Chapter II: Puss and the Lion

Puss now had things quite to his mind. He ran on before, and came to a meadow, where some men were mowing grass. He stopped before them, and said:--

“The king is coming this way. You must tell him that this field belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, or you shall all be chopped as fine as mince-meat.”

“When the carriage came by, the king put his head out, and said to the men:--

“This is good grass land. Who owns it?”

“The Marquis of Carabas,” they all said, for Puss had thrown them into a great fright.

“You have a fine estate, Marquis,” said the king.

“Yes, Sire,” he replied, tossing his head; “it pays me well.” Puss still ran before the carriage, and came soon to some reapers.

“Tell the king,” he cried, “that all this grain belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, or you shall all be chopped as fine as mince-meat.” The king now came by, and asked the reapers who owned the grain they were cutting.

“The Marquis of Carabas,” they said. So it Went on. Puss bade the men in the fields call the Marquis of Carabas their lord, or it would go hard with them. The king was amazed. The Marquis took it all with a grand air. It was easy to see that he was a very rich and great man. The princess sat in the corner of the carriage, and thought the Marquis no mean fellow.

At last they drew near the castle of the one who really owned all the fields they had passed through. Puss asked about him, and found he was a monster who made every one about him very much afraid. Puss sent in word that he should like to pay his respects, and the monster bade him come in.

“I have been told,” said Puss, “that you can change yourself into any kind of animal. They say you can even make yourself a lion.”

“To be sure I can,” said the monster. “Do you not believe it? Look, and you shall see me become a lion at once.” When Puss saw a lion before him he was in a great fright, and got as far away as he could. There he stayed till the lion became a monster again.

“That was dreadful!” said Puss. “I was nearly dead with fear. But it must be much harder to make yourself small. They do say that you can turn into a mouse, but I do not believe it.”

“Not believe it!” cried the monster. “You shall see!” So he made himself at once into a mouse, and began running over the floor. In a twinkling Puss pounced upon him and gave him one shake. That was the end of the monster.

By this time the king had reached the gates of the castle, and thought he would like to see so fine a place. Puss heard the wheels, and ran down just as the king drove up to the door.

“Welcome!” he said, as he stood on the steps of the castle. “Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas!”

“What! my lord Marquis,” said the king, “does this castle, too, belong to you? I never saw anything so fine. I should really like to enter.”

“Your majesty is welcome!” said the young man, bowing low, taking off the cap which the king had given him. Then he gave his hand to the princess, and they went up the steps. Puss danced before them in his boots.

They came into a great hall, and there they found a feast spread. The monster had asked some friends to dine with him that day, but the news went about that the king was at the castle, and so they dared not go.

The king was amazed at all he saw, and the princess went behind him, just as much pleased. The Marquis of Carabas said little. He held his head high and played with his sword.

When dinner was over, the king took the Marquis one side, and said:--

“You have only to say the word, my lord Marquis, and you shall be the son-in-law of your king.”

So the Marquis married the princess, and Puss in Boots became a great lord, and hunted mice for mere sport, just when he pleased.

THE FARMER’S SONS

|A farmer’s Sons once fell out. The Farmer tried to make peace between them, but he could not. Then he bade them bring him some sticks. These he tied together into a bundle, and gave the bundle to each of his Sons in turn, and told him to break it. Each Son tried, but could not.

Then he untied the bundle and gave them each one stick to break. This they did easily, and he said: “So is it with you, my Sons. If you are all of the same mind, your enemies can do you no harm. But if you quarrel, they will easily get the better of you.”

THE LION AND THE BEAR

|A Lion and a Bear chanced to fall upon a Fawn at the same time, and they began to fight for it. They fought so fiercely that at last they fell down, entirely worn out and almost dead.

A Fox, passing that way, saw them stretched out, and the Fawn dead between them. He stole in slyly, seized the Fawn, and ran away with it for his own dinner. When they saw this, they could not stir, but they cried out:--

“How foolish we were to take all this trouble for the Fox!”

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

|As a Lion lay asleep, a Mouse ran into his mouth. The Lion shut his teeth together and would have eaten him up, but the Mouse begged hard to be let out, saying:--

“If you will let me go, I will repay you some day.”

The Lion smiled, but let the Mouse out. Not long after, the Mouse had a chance to repay him. The Lion was caught by some hunters, and bound with ropes to a tree. The Mouse heard him roar and groan, and ran and gnawed the ropes, so that the Lion got free.

Then the Mouse said:--

“You laughed at me once, Lion, as if you could get nothing in return for your kindness to me. But now it is you who owe your life to me.”

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER

|There was once a Shoemaker who worked very hard and was honest. Still, he could not earn enough to live on. At last, all he had in the world was gone except just leather enough to make one pair of shoes. He cut these out at night, and meant to rise early the next morning to make them up.

His heart was light in spite of his troubles, for his conscience was clear. So he went quietly to bed, left all his cares to God, and fell asleep. In the morning he said his prayers and sat down to work, when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes, already made, upon the table.

The good man knew not what to say or think. He looked at the work. There was not one false stitch in the whole job. All was neat and true.

That same day a customer came in, and the shoes pleased him so well that he readily paid a price higher than usual for them. The Shoemaker took the money and bought leather enough to make two pairs more. He cut out the work in the evening and went to bed early. He wished to be up with the sun and get to work.

He was saved all trouble, for when he got up in the morning, the work was done. Pretty soon buyers came in, who paid him well for his goods. So he bought leather enough for four pairs more.

He cut out the work again over night, and found it finished in the morning as before. So it went on for some time. What was got ready at night was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon was well to do.

One evening, at Christmas time, he and his wife sat over the fire, chatting, and he said:--

“I should like to sit up and watch to-night, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me.” So they left the light burning, and hid themselves behind a curtain to see what would happen.

