partridges ran into it, he drew
the strings and so caught them both. He went and made a present of these
to the king, as he had done before of the rabbit which he took in the
warren. The king in like manner received the partridges with great
pleasure and ordered him some money.

The cat continued for two or three months thus to carry his majesty,
from time to time, game of his master's taking. One day in particular,
when he knew for certain that he was to take the air along the riverside
with his daughter, the most beautiful princess in the world, he said to
his master: "If you will follow my advice, your fortune is made. You
have nothing else to do but go and wash yourself in the river, in that
part I shall show you, and leave the rest to me." The Marquis of Carabas
did what the cat advised him to, without knowing why or wherefore.

While he was washing, the king passed by, and the cat began to cry out
as loud as he could, "Help, help! my lord Marquis of Carabas is going to
be drowned." At this noise the king put his head out of his
coach-window, and, finding it was the cat who had so often brought him
such good game, he commanded his guards to run immediately to the
assistance of his lordship, the Marquis of Carabas.

While they were drawing the poor marquis out of the river, the cat came
up to the coach and told the king that while his master was washing
there came by some rogues, who went off with his clothes though he had
cried out, "Thieves, thieves," as loud as he could. This cunning cat had
hidden them under a great stone. The king immediately commanded the
officers of his wardrobe to run and fetch one of his best suits for the
lord Marquis of Carabas.

The king caressed him after a very extraordinary manner; and as the fine
clothes he had given him extremely set off his good mien (for he was
well made and very handsome in his person), the king's daughter took a
secret inclination to him, and the Marquis of Carabas had no sooner cast
two or three respectful and somewhat tender glances, but she fell in
love with him to distraction. The king would needs have him come into
his coach and take part of the airing. The cat, quite overjoyed to see
his project begin to succeed, marched on before, and meeting with some
countrymen who were mowing a meadow, he said to them, "Good people, you
who are mowing, if you do not tell the king, who will soon pass this
way, that the meadow you mow belongs to my lord Marquis of Ca