▸ 从前cóng qián，一个yī gè磨坊主mò fáng zhǔ去世qù shì后hòu，

Once upon a time, a miller died.

▸ 留给liú gěi三个sān gè儿子ér zi的de财产cái chǎn只有zhǐ yǒu磨坊mò fáng、驴子lǘ zi和hé一只yī zhī猫māo。

He left his three sons only a mill, a donkey, and a cat.

▸ 小儿子xiǎo ér zi分到fēn dào了le猫māo，正zhèng发愁fā chóu怎么zěn me生活shēng huó，

The youngest son got the cat and was worrying about how to live.

▸ 猫māo却què开口kāi kǒu说话shuō huà了le：

But the cat began to speak:

▸ “主人zhǔ rén，请qǐng给gěi我wǒ一双yī shuāng靴子xuē zi和hé一个yī gè布袋bù dài，我wǒ会huì让ràng你nǐ过上guò shàng好日子hǎo rì zi！”

'Master, give me boots and a bag, and I’ll ensure you a good life!'

▸ 小儿子xiǎo ér zi半信半疑bàn xìn bàn yí，但dàn还是hái shì照做zhào zuò了le。

The youngest son was doubtful but still complied.

▸ 猫māo穿上chuān shàng靴子xuē zi，跑到pǎo dào森林sēn lín里lǐ，用yòng布袋bù dài捉住zhuō zhù一只yī zhī野兔yě tù，

The cat wore the boots and caught a rabbit in the forest with the bag.

▸ 然后rán hòu跑到pǎo dào王宫wáng gōng对duì国王guó wáng说shuō：

Then it ran to the palace and spoke to the king:

▸ “这是zhè shì我家wǒ jiā‘卡拉巴侯爵kǎ lā bā hóu jué’献给xiàn gěi您nín的de礼物lǐ wù！”

'This is a gift from my master, the Marquis of Carabas!'

▸ （其实qí shí“卡拉巴侯爵kǎ lā bā hóu jué”是shì猫māo瞎编xiā biān的de贵族guì zú名字míng zi。）

(In fact, 'Marquis of Carabas' was a name the cat made up.)

▸ 过guò了le几天jǐ tiān，猫māo又yòu用yòng同样tóng yàng的de方法fāng fǎ捉zhuō了le鹧鸪zhè gū献给xiàn gěi国王guó wáng。

A few days later, the cat caught a partridge and presented it to the king.

▸ 国王guó wáng越来越yuè lái yuè好奇hào qí：

The king grew more and more curious:

▸ “这位zhè wèi慷慨kāng kǎi的de侯爵hóu jué到底dào dǐ是shì谁shuí？”

'Who is this generous marquis really?'

▸ 猫māo趁机chèn jī说shuō：

The cat seized the chance to say:

▸ “我家wǒ jiā主人zhǔ rén正在zhèng zài河边hé biān散步sàn bù，可惜kě xī他tā的de衣服yī fu被bèi偷tōu了le…”

'My master was walking by the river, but sadly his clothes were stolen…'

▸ 国王guó wáng立刻lì kè派人pài rén送去sòng qù华丽huá lì的de衣服yī fu。

The king immediately sent someone with splendid clothes.

▸ 小儿子xiǎo ér zi穿上chuān shàng后hòu，果然guǒ rán像xiàng一位yī wèi真正zhēn zhèng的de贵族guì zú！

After dressing up, the youngest son indeed looked like a true noble!

▸ 接着jiē zhe，猫māo跑到pǎo dào一个yī gè食人魔shí rén mó的de城堡chéng bǎo，对duì会huì变biàn魔法mó fǎ的de食人魔shí rén mó说shuō：

Next, the cat went to an ogre’s castle and spoke to the magical ogre:

▸ “听说tīng shuō您nín能néng变成biàn chéng狮子shī zi？我wǒ不bù信xìn！”

'I heard you can turn into a lion? I don’t believe it!'

▸ 食人魔shí rén mó立刻lì kè变成biàn chéng狮子shī zi，猫māo假装jiǎ zhuāng害怕hài pà：

The ogre turned into a lion, and the cat pretended to be scared:

▸ “那nà您nín能néng变成biàn chéng小老鼠xiǎo lǎo shǔ吗ma？”

'Can you turn into a small mouse?'

▸ 食人魔shí rén mó刚gāng变成biàn chéng老鼠lǎo shǔ，猫māo扑上去pū shàng qù一口yī kǒu吃掉chī diào了le它tā！

As soon as the ogre became a mouse, the cat pounced and ate it!

▸ 最后zuì hòu，猫māo带着dài zhe国王guó wáng和hé小儿子xiǎo ér zi来到lái dào城堡chéng bǎo，大声dà shēng说shuō：

Finally, the cat brought the king and the youngest son to the castle and shouted:

▸ “欢迎huān yíng来到lái dào‘卡拉巴侯爵kǎ lā bā hóu jué’的de城堡chéng bǎo！”

'Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas!'

▸ 国王guó wáng被bèi“侯爵hóu jué”的de财富cái fù打动dǎ dòng，把bǎ公主gōng zhǔ嫁给jià gěi了le他tā。

Impressed by the 'marquis’s' wealth, the king married his daughter to him.

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