Folk Tales No. 26

Puss in Boots ..

We all read of the Puss in Boots which took the simple miller son to be a Marquis and he ended up marryingt he Marquis’ daugher. Alas, he thought his work was done as he settled to comforts of the cat’s life. But was he wrong in his thoughts.

So our story began.

‘Awake, puss. I got a task for you to undertake’. Now what I dislike most was the rude awakening in the cosy afternoon when the dark overcast skies spells rain in the evening. And as cat, I disliked rain but I woke myself up. There he was; my master in his silky wardrobe and ruffled hair. He must had just woke up himself from his afternoon stupor.

‘Ye, I am awake, so what woke you to disturb my sleep?’ I asked of my master, who seems to be rather unbecoming lately of a Marquis. If you recalled well, I was the one who gave him the position after I ate the Ogre, but as they said; you can clothe a man but you cannot make the man fit the clothes.

‘Hurry, Puss. My wife ran away for home again. And I am in her need to see her dad soon. If she is not with me, I won;t get past the lawn to the house. So go and get her now, Puss.’ I can see he is frantic and desperate, but this is not the first time I had to rush over the country to retrieved his wife. She is after all a lady of the Marquis House and delicate persuasion are to be employed. But tell that to a miller’s son, and you might as well be pulling the tail on the donkey butt. Yup, its a nasty kick on ye.

‘So my dear master, did you offend her again? Or did you come in drunk and smelled of filth and dirt, and demanded she removed your boots?’ I sat back on my haunches while reaching for my boots. Its a nice pair of boots,. Made from the finest leather and shone by polish to reflect my face on it.

‘I dinna do that. I just asked her to see her old man for some money to pay the debts. And she went wild and accusing me of cheating and trying to clear her trustee. But I am not. I am just asking her for help in the debts.’ I can see his pleading is genuine, but the act of his was the result of the situation we are in now. He came to the riches on my ingenius thoughts, and not of his own works, so he spent the wealth without a thought of its value. I tried to advice him, but he send me to the cellars to remove the rats. The wife then tried to reason with him, and she was send to the library for tutoring.

So what can one aid a man who ails himself with his own doing? But I am indebted to him on his father’s wishes, so I will do the needed. But he is to show his sincerity to ask me properly.

‘You want me to asked you properly? Puss, your life is depended on mine, and your boots are mine by ownership. How dare you impose on me to present myself for you? I could had you flogged and hung by your tail in the cellar.’ I loved when the man gets upset, he speaks the truth of himself about me.

‘I asked not your body and soul, but a polite gesture to show your sincerity for me to work? Is that too much to asked? I am like your wife, another individual soul and at times needed love and care. If you fail to see this, tell me why should I do the same for you.’ I don;t know how a man’s pride works, but his was hurt by my words, as he went his way and sulk in the corner.

Soon hunger took over his body, and he remain recalcitant to admit it. When the rat came up to him with the last piece of cheese, with every intention to share with him; he refused the kind gesture. But the rat was not to give up, and said; ‘please...’

And my master took it and ate it. He then walked up to me, and said; ’PLEASE bring her back as I was wrong, And I want to apologies to her. And I will work my debts off by myself. PLEASE help me.’

‘Oui, a simple word, but it carries a lot of sincerity. Look no further than this door, for she stand there.’ So he turned and saw his lovely wife holding out her hand to him. My master turned back to me, and said; ‘why didn’t you say so?’

‘I did try to show her reflection on my boots but you were too consumed with your rage. So now PLEASE leave me to my sleep, and close the door on the way out.’

And so they live ever happily again, after I taught the miller’s son the simple word ‘PLEASE’. Oh, by the way, I did not tell him about the chest of gold I am sleeping on.

( PLEASE; a simple word and yet we tend to forget how it works in life. )