20
PUSS IN BOOTS
attentions. As the fine clothes they brought him made him look like a gentleman, and set off his person, which was very comely, to the greatest advantage, the King's daughter was mightily taken with his appearance, and the Marquis of Carabas had no sooner cast upon her two or three respectful glances, than she became violently in love with him.
The King insisted on his getting into the carriage, and taking a ride with them. The Cat, enchanted to see how well his scheme was likely to succeed, ran before to a meadow that was reaping, and said to the reapers—"Good people, if you do not tell the King, who will soon pass this way, that the meadow you are reaping belong to my Lord Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as mince meat."
The King did not fail to ask the reapers to whom the meadow belonged?—"To my Lord Marquis of Carabas," said they all at once, for the threats of the Cat had terribly frightened them. “You have here a very fine piece of land, my Lord Marquis," said the King—"Truly, Sire," replied he, "it does not fail to bring me every year a plentiful harvest."
The Cat, who still went on before, now came to a field where some other labourers were making sheaves of the corn they had reaped, to whom he said as before—“Good people, if you do not tell
