Puss in Boots

Once upon a time, in a quiet little village where nothing ever really happened, lived a miller. He spent his life happily in his windmill, milling the flour that made the bread that fed the village, and raising his three young sons. When the dear old miller retired, he gave his three sons everything he had: the eldest got the mill, the middle one got the donkey, and the youngest—well, he got the cat.

Mm, that’s right. Just a cat.

“Great,” thought the youngest son, whose name was Jack. “What on earth am I supposed to do with a cat?”

But the cat wasn’t just any cat. Oh no, this was Puss. And Puss wasn’t going to let Jack sit around feeling sorry for himself.

“Cheer up, kid,” said Puss, licking his outstretched paw. “I’ve got you.”

Jack blinked. “You… can talk?”

“Obviously. Now listen,” Puss said, hopping up onto the table like he owned the place. “You and me, we’re going places.”

“Are we, though?” Jack sighed. “I don’t even have a loaf of bread, let alone a future.”

“Details, details,” Puss said, waving a paw. “If you can find me a bag and a pair of boots, then I’ll take care of the rest.”

Jack stared. “Boots?”

“Yeah, boots. Ever seen a proper hero without boots?”

“Fair enough,” shrugged Jack. He had nothing to lose anyway, so he spent his last few coins on a sturdy bag and a tiny pair of boots. Puss slipped them on, gave a twirl, and grinned.

“Perfect. Now, watch this.”

Puss trotted off into the forest, bag slung over his shoulder like a proper adventurer. He set up a little trap with the bag, added a sprinkle of cunning (and some carrots for bait), and waited. It wasn’t long before a plump rabbit hopped cluelessly into the bag. With a quick pull of the string, Puss had it.

“Gotcha!” he said, tying up the bag. “I’ve got a gift for the king,” Puss announced grandly, puffing out his chest.

Moments later, he was in the throne room, presenting the rabbit to the king.

“A gift from my master, the Marquis of Carabas,” Puss declared, bowing low.

The king raised an eyebrow. “The Marquis of… who?”

“The Marquis of Carabas,” Puss repeated, like everyone should know the name. “He’s very rich. Very generous.”

The king, who loved gifts almost as much as he loved being king, was impressed. “Tell your master I thank him!”

“Oh, he’ll send more,” Puss promised with a sly smile.

Over the next few weeks, Puss kept busy. He trapped partridges, pheasants, and other fancy-sounding birds, delivering them all directly to the king.

“Another gift from the Marquis of Carabas,” Puss would say each time, bowing so low his whiskers nearly touched the ground.

By now, the king was thoroughly impressed. “This Marquis must be a remarkable man!” he exclaimed to his daughter, the princess.

The princess, who was kind-hearted and curious, nodded. “I’d like to meet him someday.”

Meanwhile, back at the village, Jack was hopelessly trying to catch fish in the pond for their dinner. He had no idea what Puss was up to or where he was going when he disappeared for hours at a time.

“Where’ve you been?” Jack asked Puss when he finally returned.

Puss just smiled, and flicked a fat trout out of the water with a flick of his paw, the wriggling fish landing right at Jack’s feet. “How’s my favorite Marquis doing?” Puss asked, grinning.

“What’s a Marquis?” Jack repeated, confused.

“You are,” Puss said. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. Just follow my lead.”

A few days later, Puss took Jack to the river and handed him a pair of old trousers and a shirt.

“Put these on,” Puss said.

Jack frowned. “Why?”

“Because we’re about to make you famous,” Puss replied.

Once Jack was dressed, Puss told him to jump into the river.

“Wait, what?!” Jack spluttered.

“Trust me,” Puss said, giving him a shove. With a splash, Jack landed in the water.

Just as planned, the king’s carriage happened to roll by at that very moment. Puss waved his arms frantically.

“Help! Help! My master, the Marquis of Carabas, is drowning!” he cried.

The king, recognizing the name, stopped the carriage. “Save him at once!”

“Robbers stole his clothes while he was bathing!” Puss exclaimed dramatically.

The king ordered his servants to fetch fine clothes for Jack, who suddenly looked quite dashing. The princess, peeking out from the carriage, blushed.

“Well, well, Marquis,” said the king, beaming. “Why don’t you ride with us?”

Jack, still bewildered, climbed into the carriage. Puss winked at him from the roadside.

As the carriage rolled through the countryside, Puss ran ahead. He stopped at a field where farmers were working.

“Listen up!” Puss called. “When the king passes by and asks who owns this land, you say, ‘The Marquis of Carabas.’ Got it?”

The farmers, startled by the talking cat, nodded quickly.

Sure enough, when the king’s carriage passed, he asked, “Who owns this fine land?”

“The Marquis of Carabas!” the farmers shouted.

The king turned to Jack, impressed. “You own all this?”

Jack, catching on, nodded. “Uh… yes?”

Meanwhile, Puss kept running. He stopped at every field and meadow, giving the same instructions. Before long, the carriage reached a grand castle, and the king was convinced that dear old Jack was the richest man in the kingdom.

Now, about that castle—it actually belonged to a terrifying ogre. The kind of ogre who could squash you like a bug. But Puss wasn’t worried. He marched right up to the castle door and knocked.

The ogre answered, towering over Puss. “What do you want, little cat?” he growled.

“I’ve heard you’re very powerful,” Puss said, casually brushing some dust off his shoulder. “Is it true you can turn into any animal?”

The ogre smirked. “Of course.”

“Even… a lion?” Puss asked, pretending to be doubtful.

“Watch this!” the ogre roared. With a flash, he transformed into a massive lion, his mane brushing the ceiling.

Puss pretended to tremble. “Impressive! But I’m sure animals are easy… I bet you couldn’t turn into something else, like… a gooseberry.”

“A gooseberry?” the lion/ogre scoffed. “Easy.”

In an instant, the lion was gone, and a plump green gooseberry dropped to the floor.

“Gotcha,” Puss said, pouncing. With one quick gulp, the gooseberry was gone.

When the king’s carriage arrived at the castle, Puss was waiting at the gates.

“Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas!” he announced.

The king and princess were amazed. “What a magnificent home!” Jack was pretty amazed too… and was still trying to figure out how he’d gone from poor miller’s son to wealthy Marquis. But with a nudge from Puss, he remembered to play along. “Uh, yes. Welcome!”

The princess smiled at Jack, clearly smitten. The king, seeing how well they got along, decided then and there that they should marry.

And so, Jack and the princess were married in a grand celebration. The king was thrilled to have such a clever son-in-law, and Jack was thrilled to have a cat who wore boots and made his life awesome.

And Puss? He became the castle’s official advisor, living the rest of his days in luxury, with a warm spot by the fire and a different pair of boots for every day of the week.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Also read: Peter and the Wolf

About:

Welcome to Kiddom Tales, where magic and imagination come together! We bring fairy tales and bedtime stories to life, creating a fun and enchanting space for kids to explore wonderful worlds filled with adventure, friendship, and dreams. Our stories are perfect for sparking imagination, with every tale taking you on a new journey.

We love sharing stories that inspire kids to be kind, brave, and curious. From classic fairy tales to new, exciting adventures, each story is carefully crafted to fill your child’s world with wonder and excitement.

Subscribe to Kiddom Tales and invite your child into a magical kingdom of stories, where they can learn, laugh, and dream big. Let’s discover endless adventures together—one story at a time!