The Child's Story: In the Yellow Shoes

... Once upon a time, in ages long past, there was a miller. And he was very poor ... living with his three sons in a little hut on the top of a hill. The eldest of his sons was named "Jean," the second "Pierre," and the third "Joseph" ..

The miller owned nothing in this world but his ancient mill, a scrawny lame donkey, and a big black tomcat — and the cat was very ugly.

When the poor miller died, he willed the mill to "Jean," the donkey to "Pierre," and the ugly black cat to "Joseph." Joseph was a poor, simple soul who was content with little, so he was content with the black cat; he took him and carried him on his shoulder and set out to seek his fortune, wandering from town to town with his big, ugly black cat ...

One day, Joseph sat down sorrowful, having despaired of finding work to live on, he and his cat.

He began stroking the cat's fur, saying .. What shall we do, my dear cat??

The cat looked at him with his two eyes and said: Take heart, my dear Jo, take heart ..

Joseph was dumbfounded to hear the cat speak, for it was the first time he had ever heard a cat talk ...

The cat said: "Don't be a coward, my friend. You have a little money! Good! Go to the market and buy me a pair of yellow shoes .. and buy me a clean sack and a spool and thread. And I will show you how to become rich!!"

When Jo came back from the market with the shoes, the cat was greatly pleased and rubbed his whiskers with delight, for they were splendid shoes.

The cat took the sack with some food in it, put on the shoes, and went off hunting .. In a green field, the cat lay in wait in the grass, opened the mouth of the sack, and went to sleep ... And while he was sleeping, a big rabbit came and began sniffing at the sack and the cat, then poked his head into the sack to eat what was inside ... and the poor rabbit fell into the sack, an easy prey for the clever cat.

The cat carried the rabbit in his sack and went to the king, and came before him in his yellow shoes and said:

"Your Majesty, my master Prince Youssef has charged me to present to you this succulent rabbit ... and it is the biggest rabbit in the lands of my master the Prince.

The king was pleased with Prince Youssef's gift, and

every day the cat carried a new gift to the king — pigeons and wild cocks — presenting it in the name of "Prince Youssef." And the king said: There is no doubt that this Prince Youssef is a strong and rich prince, the owner of vast farms ..

And the cat invited him to visit Prince Youssef's farms that very afternoon.

And he showed him the road he should take to the great farms ... Then the cat took leave of the king and hurried off to poor Jo in his hovel, where he lay sleeping ...

He said to him: Hurry, Jo, hurry — you shall become rich and powerful. Hurry ..

Jo said .. But how?

The cat said: The king will drive out in his carriage, he and his daughter the beautiful princess, this afternoon; so you go to the river to bathe.

The poor fellow was astonished and said to him:

But why?

The cat cried: Don't waste our time. Hurry to the river.

They went to the river together; Jo took off his clothes and threw himself into the river .. He was a skillful swimmer ...

And while "Jo" was diving, the cat gathered up all his clothes and threw them into the river ...

At that moment the royal carriage was passing, with the king and his daughter the princess in it. The clever cat leapt in front of the carriage, crying: Help ... Help .. Prince Youssef has drowned .. Save him ...

The king ordered the driver of the carriage to save the prince; the man threw himself into the river and had great difficulty rescuing him .. And the cat kept on crying .. They have stolen Prince Youssef's clothes ... Thieves .. Thieves .. So the king called the coachman and said to him: "Take him my cloak and wrap him in it." And Jo looked very handsome in the king's red velvet cloak .. The king loved him, and the king's daughter loved him when she saw him. Then the king asked him: Would you like us to carry you to your palace? But where is your palace?

Poor Joseph gulped; his face turned red, then pale, and he coughed, and looked at the cat .....

The cat said quickly: "It is that palace on the hill ..."

The princess said .. But that is the palace of "Bunga Bunga," the giant ogre ...

The cat said ... That was long ago .. So he said, and sped off bounding, racing the winds to the palace.

The ogre "Bunga Bunga" was in the palace .. And the ogre hated people .. and hated cats .. and hated yellow shoes ..

When his eye fell on the cat, he bared his fangs and said: Out of here, you accursed thing ..

— I beg your pardon, sir. I have crossed hundreds of miles to see this great marvel. I have heard it said that you can turn yourself into an elephant or a bear — is that true?

The ogre puffed himself up and laughed and said .. Of course .. Watch .. And in the twinkling of an eye, he turned himself into an elephant, then into a lion, then into a bear.

The cat cried ... How magnificent! But can you turn yourself into a weak creature ... a mouse, for instance ...

The ogre puffed himself up, and turned himself into a mouse ...

And swiftly the cat pounced on him, sank his claws into him, and devoured him ...

The wheels of the royal carriage were rumbling outside the palace, so the cat wiped his claw and went out to receive it, saying:

Welcome, welcome, Your Majesty .. Your Highness.

It is an honor that you should visit the palace of Prince Youssef ....

Then the cat leaned to Joseph's ear and said to him: Ask the princess whether she will accept to marry you .. And their marriage was concluded, and they lived a happy life.