Puss in Boots
A miller’s youngest son gets nothing but a cat, but the cat asks for a bag and a pair of boots and makes his poor master into the Marquis of Carabas. With clever tricks he wins him fine clothes, the King’s favor, and an ogre’s castle, and the Marquis marries the Princess.
Scene 1: Nothing but a Cat
Puss in Boots. Once upon a time, a miller died. His eldest son got the mill, and the second son got the donkey. The youngest got nothing but the cat. He sighed: “What can I ever do with a cat?” The Cat heard him, and said with a serious air: “Do not be sad, my good master. Just give me a bag and a pair of boots, and you shall see!”
Scene 2: A Present for the King
So Puss pulled on his boots, put bran in his bag, and lay very still. A foolish young rabbit hopped in, and Puss pulled the strings tight. He took it to the palace, bowed low, and said: “Sire, here is a rabbit from my noble lord, the Marquis of Carabas.” That was the grand name Puss had made up for his master. The King replied: “Tell your master that I thank him.”
Scene 3: Help! Help!
One day, the King drove by the river with his daughter, the most beautiful princess in the world. Puss told his master: “Go and wash in the river, and leave the rest to me.” When the King’s coach came by, Puss cried: “Help! Help! My Lord Marquis of Carabas is going to be drowned!” The guards pulled him out. Puss said thieves had taken his clothes. But the clever Cat had hidden them under a stone! The King gave him a fine suit and a seat in the coach. The Princess liked him at once.
Scene 4: Whose Corn Is This?
Puss ran ahead and met some reapers. He said: “Good people, you who are reaping, please tell the King that all this corn belongs to the Marquis of Carabas!” When the King asked whose corn it was, the reapers answered: “To my Lord Marquis of Carabas!” Puss said the same to everyone, and the King was amazed at the Marquis’s lands.
Scene 5: The Ogre’s Castle
At last, Puss came to a grand castle. It belonged to a rich ogre. Puss bowed politely and said: “I have heard that you can change into any creature, even a lion!” The Ogre answered: “That is true! You shall see me now become a lion!” Puss was so frightened that he scrambled onto the roof, his boots slipping on the tiles!
Scene 6: Impossible!
When the Ogre was himself again, Puss climbed down and said: “They say you can even become a mouse. But I think that is impossible.” The Ogre cried: “Impossible? You shall see!” And he changed into a mouse, scampering about. Quick as a flash, Puss pounced, and the Ogre was gone.
Scene 7: Welcome, Your Majesty!
Just then, the King’s coach rumbled over the drawbridge. Puss ran out and said: “Your Majesty is welcome to this castle of my Lord Marquis of Carabas!” The King cried: “What, my Lord Marquis! Does this castle belong to you too?” A great feast was ready inside, and that very day the Marquis married the Princess. Puss became a great lord, and never chased mice again, except for fun. Cleverness and hard work can be worth more than a great fortune.
Moral: Cleverness and hard work can be worth more than a great fortune.
Questions about Puss in Boots
What did the youngest son get from his father?
Only the cat.
What did the Cat ask his master for?
A bag and a pair of boots.
What grand name did Puss make up for his master?
The Marquis of Carabas.
Where did Puss hide his master’s clothes?
Under a stone.
What did the Ogre turn into first?
A lion.
More stories to read aloud
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears — While the Three Bears take a walk until their porridge cools, a little girl called Goldilocks walks into their house and tries their porridge, chairs and beds.
- Hansel and Gretel — Left in the forest, Hansel and Gretel find their way home by moonlit white pebbles, but the next time birds eat their breadcrumbs and they come to a house of bread and cake.
- Henny Penny — An acorn falls on Henny-penny's head, and she is sure the sky is falling, so she sets off to tell the king with Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey.