longs to my Lord the Marquis of Carabas," said they all together, for
the Cat's threat had frightened them. "You have a fine property there,"
said the King to the Marquis of Carabas.

"As you say, sire," responded the Marquis of Carabas, "for it is a
meadow which yields an abundant crop every year."

Master Cat, who still kept in advance of the party, came up to some
reapers, and said to them, "You, good people, who are reaping, if you do
not say that all this corn belongs to my Lord the Marquis of Carabas,
you shall all be cut into pieces as small as minced meat."

[Illustration: _Puss among the reapers._]

The King, who passed by a minute afterwards, wished to know to whom
belonged all the cornfields he saw. "To my Lord the Marquis of Carabas,"
repeated the reapers, and the King again congratulated the Marquis on
his property.

The Cat, still continuing to run before the coach, uttered the same
threat to everyone he met, and the King was astonished at the great
wealth of my Lord the Marquis of Carabas. Master Cat at length arrived
at a fine castle, the owner of which was an ogre, the richest ogre ever
known, for all the lands through which the King had driven belonged to
the Lord of this castle. The Cat took care to find out who the ogre was,
and what he was able to do; then he asked to speak with him, saying that
he did not like to pass so near his castle without doing himself the
honour of paying his respects to him. The ogre received him as civilly
as an ogre can, and made him sit down.

"I have been told," said the Cat, "that you have the power of changing
yourself into all kinds of animals; that you could, for instance,
transform yourself into a lion or an elephant."

"'Tis true," said the ogre, abruptly, "and to prove it to you, you shall
see me become a lion." The Cat was so frightened when he saw a lion in
front of him, that he quickly scrambled up into the gutter, not without
difficulty and danger, on account of his boots, which were worse than
useless for walking on the tiles. Shortly afterwards, seeing that the
ogre had resumed his natural form, the Cat climbed down again, and
admitted that he had been terribly frightened. "I have also been
assured," said the Cat, "but I cannot believe it, that you have the
power besides of taking the form of the smallest animal; for instance,
that of a rat, or a mouse; I confess to you I hold this to be utterly
impossible." "Impossible!" exclaimed the ogre, "you sha