Page:Mother goose's fairy tales (2).pdf/17

 in the palace, and matched them with two great lords of the court.  

HERE 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 the ſcrivener nor attorney were ſent for. They would ſoon have eaten up all the 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 with hunger." The Cat, who heard all this, yet 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 as you imagine." Though the Cat's maſter did not build very much upon what he ſaid, he had, however, 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 the bag about his neck, held the ſtrings of it in his two fore-paws, and went into a warren where was great abundance of rabbits. He put bran and ſow-thiſtles into the