19. Perrault Fairy Tales

Title: Perrault Fairy Tales
The Fairies; The Master Cat (or Puss in Boots); The Ridiculous Wishes; Little Red Riding Hood
Author: Charles Perrault
Copyright Date: 1697
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Fairy Tales

Summary: The Master Cat; or Puss in Boots
There are three sons who receive their inheritance from their father who has just passed. The oldest got the mill, the middle son was given the donkey and the youngest was left with the cat. The youngest son was distraught because after he has eaten the cat and used the skin he will have nothing left while his brothers can make livings from what they inherited. The cat tells him not to despair but that if he would give the cat boots and a bag he would show the man that he was not so unfortunate. The master cat proved to be a valuable hunter and he took what he caught to the king telling him it was a gift from The Master Carabas (his master’s new grand name) The master cat continued to do this for the next couple of months and the king was very pleased. The cat knew that on a certain day the king would be traveling along the riverside so the cat devised a plan. He had his master go and bathe in the river so he could pretend he was drowning. The cat’s master was “rescued” by the king’s guard. The cat claimed that his master’s fine clothes had been stolen by thieves (the cat had hidden the clothes). The king then ordered that the Lord Marquis of Carabas be dressed in some of his clothes and invited him to ride with him and his daughter, who had already started to fall in love with him. They continued their journey and often stopped. The king would ask the people who’s land this was and they would reply that it belonged to the Lord Marquis of Carabas. All the while the master cat was running ahead telling them to say so. Finally the master cat reaches a castle and learns that an ogre lives there. The cat tricks the ogre into turning himself into a mouse and when he did so the cat gobbled him up. When the king got to the castle he was so glad that it belonged to the marquis and that night while drinking the king said, “it will be your own fault, my Lord Marquis, if you do not become my son-in-law.” The man married the princess and the cat became a great lord.

Recommendation
I would recommend this story to kids who have watched Shrek and that way they know the real history of Puss in Boots.

Problems/Conflict
The princess marries a man who has only lied to her father and her. She has no idea about who he really is. Their relationship is based totally on the lies of a cat.

My Reaction
I love that a cat is the smart one, he is what changes the destiny of a poor man. I think it is funny as well that so simply the cat was able to trick the ogre and he ate the ogre. Gross!