A miller had three sons, his mill, a donkey, and a cat. The sons worked the mill, the donkey fetched the grain and carried away the flour, and the cat caught mice.
When the miller died the three sons divided the inheritance: The oldest received the mill, the second the donkey, and the third the cat, for nothing else was left for him.
Sadly he said to himself, "I got the worst of everything. My oldest brother can grind grain, my second one can ride his donkey, but what can I do with the cat? If I have a pair of fur gloves made from his pelt, then there'll be nothing left."
"Listen," said the cat, who had understood everything that he had said. "Don't kill me just to get a pair of inferior gloves from my pelt. Instead, have a pair of boots made for me so that I can go out and been seen by the people. Then I can come to your aid."
The miller's son was amazed that the cat could thusly speak. Now the cobbler was just passing by, so he called him in and had him measure the cat for a pair of boots. When they were finished the cat pulled them on, took a sack with a some grain in the bottom and a string with which it could be tied shut, threw it over his shoulder, and walked out the door on two legs, just like a human.
The ruler in the land at that time was a king who loved partridges. However, none were to be had. The woods were full of them, but they were so wary that no hunter could get to them. The cat knew this, and worked out a solution. Arriving in the woods he opened the sack, spread out the grain inside it, then laid the string in the grass, leading it behind a thicket. Then he hid himself, crept into the thicket and watched.
The partridges soon came by, found the grain, and one after the other hopped into the sack. When a good number were inside, the cat pulled the string shut, ran up and wrung the partridges' necks, then threw the sack over his shoulder and went straightaway to the king's palace.
The guard shouted, "Stop! Where to?"
"To the king," answered the cat.
"Are you crazy? A cat going to the king?"
"Just let him go," said another guard. "The king is often bored. Perhaps the cat can entertain him with his tricks."
The cat approached the king, bowed politely, and said, "My master, Count (and here he said a long and very distinguished name) extends his greetings to his majesty the king and sends him these partridges which he captured with snares."
The king was amazed to see such fine, fat partridges and hardly knew how to contain his joy. He ordered the cat to take as much gold from the treasury as he could carry in his sack, then said, "Take it to you master and thank him many times for his gift."
The poor miller's son was at home sitting at the window with his head in his hands. He had given everything he had for the cat's boots, and now he wondered what he might get in return.
Just then the cat stepped inside, threw the sack from his back, untied the string, and spread the gold out in front of the miller.
"Here is something for the boots. The king sends you his greetings and his thanks."
The miller was delighted with the wealth, although he could not understand where it had come from.
While taking off his boots, the cat explained everything to him, then added, "You now have plenty of money, but that's not enough. Tomorrow I'll pull my boots on again, and you shall become even more wealthy. I told the king that you are a count."
The next day, just as he said he would, the cat, appropriately booted, went hunting again and took the captured game to the king. Thus it continued every day, and every day the cat returned home with more gold. He was now so favored by the king that he was allowed to come and go as he pleased and to prowl around the palace wherever he wanted to.
One time the cat was warming himself by the fire in the king's birchen when the coachman came in cursing, "To the devil with the king and the princess! I wanted to go to the tavern for a drink and some card playing, but now I have to drive them to the lake."
After hearing this, the cat sneaked home and said to his master, "If you want to become a wealthy count, come with me to the lake and go bathing there."
The miller did not know what he should say to this, but he obeyed the cat, went with him to the lake, took off all his clothes, and jumped into the water. The cat picked up the clothes, carried them away, and hid them. He had scarcely done so when the king came riding by.
The cat cried out pitifully, "Oh, your majesty! My master was bathing here in the lake when a thief came and stole his clothes that were lying here on the shore. Now the count cannot come out of the water. If he stays there any longer he will catch a cold and die."
Hearing this, the king came to a stop and sent one of his people back to fetch some of the king's clothes. The count then put on these splendid clothes. Because the king already favored him because of the partridges, he invited him into the royal carriage and spoke to him in familiar terms. The princess had nothing against this, for the count was young and good looking, and she quite liked him.
Now the cat had run on ahead and had arrived at a great meadow where more than a hundred people were making hay.
"Whose meadow is this?" asked the cat.
"It belongs to the great sorcerer."
"Listen, the king will soon come this way, and when he asks whose meadow this is, you must answer, 'It belongs to the count.' If you do not do this, you'll all be killed."
With that the cat went on further, coming to a field of grain so large that no one could see its end. More than two hundred people were there cutting the grain.
"Who owns this grain, you people?"
"The sorcerer."
"Listen, the king will soon come this way, and when he asks whose grain this is, you must answer, 'It belongs to the count.' If you do not do this, you'll all be killed."
Finally the cat came to a magnificent forest. More than three hundred people were there felling the great oak trees and making lumber.
"Who owns this forest, you people?"
"The sorcerer."
"Listen, the king will soon come this way, and when he asks whose forest this is, you must answer, 'It belongs to the count.' If you do not do this, you'll all be killed."
The cat continued on further. Everyone stared at him because he looked so unusual, walking along in boots like a human. And they were afraid of him.
Soon he arrived at the sorcerer's place. He stepped boldly inside and walked up to the sorcerer, who looked at him scornfully.
"What do you want?"
The cat bowed politely and said, "I have heard that you can transform yourself any way that you please. I can well believe that you could transform yourself into an animal such as a dog, a fox, or even a wolf, but it seems to me that to transform yourself into an elephant would be quite impossible. I have come to see if you can do so."
The sorcerer said proudly, "That's nothing for me," and he instantly transformed himself into an elephant.
The cat pretended to be frightened and said, "That is unbelievable and unheard of. I would never have dreamed that you could do this. But even more difficult would be to transform yourself into a small animal, such as a mouse. You are certainly more powerful than any other sorcerer in the world, but that would be too much for you."
The sweet talk turned the sorcerer very friendly, and he said, "Oh yes, my dear little cat, I can do that too," then suddenly he was jumping around in the room as a mouse. The cat ran after him, caught him with one leap, and ate him up.
Meanwhile, the king had ridden along further with the count and the princess, coming to the great meadow.
"Who owns this hay?" he asked.
"The count," they all shouted. "You have a beautiful piece of land here, Lord Count," just as the cat had order them to do.
Then they came to the great field of grain.
"Who owns this grain, you people?"
"The Lord Count. Yes, Lord Count, you have a wonderful farm here!"
Then they came to the forest.
"Who owns this forest, you people?"
"The Lord Count."
The king was all the more amazed, and said, "Lord Count, you must be a very wealthy man. I do not believe that I myself have such a magnificent forest."
Finally they arrived at the palace. The cat was standing on the steps, and when the carriage came to a stop he jumped down, opened the door, and said, "Your majesty, you have arrived at the palace of my master, the count, and this honor will make him happy as long as he lives."
The king climbed out of the carriage and marveled at the magnificent building. It was almost larger and more beautiful than his own castle. The count then led the princess up the stairway and into the main hall, that shimmered with gold and precious stones.
Then the princess and the count were married, and when the king died the count became king with cat-in-boots as his prime minister.
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