Plot: This French fairy tale by Charles Perrault is about a cunning cat that helps his poor master

become prosperous and marry a princess.

CHARACTERS:
NARRATOR
CHARLES
JOHN
JACK OR MARTIN DE CARABAS
CAT
GUARD
KING
WORKERS
SHEPPARDS
SERVANT
OGRE
LADY
PRINCESS

SCRIPT:

NARRATOR: Once upon a time there was a miller, who was so poor that the only thing he could
inherit his three children was a mill, his donkey, and his cat. The oldest son was Charles, the
second son was John, and the youngest son was Jack.

CHARLES: Now that our father died, I will keep the mill.

JOHN: I will take the donkey.

JACK: Theres nothing else for me, so I will take the cat.

NARRATOR: But Jack thought.

JACK: My brothers will be able to earn an honest life , but as for me, though the cat may feed
himself by catching mice, I dont know what I will eat.

NARRATOR: The cat, who had overheard his young master, jumped upon his shoulder, and,
rubbing himself gently against his cheek, began to speak.

CAT: Dear master, dont be sad. I am not as useless as you think. I will make a fortune for you, if
only you will buy me a pair of boots, and give me that old bag.

NARRATOR: Jack had very little money to spend, but, knowing that the cat was a faithful old
friend, he made up his mind to trust him, and so spent all he possessed in a smart pair of boots
made of buff-colored leather.

CAT: Thanks master, you will not be sorry for spending all your money in these pair of boots
which fit me perfectly. Now I will take the old bag and will go into the woods where there are a
number of rabbits.

JACK: Be careful my loyal friend.

CAT: I will. See you soon.

NARRATOR: The cat went into the woods. Then he put some bran and fresh parsley in the bag
and he put it on the ground.

CAT: I will hide behind those bushes and wait for the rabbits to come.

NARRATOR: Soon two little rabbits approached the bag and smelled the food. When the cat saw
them, he pulled the strings and caught them.

CAT: I got you!. I have to go to the palace now.

NARRATOR: When he arrived at the palace he told the guard.

CAT: I need to speak to the King. I have something important to tell him.

GUARD: Come this way.

NARRATOR: When he was taken to the king, he bowed and said.

CAT: Sir, my Lord the Marquis of Carabas, has commanded me to present these rabbits to your
Majesty, with his respects.

KING: Please, give my thanks to the Marquis.

CAT: Yes, my King. Now I have to leave.

NARRATOR: The marquis was really the poor Jack. Then the king ordered his head cook to
prepare the rabbits for dinner, and he and his daughter had supper with great enjoyment. When
the cat went home he told Jack.

CAT: Master. We will always have food in our table.

JACK: Thank you for everything you do.

NARRATOR: The cat also did not fail to keep the King and his courtiers well supplied with game.

CAT: My king, this food that I bring you is from my Lord the Marquis of Carabas.

KING: I thank him very much, he is a very kind man. But tell me, who is this strange nobleman,
whom no one has ever seen, but who sends such generous presents to me?.

CAT: You will meet it very soon. I promise.

NARRATOR: The cat decided that it t was time for his master to be introduced at Court. So one
day he persuaded him to go and bathe in a river having heard that the King would soon pass that
way.

CAT: Master, the water in that near river is so fresh. I encourage you to go and swim there, you
will feel much better.

JACK: Its a good idea. I will go right this instant.

NARRATOR: When Jack was inside the water, suddenly the Kings carriage appeared in sight.

CAT: Help, help!. My Lord the Marquis of Carabas is drowning!.

KING: Stop the carriage!.

NARRATOR: The King put his head out of the carriage window.

KING: Its the cat!. Go quickly and help the Marquis.

NARRATOR: While Jack was being taken out of the water, the cat ran to the King and said.

CAT: Some robbers came and took my masters clothes while he was bathing!.

NARRATOR: The truth was that the cat had hidden them under a stone.

KING: Groom!. Quickly, give me the purple and gold suit from the royal wardrobe, and give it to
the Marquis.

JACK: Oh, thanks my King. I dont desserve to wear these fine clothes.

KING: Nonsense!. You look very good in them. I invite you to come to the carriage.

JACK: I cant accept that.

KING: Please do. My daughter and I will be pleased if you join us.

NARRATOR: Jack finally accepted and he sat nexto to the Princess. The Princess smiled at him
so sweetly, that he fell in love with her there and then.

CAT: Coachman, go in that direction. The road is better that way.

NARRATOR: And then the cat ran on ahead as fast as he could, until he came to a field of corn,
where the workers were busy, and said.

