cat
ran to the king's carriage and told his majesty, that while his master
was bathing, some thieves had run off with his clothes as they lay by
the river side, the cunning cat all the time having hid them under a
large stone.

The king hearing this, commanded the officers of his wardrobe to fetch
one of the handsomest suits it contained, and present it to my lord
Marquis of Carabas, at the same time loading him with a thousand
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 belongs to my lord Marquis of
Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as minced 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, which 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 the king, who will
presently pass this way, that the corn you have reaped in this field
belongs to my lord Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped as small as
minced meat."

The king accordingly passed a moment after, and inquired to whom the
corn he saw belonged, "To my lord Marquis of Carabas," answered they
very glibly; upon which the king again complimented the Marquis on his
noble possessions.

The cat still continued to go before, and gave the same charge to all
the people he met with; so that the king was greatly astonished at the
splendid fortune of my lord Marquis of Carabas.

Puss at length arrived at a stately castle, which belonged to an Ogre,
the richest ever known; for all the lands the king had