As soon as it was midnight, there came two little Elves. They sat upon the Shoemaker’s bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply their little fingers. They stitched and rapped and tapped at such a rate that the Shoemaker was amazed, and could not take his eyes off them for a moment.

On they went till the job was done, and the shoes stood, ready for use, upon the table. This was long before daybreak. Then they ran away as quick as lightning. The next day the wife said to the Shoemaker:--

“These little Elves have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them and do them some good in return. I am vexed to see them run about as they do. They have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold. I’ll tell you what we must do; I will make each of them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of pantaloons into the bargain. Do you make each of them a little pair of shoes.”

The good Shoemaker liked the thought very well. One evening, he and his wife had the clothes ready, and laid them on the table instead of the work they used to cut out. Then they went and hid behind the curtain to watch what the little Elves would do.

At midnight the Elves came in and were going to sit down at their work as usual. But when they saw the clothes lying there for them, they laughed and were in high glee.

They dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced and capered and sprang about as merry as could be, till at last they danced out of the door, and over the green.

The Shoemaker saw them no more, but everything went well with him as long as he lived.

THE STAG AND THE LION

|A thirsty Stag came to a spring to drink. As he drank, he looked into the water and saw himself. He was very proud of his horns, when he saw how big they were and what branches they had. But he looked at his feet, and took it hard that they should be so thin and weak.

Now, while he was thinking about these things, a Lion sprang out and began to chase him. The Stag turned and ran. As he was very fleet, he outran the Lion so long as they were on the open plain. But when they came to a piece of woods, the Stag’s horns became caught in the branches of the trees. He could not run, and the Lion caught up with him.

As the Lion fell upon him with his claws, the Stag cried oat:--

“What a wretch am I! I was made safe by the very parts I scorned, and have come to my end by the parts I gloried in!”

THE STAR-GAZER

|A certain wise man was wont to go out every evening and gaze at the stars. Once his walk took him outside of the town, and as he was looking earnestly into the sky, he fell into a ditch.

He was in a sad plight, and set up a cry. A man who was passing by heard him, and stopped to see what was the matter.

“Ah, sir,” said he, “when you are trying to make out what is in the sky, you do not see what is on the earth.”

THE FOX AND THE LION

A Fox who had never seen a Lion happened one day to meet one. When he saw him, he was so afraid that he almost died. When he met him a second time, he was afraid, to be sure, but not as at first. The third time he saw him, the Fox was so bold that he went up to the Lion and spoke to him.

This fable teaches that, when we get used to fearful things, they do not frighten us so much as at first.

THE FARMER AND THE STORK

|A Farmer set a net in his field to catch the Cranes that were eating his grain. He caught the Cranes, and with them a Stork also. The Stork was lame, and begged the Farmer to let him go.

“I am not a Crane,” he said. “I am a Stork. I am a very good bird, and take care of my father and mother. Look at the color of my skin; it is not the same as the Crane’s.”

But the Farmer said: “I do not know how that is. I caught you with the Cranes, and with the Cranes you must die.”

It is well to keep out of the way of wicked people, lest we fall into the trap with them.

THE DOG AND THE WOLF

|A Dog was lying asleep in front of a stable. A Wolf suddenly came upon him, and was about to eat him, but the Dog begged for his life, saying:--

“I am lean and tough now; but wait a little, for my master is going to give a feast, and then I shall have plenty to eat; I shall grow fat, and make a better meal for you.”

So the Wolf agreed, and went away. By and by he came back, and found the Dog asleep on the house-top. He called to him to come down now and do as he had agreed. But the Dog answered:--

“Good Wolf, if you ever catch me again asleep in front of the stable, you had better not wait for the feast to come off.”

This fable teaches that wise men, when they escape danger, take care afterwards not to run the same risk.

THE FOX IN THE WELL

|An unlucky Fox fell into a well, and cried out for help. A Wolf heard him, and looked down to see what the matter was.

“Ah!” said the Fox, “pray lend a hand, friend, and get me out of this.”

“Poor creature,” said the Wolf, “how did this come about? How long have you been here? You must be very cold.”

“Come, come,” says the Fox, “this is no time for pitying and asking questions; get me out of the well first, and I will tell you all about it afterwards.”

THE TWO PACKS

|Every man carries two Packs, one in front, the other behind, and each is full of faults. But the one in front holds other people’s faults, the one behind holds his own. And so it is that men do not see their own faults at all, but see very clearly the faults of others.

THE DOG AND HIS IMAGE

|A Dog, with a bit of meat in his mouth, was crossing a river. Looking down he saw his image in the water, and thought it was another dog, with a bigger piece. So he dropped what he had, and jumped into the water after the other piece. Thus he lost both pieces: the one he really had, which he dropped; and the other he wanted, which was no piece at all.

This is a good fable for greedy people.

THE FOX AND THE STORK

|The Fox invited the Stork to sup with him, and placed a shallow dish on the table. The Stork, with her long bill, could get nothing out of the dish, while the Fox could lap up the food with his tongue; and so the Fox laughed at the Stork.

The Stork, in her turn, asked the Fox to dine with her. She placed the food in a long-necked jar, from which she could easily feed with her bill, while the Fox could get nothing. That was tit for tat.

THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW

|A wild young fellow, who had spent all his father’s money, and had only a cloak left upon his back, when he saw a Swallow flying about before it was time said: “Ah, summer has come! I shall not need my cloak any longer; so I will sell it.” But afterwards a storm came, and, when it was past, he saw the poor Swallow dead on the ground. “Ah, my friend!” said he, “you are lost yourself, and you have ruined me.”

One Swallow does not make a summer.

JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK