The Master Cat

Title: The Master Cat or Puss In Boots

Sources:
Andrew Lang, The Blue Fairy Book (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., ca. 1889), pp. 141-147. 
Lang's source: Charles Perrault, Histoires ou contes du temps passé, avec des moralités: Contes de ma mère l'Oye (Paris, 1697).

Summary: When the miller died, he only had three things to leave to his son -- his mill, his donkey and his cat. It was divided based on age, and the youngest son was left with the cat. He was unhappy about his fate. That was true, until the cat told him to give him some boots and a bag and he would show the son that his inheritance wasn't so useless after all. 

The cat caught a fine rabbit and brought it to the king, telling him it was a gift from the cat's master, the "Master of Carabas." The king was pleased. Then he went out and caught some partridges and gave them to the king from his master. The king was again pleased. The cat continued to bring the king game and give the credit to the miller's son. A few months passed and the cat told his master to go bathe in a certain river at a particular time. He knew the king and his beautiful daughter would be driving by. 

When they were passing, the cat called out that his master was drowning. He hid the miller's son's old and worn clothes saying that thieves had stolen them so that the king would feel compelled to give the man some clothes after they had rescued him. When the son laid eyes on the princess, they fell madly in love. While the son rode with the king and his daughter, the cat ran ahead and threatened the villagers so they would tell the king they worked for the "Marquis of Carabas."The cat ran ahead again and tricked an ogre into transforming into a mouse so that he could eat him and claim his fine castle as his master's. The king was very impressed with the "Marquis" and allowed him to marry his daughter. The cat, who was now also living very comfortably, never had to chase after a mouse again. 

Cultural Origins: France, 1697. The oldest version of this tale dates back to 1550 and was written by an Italian author. It is one of the most famous tales that includes an animal helper. 

Audience: The moral of this story is that it is better to work for what you want than to have someone hand it to you. I think this is an appropriate moral for all age groups. The simplicity of the story makes it an excellent tale for young listeners in all settings. 

Adaptation Ideas: In this version of the story, the cat is cruel to the townspeople. If I wanted to make him more of a hero, I may alter the way he speaks to the villagers. Perhaps he can offer to reward them instead of threatening them with violence. I would try to use a very sly voice for the cat, as he is able to manipulate everyone around him.