ank. There lies the mill at the bottom of the sea, and still, day
by day, it grinds on; and that is why the sea is salt.(1)

(1) Asbjornsen and Moe.

THE MASTER CAT; OR, PUSS IN BOOTS

There was a miller who left no more estate to the three sons he had than
his mill, his ass, and his cat. The partition was soon made. Neither
scrivener nor attorney was sent for. They would soon have eaten up all
the poor patrimony. The eldest had the mill, the second the ass, and
the youngest nothing but the cat. The poor young fellow was quite
comfortless at having so poor a lot.

"My brothers," said he, "may get their living handsomely enough by
joining their stocks together; but for my part, when I have eaten up my
cat, and made me a muff of his skin, I must die of hunger."

The Cat, who heard all this, but made as if he did not, said to him with
a grave and serious air:

"Do not thus afflict yourself, my good master. You have nothing else to
do but to give me a bag and get a pair of boots made for me that I may
scamper through the dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you
have not so bad a portion in me as you imagine."

The Cat's master did not build very much upon what he said. He had often
seen him play a great many cunning tricks to catch rats and mice, as
when he used to hang by the heels, or hide himself in the meal, and
make as if he were dead; so that he did not altogether despair of his
affording him some help in his miserable condition. When the Cat had
what he asked for he booted himself very gallantly, and putting his bag
about his neck, he held the strings of it in his two forepaws and went
into a warren where was great abundance of rabbits. He put bran and
sow-thistle into his bag, and stretching out at length, as if he had
been dead, he waited for some young rabbits, not yet acquainted with the
deceits of the world, to come and rummage his bag for what he had put
into it.

Scarce was he lain down but he had what he wanted. A rash and foolish
young rabbit jumped into his bag, and Monsieur Puss, immediately drawing
close the strings, took and killed him without pity. Proud of his prey,
he went with it to the palace and asked to speak with his majesty.
He was shown upstairs into the King's apartment, and, making a low
reverence, said to him:

"I have brought you, sir, a rabbit of the warren, which my noble lord
the Marquis of Carabas" (for that was the title which puss was pleased
to give his