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033 Puss in Boots
Mother's Nursery Tales · Katharine PyleO besedilu
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- Vir
- Mother's Nursery Tales
- Avtor
- Katharine Pyle
- Jezik branja
- Slovenščina
- Jezik izvirnika
- English
- Čas branja
- 10 min branja
- Obseg
- 8 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- 033 Puss in Boots
O izvirniku
Mother's Nursery Tales
Štiriintrideset zgodovinskih literarnih priredb starejših pravljic, ki jih je Pyle tudi ilustrirala. Bralni jezik je Slovenščina, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Mother's Nursery Tales v jeziku English.
Besedilo
Obuti maček
Neki mlinar je umrl in zapustil trem sinovom svoje premoženje, da bi si ga razdelili. Najstarejši je vzel mlin in zemljo okoli njega, drugi črede drobnice in živine, tretjemu sinu, Jacku, pa niso ostali drugega kot trije srebrniki in majhen maček, ki je živel v mlinu.
»Vse lepo in prav,« je rekel Jack, »in maček je prav čeden maček ter se lahko preživlja z mišmi, ki jih ujame, toda ne vem, kako naj jaz živim od treh srebrnikov.«
»No,« sta odgovorila njegova brata, »odpraviti se boš moral v svet in poskrbeti zase, kakor boš najbolje znal.« Jack je vzel mačka in se odpravil na pot.
»Ne skrbite, gospodar,« je rekel maček. »Imate tri srebrnike. Zanje mi kupite majhen par škornjev in vrečo, pa vam bom priskrbel bogastvo.«
Jacku ni bilo prav nič do tega, da bi svoj denar zapravil za mačje škornje, vendar je vedel, da je maček pametna živalca, zato je storil, kakor mu je naročil. Šel je h krojaču in ta mu je za tri srebrnike izdelal najlepši par majhnih škornjev, kar jih je kdo kdaj videl. Ko si jih je Puss obul, so se mu prilegali kot uliti. Krojač je Jacku dal tudi staro vrečo, ki je ležala v kotu in je ni potreboval.
Puss je odpeljal Jacka na deželo, nato pa mu naročil, naj sede ob cesti in počaka, da se vrne. Maček je stekel v bližnji gozd, kjer je bilo vse polno zajčjih lukenj, in tam mu je uspelo ujeti dva lepa, debela zajca. Spravil ju je v vrečo in v svojih ličnih škorenjcih odtekel do kraljeve palače. Tam je prosil, da bi smel h kralju. Maček v škornjih je bil tako nenavaden prizor, da so ga takoj pripeljali pred njegovo veličanstvo.
Ko je maček stopil v dvorano, so se dvorjani dregali s komolci in se smejali, Puss pa je odkorakal h kralju in se pred njim globoko priklonil. »Vaše veličanstvo, moj gospodar, markiz Carrabas, vam za večerjo pošilja v dar ta dva lepa, debela zajca,« je rekel, vzel zajca iz vreče in ju izročil kralju.
Kralj je bil zelo zadovoljen. Ukazal je, naj Pussu dajo novec, in živalci naročil, naj se njegovemu gospodarju zahvali za lepo darilo.
Puss je stekel nazaj tja, kjer ga je čakal Jack, in mu dal novec. »Izvolite,« je rekel. »To bo dovolj za prenočišče in večerjo v gostilni.«
Naslednjega dne se je Puss spet odpravil v gozd in tokrat je ujel dve lepi, debeli jerebici ter ju odnesel kralju. »Pošilja ju moj gospodar, markiz Carrabas,« je rekel Puss.
Kralj se je znova zahvalil markizu in dal Pussu novec. Maček ga je odnesel svojemu gospodarju in z njim si je Jack lahko plačal hrano in prenočišče.
Tako je šlo dan za dnem. Puss je vsak dan v gozdu ujel kakšno lepo divjad in jo s pozdravi markiza Carrabasa odnesel kralju, kralj pa se je mačku vsak dan zahvalil in mu dal novec. Kralj se je začel spraševati, kdo je markiz Carrabas in kje živi. Zdel se mu je zelo radodaren mož.
Nekega dne se je kralj s hčerjo odpeljal na izlet in številni dvorjani so ju spremljali. Puss je prihitel k svojemu gospodarju. »Hitro pridite!« je zaklical. »Doslej nama je šlo kar dobro, zdaj pa je napočil čas, da vam priskrbim bogastvo.«
Maček je nato odpeljal Jacka k reki, mimo katere naj bi se kralj kmalu pripeljal. Naročil mu je, naj sleče obleko in jo skrije pod skalo, potem pa stopi v reko do vratu.
