The Cat in Boots

The Cat in Boots Illustration

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从前cóng qián一个yī gè磨坊主mò fáng zhǔ去世qù shìhòuOnce upon a time, a miller died.留给liú gěi三个sān gè儿子ér zide财产cái chǎn只有zhǐ yǒu磨坊mò fáng驴子lǘ zi一只yī zhīmāoHe left his three sons only a mill, a donkey, and a cat.小儿子xiǎo ér zi分到fēn dàolemāozhèng发愁fā chóu怎么zěn me生活shēng huóThe youngest son got the cat and was worrying about how to live.māoquè开口kāi kǒu说话shuō huàleBut the cat began to speak:主人zhǔ rénqǐnggěi一双yī shuāng靴子xuē zi一个yī gè布袋bù dàihuìràng过上guò shàng好日子hǎo rì zi'Master, give me boots and a bag, and I’ll ensure you a good life!'

小儿子xiǎo ér zi半信半疑bàn xìn bàn yídàn还是hái shì照做zhào zuòleThe youngest son was doubtful but still complied.māo穿上chuān shàng靴子xuē zi跑到pǎo dào森林sēn línyòng布袋bù dài捉住zhuō zhù一只yī zhī野兔yě tùThe cat wore the boots and caught a rabbit in the forest with the bag.然后rán hòu跑到pǎo dào王宫wáng gōngduì国王guó wángshuōThen it ran to the palace and spoke to the king:这是zhè shì我家wǒ jiā卡拉巴侯爵kǎ lā bā hóu jué献给xiàn gěinínde礼物lǐ wù'This is a gift from my master, the Marquis of Carabas!'其实qí shí卡拉巴侯爵kǎ lā bā hóu juéshìmāo瞎编xiā biānde贵族guì zú名字míng zi(In fact, 'Marquis of Carabas' was a name the cat made up.)

guòle几天jǐ tiānmāoyòuyòng同样tóng yàngde方法fāng fǎzhuōle鹧鸪zhè gū献给xiàn gěi国王guó wángA few days later, the cat caught a partridge and presented it to the king.

国王guó wáng越来越yuè lái yuè好奇hào qíThe king grew more and more curious:这位zhè wèi慷慨kāng kǎide侯爵hóu jué到底dào dǐshìshuí'Who is this generous marquis really?'

māo趁机chèn jīshuōThe cat seized the chance to say:我家wǒ jiā主人zhǔ rén正在zhèng zài河边hé biān散步sàn bù可惜kě xīde衣服yī fubèitōule'My master was walking by the river, but sadly his clothes were stolen…'国王guó wáng立刻lì kè派人pài rén送去sòng qù华丽huá lìde衣服yī fuThe king immediately sent someone with splendid clothes.

小儿子xiǎo ér zi穿上chuān shànghòu果然guǒ ránxiàng一位yī wèi真正zhēn zhèngde贵族guì zúAfter dressing up, the youngest son indeed looked like a true noble!接着jiē zhemāo跑到pǎo dào一个yī gè食人魔shí rén móde城堡chéng bǎoduìhuìbiàn魔法mó fǎde食人魔shí rén móshuōNext, the cat went to an ogre’s castle and spoke to the magical ogre:听说tīng shuōnínnéng变成biàn chéng狮子shī zixìn'I heard you can turn into a lion? I don’t believe it!'食人魔shí rén mó立刻lì kè变成biàn chéng狮子shī zimāo假装jiǎ zhuāng害怕hài pàThe ogre turned into a lion, and the cat pretended to be scared:nínnéng变成biàn chéng小老鼠xiǎo lǎo shǔma'Can you turn into a small mouse?'

食人魔shí rén mógāng变成biàn chéng老鼠lǎo shǔmāo扑上去pū shàng qù一口yī kǒu吃掉chī diàoleAs soon as the ogre became a mouse, the cat pounced and ate it!最后zuì hòumāo带着dài zhe国王guó wáng小儿子xiǎo ér zi来到lái dào城堡chéng bǎo大声dà shēngshuōFinally, the cat brought the king and the youngest son to the castle and shouted:

欢迎huān yíng来到lái dào卡拉巴侯爵kǎ lā bā hóu juéde城堡chéng bǎo'Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas!'

国王guó wángbèi侯爵hóu juéde财富cái fù打动dǎ dòng公主gōng zhǔ嫁给jià gěileImpressed by the 'marquis’s' wealth, the king married his daughter to him.

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