CAT: The King will shortly pass this way. If he should ask you to whom this field belongs,
remember that you say, To the Marquis of Carabas . If you disobey me, you will be taken away
from this land.

NARRATOR: The workers were so afraid the cat would keep his word that they promised to obey.

WORKERS: We will do as you say, but please dont take us away from our land.

CAT: I promise.

NARRATOR: Then the cat ran on and told all the other workers in the land laborers to give the
same answer. Meanwhile at the carriage.

KING: Ha, ha, ha, this is a fine day. And you, Marquis, are a very pleasant companion.

JACK: Its an honor being here with you and your precious daughter.

KING: Coachman!. Drive slowly!. I want to admire this beautiful country.

NARRATOR: The carriage arrived to where the corn field.

KING: Workers, what a fine field of wheat!. To whom does it belong?.

WORKERS: To our Lord the Marquis of Carabas.

NARRATOR: Next they met a herd of cattle, and again the King asked.

KING: To whom do they belong?.

SHEPPARDS: To the Marquis of Carabas.

NARRATOR: The Marquis listened astonished, and thought what a very wonderful friend his dear
cat was. Meanwhile the cat had arrived at a castle, which belonged to a cruel Ogre, who owned
the lands the King admired. Puss knocked at the door.

SERVANT: What do you want?.

CAT: I need to talk to the Ogre.

SERVANT: Come in, and wait.

NARRATOR: The Ogre received him quite well because he had never seen a cat in boots before,
so they started chatting.

CAT: I once heard, great Ogre, that you possessed the power of changing yourself into any kind of
animal you chose. A lion or an elephant, for instance.

OGRE: Well, so I can.

CAT: Dear me!. How much I should like to see you do it now.

NARRATOR: The Ogre was only too pleased to find a chance of showing how very clever he was,
so he promised to transform himself into any animal Cat might mention.

CAT: Oh, I will leave the choice to you.

OGRE: Very well, I will turn myself into a lion.

NARRATOR: Immediately there appeared an enormous lion, roaring, and lashing with its tail, and
looking as though it meant to gobble the cat.

CAT: Oh, this is terrible. I have to escape!.

NARRATOR: The cat was really frightened, and, jumping out of the window, managed to scramble
on to the roof, though he could scarcely hold on to the tiles because of his high-heeled boots.

OGRE: Ha, ha, ha, come down, I will not hurt you. See?. I am an Ogre again.

CAT: You are very clever. Of course, it was all very wonderful, but it would be more wonderful still
if you, who are so great and fierce, could transform yourself into some timid little creature, such
as a mouse. That, I suppose, would be quite impossible ?.

OGRE: Not at all, one is quite as easy to me as the other, as I will show you.

NARRATOR: And in a moment a little brown mouse was frisking about all over the floor.

CAT: Now or never!. Youre mine now, and Ill gobble you!.

NARRATOR: At the same moment all the gentlemen and ladies whom the wicked Ogre had held in
his castle under a spell, became disenchanted.

LADY: We all are very grateful for what you have done. We will do anything to please you.

CAT: Well, I need that all of you enter into the service of the Marquis of Carabas.

LADY: We will do it gladly.

NARRATOR: So now the cat had a splendid castle with treasures. He then ordered a magnificent
feast to be prepared, and went to the castle gates to welcome his master and the royal party. As
soon as the castle appeared in sight, the King said.

KING: The castle is magnificent!.

NARRATOR: Then cat bowing low, opened the castle gates.

CAT: Please your Majesty, enter the home of the most noble the Marquis of Carabas.

NARRATOR: Full of surprise, the King turned to the Marquis.

KING: Is this splendid castle indeed yours?. Not even our own palace is more beautiful, and
doubtless it is as splendid within as without.

CAT: Please, your Majesty, come this way. Theres a group of noble gentlemen and fair ladies
waiting to receive you.

NARRATOR: Jack, or the Marquis as he was now called, gave his hand to the young Princess, and
led her to the banquet.

JACK: Enjoy the feast!.

PRINCESS: This is wonderful, and the food is delicious.

NARRATOR: Long past midnight they had to leave the castle.

KING: Thank you, Marquis, my dear son.

PRINCESS: Father, please, you make me blush.

JACK: I lay my heart and my fortune at your feet, sweet princess.

NARRATOR: And so the millers son married the Kings daughter, and there were great rejoicings
throughout the land. After a few days

JACK: Cat, I will never forget what you have done. I owe you all my good fortune. You are a
faithful friend.

CAT: All I want now is meat and cream. And surely I will not run after mice and rats, except for
exercise and amusement.

THE END