Jack je storil tako, čeprav je bila voda tako mrzla, da je ves drgetal, in ni vedel, kako naj bi mu Puss na ta način priskrbel bogastvo. Puss je počakal, da je bil njegov gospodar do vratu v reki, nato pa stekel na cesto, po kateri je prihajal kralj.
»Na pomoč! Na pomoč!« je kričal. »O, pomagajte! Moj gospodar, plemeniti markiz Carrabas! Utopil se bo!« »Kaj se je zgodilo?« je vprašal kralj in ustavil kočijo, princesa in vsi dvorjani pa so prisluhnili.
»O, vaše veličanstvo!« je vzkliknil maček. »Moj plemeniti gospodar! Napadli so ga razbojniki, mu pobrali vse, kar je imel, in ga vrgli v reko. Če mu nihče ne pomaga, se bo gotovo utopil.«
Kralja je to zelo zaskrbelo. Takoj je poslal dvorjane, naj Jacka potegnejo iz reke in ga oblečejo v oblačila iz žameta in satena, okrašena z zlatimi čipkami.
Jack še nikoli ni bil tako razkošno oblečen in ko so ga pripeljali pred kralja, je bil videti res postaven mladenič. Njegovemu veličanstvu je bil Jackov videz tako všeč, da ga je povabil v kočijo in mu ponudil sedež ob sebi, princesi pa je bil še bolj všeč kakor njenemu očetu.
Medtem je maček pohitel daleč pred kočije. Kmalu je Puss prišel do njive, kjer so žanjci želi žito. Odkorakal je k njim, se strašno namrščil in nasršil brke, da je bil videti dvakrat večji. Žanjci so se prestrašili.
»Poslušajte, možje,« je zaklical Puss. »Kralj bo kmalu prišel po tej poti in ob njem se bo peljal moj gospodar, markiz Carrabas. Če vas vpraša, čigavo je to žito, odgovorite, da pripada plemenitemu markizu Carrabasu. Če tega ne storite, vas bodo raztrgali na koščke in jih pometali v reko.«
Žanjci so se še bolj prestrašili. Obljubili so, da bodo storili natanko tako, kakor jim je maček naročil. Nato je Puss stekel naprej, dokler ni srečal gonjača, ki je gnal veliko čredo goveda. Tudi njega je tako prestrašil, da je obljubil, da bo kralju, če ga ta vpraša, čigava je čreda, odgovoril, da pripada plemenitemu markizu Carrabasu.
Malo naprej je maček srečal pastirja z ovcami in tudi ta je obljubil, da bo rekel, da njegove črede pripadajo markizu Carrabasu. In tako je šlo naprej; zdelo se je, da bodo prav vse razglasili za last markiza Carrabasa.
V resnici pa je vse to pripadalo ljudožercu, ki je bil zelo bogat, divji, močan in strašen. Čez nekaj časa je Puss prišel do gradu, kjer je ljudožerec živel. Toda maček se ljudožercev ni bal. Stopil je v grad in tekel iz sobe v sobo, dokler ni prišel tja, kjer je sedel ljudožerec.
Ko je ljudožerec zagledal mačka v njegovih lepih, sijočih, škripajočih škornjih, ga je to tako zabavalo, da se je glasno zasmejal. Česa takega ni videl še nikoli.
»Od kod pa si prišel, moj čedni maček?« ga je vprašal. »O, iz daljnih krajev onkraj gričev.« »In kaj bi rad tukaj?« »Želel sem vas le videti, saj vsi pravijo, da ste najmočnejši in najimenitnejši ljudožerec na vsem svetu.«
Ko je ljudožerec to slišal, je bil zelo zadovoljen, saj je bil silno nečimrn. »No, zdaj si me videl. Kaj si misliš o meni?« je vprašal. O, Puss je menil, da je res nadvse imeniten ljudožerec. In ali je res, da ima tudi čarobne moči?
Da, ljudožerec je imel čarobne moči. »Ali se lahko po želji spremenite v živali? Na primer v leva ali slona?« je vprašal Puss. O, seveda, to je bilo prav lahko.
»To bi pa rad videl,« je rekel maček. Ljudožerec mu je bil pripravljen ustreči. Takoj se je spremenil v leva, saj je res imel to moč, in bil je nadvse strašen lev. Rjovel je, švigal z repom in nasršil grivo.
Puss se je tako prestrašil, da je skočil skozi okno in splezal na streho, čeprav mu je zaradi škornjev skoraj spodrsnilo, da bi padel. Tam je čepel, pihal in se tresel.
