French literature summaries - 2021

Short summary - The Master Cat, Or Puss in Boots
Charles Perrault

Micro-narration: The miller's youngest son inherits a cunning and clever cat. He introduces the master to the king; killing the cannibal, makes the miller's son the owner of his lands and marries the princess.

The old miller died, leaving his sons "a small inheritance - a mill, a donkey and a cat." The brothers immediately divided the father's goodness: the elder took the mill for himself, the middle one got the donkey, and the youngest had to take the cat for himself. He was very saddened that he got "such a bad inheritance", because with its help you will not earn money and you will not feed yourself.

To cheer up his new owner, the cat promised to straighten him an excellent inheritance and asked for "a bag and a pair of boots." Dexterously putting on his boots and putting a head of cabbage in a sack, the cat went into the forest, where there were many rabbits. He laid out his bait right in the clearing, and soon "a young, trusting rabbit climbed into the bag."

The satisfied cat went to the king's palace and presented him with a rabbit on behalf of its owner, the Marquis of Carabas. The king was pleased with the gift and ordered to convey his gratitude to the Marquis Karabas.

The next time the cat caught two partridges in a bag with bait, which he also hurried to take to the king. So, for several months, the cat supplied to the royal court "various game on behalf of the Marquis Karabas."

Upon learning that the king intends to ride in a carriage with his beautiful daughter along the river bank, the cat ordered his master to go to the indicated place.

Seeing in the distance the royal carriage, the cat persuaded the owner to rush into the river, and he himself began to loudly call for help and shout that the thieves had taken away his owner's clothes. Recognizing the cat, the king ordered his servants to rescue the drowning Marquis Carabas and give him "one of his best outfits." He invited the young man to get into the carriage and ride with them. Seeing the slender and handsome son of the miller, the princess "immediately fell in love with him without memory."

A satisfied cat ran ahead of the carriage, intimidating the peasants and demanding that they answer to the king that their fields belonged to the Marquis Carabas. Driving past meadows and fields, the king "could not marvel at the wealth of the Marquis of Karabas."

So the cat ran to the castle where the Ogre lived - the owner of all the surrounding lands.

The cannibal received the Cat with all the friendliness and politeness of the cannibals, and invited him to rest in the castle.

Knowing that the Ogre can transform into different animals, the cat tempted him, asked him to turn into a mouse and ate it.

The cat told the king that the beautiful castle belonged to its owner, and he gladly agreed to give his daughter for the marquis. So the miller's son became related to the king, and the cat "became a very important person and no longer hunted mice."