e. Take off your clothes, and bathe
yourself in the river, just in the place I shall show you, and leave the
rest to me," The marquis of Carabas did exactly as he was desired,
without being able to guess at what the cat intended. While he was
bathing the king passed by, and puss directly called out as loud as he
could bawl: "Help! help! My lord marquis of Carabas is in danger of
being drowned!" The king hearing the cries, put his head out at the
window of his carriage to see what was the matter: when, perceiving the
very cat who had brought him so many presents, he ordered his attendants
to go directly to the assistance of my lord marquis of Carabas. While
they were employed in taking the marquis out of the river, the 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's 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, then 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 mince 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 frighted 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 who 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 w