Nato se je ljudožerec spremenil nazaj v svojo podobo ter se smejal in smejal. »Vrni se, Puss,« ga je poklical. »Nič ti ne bom storil; zdaj pa vidiš, da je bilo vse, kar so ti povedali, res.«
Puss je priplezal nazaj v sobo in bil videti zelo pohleven in plah. »Da, vidim, da je bilo vse res,« je rekel. »Toda, gospod ljudožerec, ali bi se lahko spremenili tudi v majhno žival? To mora biti veliko težje. Ali bi se lahko spremenili v miš?«
Da, ljudožerec je zmogel tudi to. Takoj se je spremenil v miš in veselo začel tekati po sobi. A ni tekal dolgo. »Pssst!« Puss ga je z enim skokom ujel in v hipu pogoltnil, še preden je utegnil zacviliti. In tako je bilo z ljudožercem konec.
Medtem so se kralj, princesa in Jack skupaj peljali v lepi kočiji in prijetno kramljali. Kralju je bil pogovor z Jackom tako všeč, da je kočijažu naročil, naj vozi počasi, da bodo lahko dlje ostali skupaj.
Kmalu so prišli do žitne njive, kjer so delali žanjci. »Kako lepa žitna njiva,« je rekel kralj, se nagnil iz kočije in zaklical žanjcem ter jih vprašal, čigavo je žito.
»Plemenitega markiza Carrabasa!« so odgovorili žanjci. Kralj se je obrnil k Jacku. »Dragi moj markiz, zakaj mi niste povedali, da je vaše?«
»Pozabil sem,« je odgovoril Jack. Kmalu zatem so prišli do gonjača. Kralj je občudoval čredo goveda in gonjača vprašal, komu pripada.
»Plemenitemu markizu Carrabasu,« je odgovoril gonjač. Kralj se je obrnil k Jacku in pohvalil njegove črede. Začel je misliti, da mora biti markiz zelo bogat.
Nato so prišli do pastirja in zgodilo se je enako: njegove črede so pripadale markizu Carrabasu. V gozdu so drvarji rekli, da gozd pripada markizu. Zdelo se je, da je markiz bogatejši od samega kralja.
Naposled so prišli do ljudožerčevega veličastnega gradu in kralj je vprašal Jacka, čigav je. Še preden je Jack utegnil odgovoriti, so se vrata na stežaj odprla in maček je pritekel na cesto. »Dobrodošli, dobrodošli, vaše veličanstvo!« je zaklical. »Dobrodošli na gradu markiza Carrabasa!«
»Torej živite tukaj,« je rekel kralj. »Da, tukaj živim,« je odgovoril Jack. Maček jih je povabil, naj izstopijo, in jih odpeljal v dolgo jedilno dvorano. Tam so služabniki pripravili razkošno pojedino, saj so zdaj tudi oni, tako kot grad in vse v njem, pripadali Jacku.
Kralj in princesa sta sedla za mizo, Jack pa je sedel mednju. Jedli so, pili in se gostili, kolikor jim je srce poželelo. Kralj še nikoli ni okusil slastnejših jedi, vse pa so jim postregli na zlatih krožnikih, veliko lepših od tistih, s katerih je jedel na svojem gradu.
Ob koncu pojedine se je kralj obrnil k Jacku in rekel: »Dragi moj markiz, vi morate biti zelo bogat človek.« »Tako bogat sem,« je odgovoril Jack, »da resnično ne vem, koliko imam.«
»Zdi se mi,« je rekel kralj, »da bi se morali poročiti s princeso, kajti nobeno navadno dekle ne bi bilo primerno za vas.« Da, Jack bi se rad poročil s princeso, toda morala bi biti prava.
»Kaj pa moja hči?« je vprašal kralj. Ob teh besedah bi Jack od veselja najraje skočil iz kože, saj je bila princesa tako ljubka in lepa, da jo je že vzljubil. »Da, ona bi bila primernejša od vseh drugih na svetu.« In princesa ni rekla ne.
Tako se je Jack s kraljem in princeso vrnil v kraljevo palačo. Nato sta se princesa in Jack poročila ter srečno živela do konca svojih dni.
Maček je živel z njima v palači in zanj sta bila vedno pripravljena najmehkejša blazina in najtoplejši kotiček ob ognju. Ko pa sta Jackova brata slišala, kakšna sreča se je nasmehnila Jacku in kako je dobil princeso za ženo, sta si zaželela, da bi bila obdržala Pussa, njemu pa prepustila mlin in črede drobnice ter živine.
Izvirnik
033 Puss in Boots
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
A miller died, leaving three sons to divide his fortune among them. The eldest took the mill and the land around it; the second took the flocks and herds, and then there was nothing left for the third son, Jack, but three bits of silver money, and a little cat that lived in the mill.
