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Show Dear Story Lady: ; I am a little girl 9 years old, and ; to me week days are not as nice as Sunday, or on Sunday I get your I story. Will you please tell me the ; story of "Puss in Boots"? Write to I ; me soon. With love, Dorothy E. R. Farrand. ; SyGEORGENE FAULKNER. Dear Dorothy : The children have all heard the story of Puss In Boots many times as told by the French Story Teller Perrault, so today I will tell you the old Bohemian tale, and I am sure you will find It very like the story you know. Youb Stoet Lady. Once upon a time there lived in Bohemia a very poor woman named Soriana, who had three sons. The eldest was called Dusolino, the second son was named Tesifone and the youngest was called Constantine the Lucky. When Soriana was about to die she called her sons to her and said : "My dear sons, I have nothing of value to leave with you. but I will divide all that I have. To you, Duso-nno, Duso-nno, I bequeath my kneading-trough; to Tesilone I leave my rolling-board, but to my poor Constantine I leave only my cat tor a gift." After the mother died the neighbors would borrow the kneading-trough and the rolling-hoard, rolling-hoard, and because they knew the bovs were very poor they always made them some bread and some cake. The two older brothers broth-ers were very selfish and would eat all the food and they would not give Constantine a mouthful. r, , ' - to your cat for food." they said, uur property enrnad this for us. See what Tour cat can do for you." Xow, this cat was enchanted, and when be heard the selfish brothers speak in this iy to Constantine he was very angry Meow! Meow!" he said. "Do not be downcast, my Master Constantine, for I will Provide for you. and myself also." -he oat pulled on his high boots and left cne house and went out into the field) pre- n,Ung t0 slwP. he soon caught a hare that was passing and killed it. Then he went to the palace of the king, and when some of the courtiers wished to top him, the cat made a low bow aud said "May I be presented to his royal majesty, iung Morando?" When the king heard that there was a cat at court who desired to speak with him he sent for Puss at once. "My good Master Constantine sent you this hare with his compliments," said Puss with a courtly bow. "Thank your master kindly," said the king. "What manner of man is your master mas-ter 5" "He is good and kind and courteous ; no man is his superior," answered the cat The king was so well pleased with Puss that he feasted him royally and be, gave him a present of rich dainties to carry home to his worthy master. Every day the cat would find some gift to carry to his majesty, and every day the king sent presents to Constantine. But one day King Morando said to Puss : I desire to meet your worthy Master So kindly tell him to present himself at court tomorrow." When Constantine heard this he said to the cat: "This Is impossible. How can ! 'go before the King of Bohemia in these ragged garments?" "Only trust me, said i uss, make your fortune. But you mnst do as , command." 4 4 4 thp nelt day Constantine went into the the royal coach drii)n i" In a loud voice : v.nstmtine is ' "Help!. Help! Signer Constantine is drowning!" rtiers In baste and The king sent his co- ts they brought Con t. nt- Then wrapped him in o 10 f they carried him to the ra!ao . him to the king. , be .Q cordially and asked m not such a sorry pU- s0 he C0T know how to ansvrer tM eml his fac e : f to his aid with grief. But r Q thst some and said: "Kno". . ro:,ster was wicked robbers, bearing that loaded with precious , en about to bad. anJ-thinking , robbed him of all that to kill him. fle tbreW b"U FJl n ' Kinrf Constantine end (he Queen Were Always Grateful to Puss. But thanks to your gallant courtiers he escaped death." "We are glad, indeed, that our arrival was SQ .timely," answered the king. "And now, my dear Constantine, we desire youi presence at court, so that we may become better acrjutuDted." So CuBsuuitine and the cat lived la tin dl eZp gr palace of the king and they became great favorites at court. Now, the king had a beautiful daughter named Elisetta, and she fell in love with Constantine. When he saw .that the king favored his suit, at the advice of Puss Constantine Con-stantine wooed and won the fair princess. V The wedding festivities lasted for many days, and at the end of the time the king gave his daughter ten mules loaded with -money and five mules laden with costly apparel and gems and sent thorn to their own home. They rode in state, with a great retinue of courtiers and servants. "But where shall I take ray royal bride?" asked Constantine when he was alone with Puss. "Never fear, my master!" answered Tusi. "You promised to leave everything to mo. I will arrange all." Then Puss ran down the road ahead of all the horsemen and the royal coach and the train of mules. Presently the cat met a corapa ny of knights mounted on horses. "Depart at once, wretched men," said Puss, lfor a large company of men are upon you and you will Roon be taken as prisoners. prison-ers. They are near at hand, for you can hear the neighing of their horses." "What shall we do?" asked the horseman in terror. The cat replied: "If you wish to save yourselves, when they ask you whose horsemen horse-men you are yon must answer boldly, 'Wo belong to Signor Constant inc.' and you will not be molested." 4 Then Puss ran nn, and soon he met some shepherds guarding thoir sbep. lie called out to (hem: "Wlu-u st-j horsemen come this way and usk you who owns thce flocks, tell them 'Signor Constantine,' Con-stantine,' for If yon do not do so lliy will take your shefp uud put. yon in prison." The shepherds wr-re Wrifbd nt thu giran.ee cat who could spf.'.-ik, and tbey agreed to do ;is be cornuifiridfd. Soon the horseman app'-arr-d and rnlh-d to the shepherds : "To whom do tlu-se fhn-ks belon? ?" And the sh'V-rds answered: "To Signer Sig-ner Constant hie." i Puss ran on and on nh'-ad r all the riders and the coach, and whn h .caw the m"n ! working In the vineyard and tLe men out in the fields he commanded them to say that all that land belonged to "Signor Constantine." Con-stantine." .So when the riders and (he royal coach appeared, and they questioned these men, they all responded: "These lands belong to Pignor Constantine." Then those who accompanied the bride and groom said: "So then, slgnor, we aro entering your estate?" "Yes," answered Constuntlne. And to all the questions that were asked Constantino nodded his head and agreed. Therefore all the company judged him to be very wealthy. At last the cat came to a very fine castle, and found there only a few servants, to whom he said : 1 4 "Tbere is a great, company of gallant knlghls riding this way. Do you not hear their horses neighing? Io you not sen the dust flying? If you do not all wish to be killed or taken as prisoners you must obny my command. When those knights ask you to whom this castle belongs, you must answer an-swer at once, 'To Slgnor Constantine,' and you will be spared." Now,' this castle and all the estate he-longed he-longed to Signor Valentino, who had but lately been killed In the war, and many of his kniL'lits bad fallen with him, so the remaining re-maining K'uirds wore willing to serve a new master, and thy agreed to olpy this won-dr-rful cut-When cut-When the noble company drew near I'mm st nod ne r t lie ga t e, and with a low bow said to his master: "Welcome home, Signor Constantine '." And nil the guard: made courtly bows end repeated the sarrif words, "Welcome home, Signor Conhiajjtlne ! WH-Ctr.:" WH-Ctr.:" biiic !" So Sk'nnr Constantino and bin brldo, Klt-M.'ftn. Klt-M.'ftn. livfij jn this cattle for many yours. After a 1l:n" Morando, the King of Pohomia, died, and tho people chose SiL'iior Constantine Constan-tine f"r tle-ir kin;:, because he was the husband of the Princess P.lisftt a, the only child of Morando, who thn inhrlte-d the t hrone. '-4 '4 And so Constantino, from being a poor bor:rar. 'ofi-ne tho J.ing of fioljomia and with hi qii"'-n, Ui-.otta, rub-d all the people v. i( ( y nd wr, a nd thy wer always graceful to tho c1ev-r cat who had brought thm ail this good foriuua. |