Once upon a time there was a very poor miller who bequeathed his three sons a mill, a donkey and a cat. In the division, the mill went to the eldest son, the donkey to the second, and the cat to the youngest. The latter lamented his fate as soon as he learned what his share was.

-What will be of me? My brothers will work together and make a fortune, but I only have one cat.

The cat heard the words of his young master and decided to help him, he said:

—Don’t worry my lord, I can be more useful and valuable than you think. I ask you to please give me a jacket and a pair of boots to walk through the bushes.

Although the young master did not believe the cat’s words, he gave him what he asked for, knowing that he was a very cunning animal.

Putting his plan into motion, the cat gathered some carrots and went into the woods to hunt rabbits. With the sack full of rabbits and his new boots, he headed towards the royal palace and managed to be received by the king.

“Your Majesty, I am Puss in Boots, loyal servant of the Marquis of Carabás.” This was the first name that occurred to the cat. The Marquis wants to offer you these gifts.

The rabbits pleased the king very much.

The next day, Puss in Boots went back into the woods and caught a wild boar. Once again, he presented it to the king, as a gift from the Marquis of Carabás.

For several weeks, Puss in Boots caught more animals to present as gifts to the king. The king was very pleased with the Marquis of Carabás.

One day, the cat found out that the king was visiting the river in the company of his daughter, the princess, and he said to his master:

“Do as I ask, my lord, go to the river and bathe in the indicated place.” I’ll take care of the rest.

The young master paid attention to the cat. When the king’s chariot passed by the river, the cat began to scream at the top of his voice:

“Help, help!” The Marquis of Carabás is drowning!

Remembering all the gifts that the marquis had given him, the king ordered his guard to help the young man. As the alleged Marquis of Carabás was soaking wet and his clothes had been lost in the current of the river, the king also ordered that he be dressed in the most elegant suit and invited him to enter the carriage. Inside the carriage was the princess who immediately fell in love with the handsome and elegant Marquis of Carabás.

The cat, delighted to see that his plan was beginning to work, went ahead of them. Finding some peasants who cut the meadow on a huge piece of land, he said:

—Peasant gentlemen, if the king were to ask you to whom these lands belong, you must answer that they belong to the Marquis of Carabás. Do it and you will receive a great reward.

When the king stopped to ask, the peasants answered in unison:

“Your Majesty, these lands belong to my lord, the Marquis of Carabás.”

The cat, walking in front of the carriage, was saying the same thing to all the peasants he met. The king asked the same thing and with each response from the peasants, he was more amazed at the wealth of the Marquis of Carabás.

Finally, the ingenious cat reached the most majestic castle that had as owner and lord a horrible and evil ogre. In fact, all the lands the king had passed through belonged to this castle.

The cat knew very well who the ogre was and asked to speak with him. In order not to be rejected, he told the ogre that it was impossible for him to pass through his castle and not have the honor of giving him his respects. The ogre feeling flattered allowed him to pass.

“Sir, I have heard that you have the enviable gift of turning into any animal you wish,” said the cat.

“It is true,” answered the ogre, “and to prove it I will become a lion.”

The cat was scared to have a lion so close. However, he was determined to go through with his elaborate plan.

When the ogre returned to his hideous form, the cat said:

“Your skills are extraordinary! But it would seem more extraordinary to me if you could become something as small as a mouse.

“Of course I can,” answered the ogre, somewhat annoyed.

When the ogre turned into a mouse, the cat caught him with a single claw and ate him.

Hearing the carriage approaching, the cat ran to the castle gates to welcome the king:

“Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabás.”

“How, Mr. Marquis of Carabás?” exclaimed the king. Does this castle also belong to you?

The king, dazzled by the enormous fortune of the Marquis of Carabás, gave his consent for him to marry the princess.

That young man who was once poor had become a prince thanks to the cunning of a cat. The young man never forgot the favors of Puss in Boots and rewarded him with a cape, a hat and a new pair of boots.