“This is all very well,” said Jack, “and the cat is a fine little cat and can feed on the mice it catches, but I do not see how I am to live on three pieces of money.”
“Oh,” answered his brothers, “you will have to start out in the world and do the best you can for yourself.”
Jack took the little cat and started out.
“Do not be uneasy, master,” said the little cat. “You have three silver pieces. Take them and buy me a little pair of boots and a bag, and I will make your fortune for you.”
Jack did not like to spend his money on a pair of boots for a cat, but he knew he was a wise little animal, so he did as he said. He went to a tailor, and for the three pieces of silver the tailor made him the prettiest pair of little boots that ever were seen, and when Puss drew them on they fitted exactly. The tailor also gave Jack an old bag that lay in the corner, and for which he had no use.
Puss led Jack off into the country, and then he bade him sit down by the roadside and wait for his return. The little cat ran off into a wood near by, where there were a great many rabbit-holes, and there he managed to catch two fine fat rabbits. He put the rabbits in the bag and trotted away in his neat little boots until he came to the King’s palace. There he asked to see the King, and a cat in boots was such a strange sight that he was at once brought before his majesty.
The courtiers nudged each other and laughed when the cat came into court, but Puss marched up to the King and bowed low before him.
“Your Majesty, my master, the Marquis of Carrabas, has sent you a present of these two fine fat rabbits for your supper,” said he, and he took out the rabbits and presented them to the King.
The King was very much pleased. He ordered a piece of money to be given to Puss, and bade the little animal thank his master for the fine present he had sent.
Puss ran back to where Jack was waiting, and gave him the piece of money. “There,” he said. “That is enough to pay for a bed and a supper at the inn.”
The next day Puss set off for the forest again, and this time it was a pair of fine fat partridges that he caught and carried to the King. “They are sent by my master, the Marquis of Carrabas,” said Puss.
Again the King sent his thanks to the Marquis, and gave Puss a piece of money, which the little cat carried back to his master, and it was enough to buy Jack food and lodging.
So it went on day after day. Every day Puss caught some fine game in the forest and took it to the King with the compliments of the Marquis of Carrabas, and every day the King thanked the cat and gave him a piece of money. The King began to wonder who the Marquis of Carrabas was and where he lived. He began to think the Marquis was a very generous fellow.
One day the King went out for a pleasure ride with his daughter, and many of his court rode with him.
Puss came in haste to his master. “Come quick!” he cried. “We have done well enough so far, but the time has now come when I will make your fortune.”
The cat then led Jack to a river, where he knew the King would pass before long. He then bade Jack take off his clothes and hide them under a rock, and then stand in the river up to his neck.
Jack did this, though the water was so cold it made him shudder, and he did not know how Puss was to make his fortune in this way.
Puss waited until he saw his master well in the river, and then he ran to the road along which the King was coming.
“Help! help!” he cried. “Oh, help! My master—the noble Marquis of Carrabas! He will surely drown.”
“What is the matter?” asked the King, stopping his coach, and the Princess and all the courtiers listened.
“Oh, your Majesty!” cried the cat. “My noble master! He was attacked by robbers and they robbed him of everything and threw him in the river, and unless he receives help he will surely drown.”
The King was very much concerned. He at once sent courtiers to draw Jack out from the river and dress him in robes of velvet and satin and gold lace.
Jack had never been so magnificently dressed before, and he looked a fine fellow indeed when he was brought to the King. His majesty was so pleased with Jack’s looks that he made him get into the coach and sit beside him, and the Princess was even better pleased with him than her father.
Meanwhile the little cat had hurried on far ahead of the coaches.
Presently Puss came to a field where the harvesters were harvesting the grain. Puss marched up to them scowling fiercely and bristling out his whiskers until he looked twice as big again. The harvesters were frightened.
“Listen, men,” cried Puss. “The King will soon come by this way with my master, the Marquis of Carrabas riding beside him. If he should ask you to whom this grain belongs, answer that it belongs to the noble Marquis of Carrabas. If you do not do this you shall be torn into pieces, and the shreds thrown into the river.”
The harvesters were more frightened than ever. They promised to do exactly as the cat bade them.
Then Puss ran on until he met a drover driving a great herd of cattle. Him, too, he frightened so that he promised if the King asked him to whom the herd belonged, he would say to the noble Marquis of Carrabas.
A little farther on the cat met a shepherd with his sheep, and he also promised to say his flocks belonged to the Marquis of Carrabas.
So it went on; it seemed as though everything was to be claimed by the Marquis of Carrabas.
