I can go out and be seen among the people, then you should be helped soon." The miller's son was surprised, that the cat so said, but because the shoemaker was passing by, he called him in and had a pair of boots measured for him. When they were finished, the cat dressed them, took a sack, filled the bottom with corn, but tied a string at the top with which to pull it tight, then he threw it over his back and walked on two legs like a man, out the door. At that time there was a king in the country who loved to eat partridges, but it was a problem that none could be found. The whole forest was full, but they were so shy that no hunter could reach them. The cat knew that and thought to do his job better; when he got into the forest, he opened the sack and spread the grain, but he laid the cord in the grass and led it behind a hedge. So he hid himself, snuck around and lurked. The partridges soon came running, found the corn, and one after the other hopped into the sack. When there were a good number in it, the cat drew the rope tight, ran over, and wrung their necks; then he threw the sack on his back and went straight to the king's castle. The guard shouted, "Stop! Where.” – “To the king,” answered the tomcat curtly. – “Are you crazy, a tomcat to the king?” – “Just let him go, said another, the king is often long because, maybe the tomcat gives him pleasure with his buzzing and spinning.” As the tomcat in front of the king came, he made a reverence and said: "My lord, the count, he gave a long and distinguished name, has himself recommended to the king and sends him partridges here, which he has just caught in snares." The king was amazed the beautiful fat partridges, could not contain his joy, and ordered the cat to put as much gold from the treasury into the sack as he could carry: "Bring this to your master and thank him many times for his gift."
But the poor miller's son sat at home by the window, leaned his head on his hand and thought that he had now given his last one away for the cat's boots, and what could the big one bring him in return. Then the cat came in, threw the sack off his back, untied it and poured the gold out in front of the miller: "There's something for your boots, the king sends his regards and thanks a lot." The miller was happy about the wealth, without being able to really understand how it had happened. But the cat, while he was taking off his boots, told him everything, then he said: "You have enough money now, but it shouldn't stop there, tomorrow I'll put my boots on again, you should get even richer, the king has it I also said that you are a count.” The next day the cat went hunting again, as he had said, well-booted, and brought the king a rich catch. It was like this every day, and the tomcat brought home gold every day, and became so popular as a king that he was allowed to go in and out and roam around the castle wherever he liked. Once the tomcat was standing in the king's kitchen by the stove and was warming himself up, when the coachman came and cursed: "I wish the king and the princess were with the hangman! I want to go to the inn and have a drink and play cards, so I'm supposed to take her for a walk to the lake." When the cat heard that, he crept home and said to his master: "If you want to be a count and become rich, then come with me to the lake and bathe in it.” The miller didn't know what to say to that, but he followed the cat, went with him, stripped naked and jumped into the water. But the cat took his clothes, carried them away and hid them. He had scarcely finished when the king came driving along; the cat immediately began to lament pitifully: "Oh! Most merciful king! Sir, he was bathing in the lake here, a thief came and stole his clothes that were lying on the bank, now the Count is in the water and can't get out, and if he stays in it any longer he'll catch cold and die.” When the king heard this, he ordered a halt, and one of his men had to rush back and fetch the king's clothes. The Count put on the most magnificent clothes, and because the king was already in favor of him because of the partridges, which he thought he had received from him, he had to sit in the carriage with him. The princess wasn't angry either, for the count was young and handsome, and she really liked him.
But the cat had gone ahead and come to a large meadow where more than a hundred people were making hay. "Whose meadow is it, you people?" asked the tomcat. – “The great magician.” – “Listen, now the king will drive by soon, when he asks who owns the meadow, he answers: the count; and if you don't do that, you will all be killed.” - Then the cat went on and came to a cornfield, so big that nobody could overlook it, there were more than two hundred people slicing the corn. “Who is the corn, you people?” – “The magician.” Listen, now the king will drive past when he asks who the corn belongs to. And if you don't do that, you will all be killed.” - Finally the tomcat came to a magnificent forest, where more than three hundred people were standing, felling the big oaks and making wood. – “Who is the forest, you people?” – “The magician.” – “Listen, now the king will drive past when he asks who owns the forest, so answer: the count; and if you do not do this, you will all be killed.” The cat walked on, the people all looked after him, and because he looked so strange, and walked along like a man in boots, they were afraid of him. He soon came to the magician's castle, boldly stepped in and faced him. The wizard looked at him scornfully and asked what he wanted. The cat made a gesture of reverence and said: "I have heard that you can transform yourself into any animal of your liking; as for a dog, a fox, or even a wolf, I want to believe it, but about an elephant, that seems quite impossible to me, and that's why I've come to see for myself." The magician said proudly, "that's one for me trifle,' and in that instant was transformed into an elephant; "That's a lot, but also in a lion?" - "That's nothing either," said the magician and stood in front of the cat like a lion. The tomcat feigned fright and cried: “That is unbelievable and outrageous, I would never have dreamed of something like that; but more than anything else, it would be if you could also turn yourself into such a small animal as a mouse, you can certainly do more than any magician in the world, but that will be too high for you." The magician became quite friendly at the sweet words and said: "Oh yes, dear kitten, I can do that too" and jumped around the room like a mouse. The cat was after him, caught the mouse with a jump and ate it.
But the king had gone on walking with the count and the princess and came to the large meadow. "Who does the hay belong to?" asked the king - "the Lord Count" - everyone shouted as the cat had ordered them. - "You have a nice piece of land there, Herr Graf," he said. After that they came to the great cornfield. "Who does the corn belong to, you people?" - "The Lord Count." - "Eh! Mr. Graf! Big, beautiful lands!" - Then to the forest: "Who does the wood belong to, you people?" - "The Lord Count." - The king was even more amazed and said: "You must be a rich man, Lord Count, I don't think I have such a magnificent forest." At last they came to the castle, the cat was standing at the top of the stairs, and when the carriage stopped at the bottom, he jumped down, opened the door and said: "Lord King, You are entering the castle of my lord the count, who will be happy with this honor for the rest of his life.” The king got out and marveled at the magnificent building, which was almost larger and more beautiful than his castle; but the count led the princess up the stairs into the hall, which shimmered with gold and precious stones.
Then the princess was betrothed to the count, and when the king died, he became king, but Puss in Boots was first minister.