inside, he pulled the strings, and so took them both. He went
immediately and presented them to the King, as he had the rabbits. The
King was equally grateful at receiving the brace of partridges, and
ordered drink to be given him.

For the next two or three months, the Cat continued in this manner,
taking presents of game at intervals to the King, as if from his master.
One day, when he knew the King was going to drive on the banks of the
river, 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 only to go and bathe in a part of the river I will point out to
you, and then leave the rest to me."

The Marquis of Carabas did as his Cat advised him, without knowing what
good would come of it. While he was bathing, the King passed by, and the
Cat began to call out with all his might, "Help! Help! My Lord the
Marquis of Carabas is drowning!" Hearing the cry, the King looked out of
the coach window, and recognising the Cat who had so often brought him
game, he ordered his guards to fly to the help of my Lord the Marquis of
Carabas. Whilst they were getting the poor Marquis out of the river, the
Cat went up to the royal coach, and told the King that, while his master
had been bathing, some robbers had come and carried off his clothes,
although he had shouted, "Stop thief," as loud as he could. The rogue
had hidden them himself under a large stone. The King immediately
ordered the officers of his wardrobe to go and fetch one of his
handsomest suits for my Lord the Marquis of Carabas. The King embraced
him a thousand times, and as the fine clothes they dressed him in set
off his good looks--for he was handsome and well made--the Marquis of
Carabas quite took the fancy of the King's daughter, and after he had
cast two or three respectful and rather tender glances towards her, she
fell very much in love with him. The King insisted upon his getting into
the coach, and accompanying them in their drive. The Cat, delighted to
see that his plans were beginning to succeed, ran on before, and coming
across some peasants who were mowing a meadow, he said to them, "You,
good people, who are mowing here, if you do not tell the King that this
meadow you are mowing belongs to my Lord the Marquis of Carabas, you
shall all be cut in pieces as small as minced meat." The King did not
fail to ask the peasants whose meadow it was they were mowing. "It
be