Now all these things really belonged to an ogre who was very rich and fierce and strong and terrible, and after awhile Puss came to the castle where the ogre lived. The little cat was not afraid of ogres, however. He made his way into the castle and ran along into one room after another until he came to where the ogre was sitting.
When the ogre saw the little cat in his fine shiny, creaking boots he was so amused that he laughed aloud. He had never seen such a sight before.
“And where did you come from, my fine little cat?” he asked.
“Oh, from over the hills and far away.”
“And what do you want here?”
“I only wanted to see you because everyone says you are the strongest and most wonderful ogre in all the world.”
When the ogre heard that he was much pleased, for he was very vain.
“Well, and now you have seen me, what do you think of me?” he asked.
Oh, Puss thought he was a very wonderful ogre indeed. And was it true that he had magic powers, too?
Yes, the ogre had magic powers.
“Can you change yourself into animals if you choose? A lion or an elephant for instance?” asked Puss.
Oh, yes, that was easy enough.
“I should like to see you do that,” said the cat.
Well, the ogre was willing to oblige him. At once he turned himself into a lion, for he really had that power, and he was a very terrible looking lion indeed. He roared and lashed his tail and his mane bristled.
Puss was so terrified that he sprang through the window and scrambled up the roof, though he almost slipped and fell on account of the boots. There he sat spitting and trembling.
Then the ogre turned himself back into his own shape, and he laughed and laughed. “Come back, Puss,” he called, “I will not hurt you; but now you see that everything they told you was true.”
Puss came scrambling back into the room, and he looked very meek and timid.
“Yes, I see it was all true,” he said. “But, Mr. Ogre, could you turn yourself into a small animal as well? That must be a great deal harder. Could you turn yourself into a mouse?”
Yes, the ogre could do that, too, and at once he turned himself into a mouse, and ran, scampering gayly about the room. But he did not scamper long. “Ps-s-s-t!” with a bound Puss caught him and swallowed him down in a moment before he could even squeak, and that was the end of the ogre.
Meanwhile the King and the Princess and Jack were rolling along together in the fine coach and talking pleasantly together. The King was so pleased with Jack’s talk that he told the coachman to drive slowly, so they could have the more time together.
Presently they came to the field of grain where the harvesters were at work.
“That is a fine field of grain,” said the King; and he leaned from the coach and called to the harvesters to know to whom the grain belonged.
“To the noble Marquis of Carrabas!” answered the harvesters.
The King turned to Jack. “My dear Marquis, why did you not tell me it belonged to you?”
“I had forgotten,” answered Jack.
Soon after they came to the drover. The King admired the herd of cattle and asked the drover to whom they belonged.
“To the noble Marquis of Carrabas,” answered the drover.
The King turned to Jack, and complimented him upon his herds. He began to think the Marquis must be very rich.
Then they came to the shepherd, and it was the same thing; his flocks belonged to the Marquis of Carrabas. In the forest the woodsmen said the wood belonged to the Marquis. It seemed as though the Marquis were richer than the King himself.
At last they came to the ogre’s grand castle, and the King asked Jack to whom it belonged. Before Jack could answer the doors were thrown open, and the little cat ran out into the road. “Welcome, welcome, your majesty,” he cried. “Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carrabas.”
“So this is where you live,” said the King.
“Yes, this is where I live,” answered Jack.
The cat invited them to alight and led the way into a long dining-hall. There the servants had prepared a magnificent feast, for now they, as well as the castle and everything in it, belonged to Jack.
The King and the Princess took their places at the table, and Jack sat between them. They ate and drank and feasted to their hearts’ content, and the King had never tasted more delicious food, and it was all served on golden plates far finer than those he ate from in his own castle.
At the end of the feast the King turned to Jack and said, “My dear Marquis, you must be a very rich man.”
“I am so rich,” answered Jack, “that I really do not know how much I have.”
“It seems to me,” said the King, “that you ought to marry a princess, for no everyday girl would do for you.”
Yes, Jack would like to marry a princess, but it would have to be the right princess.
“Then how would my daughter do?” asked the King.
At that Jack was ready to jump out of his skin with joy, for the Princess was so sweet and pretty that he loved her already. “Yes, she would do better than anyone else in the world.” And the Princess did not say nay.
So Jack went back with the King and the Princess to his own palace, and then the Princess and Jack were married, and lived happily ever after.
The little cat lived in the palace with them, and always the softest cushion, and the warmest corner by the fire were left for him.
As for Jack’s brothers, when they heard of the good fortune that had come to Jack, and how he had won a princess for a wife, they wished they had kept Puss and given him the mill and the flocks and herds.
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