The annotations for the Puss in Boots fairy tale are below. Sources have been cited in parenthetical references, but I have not linked them directly to their full citations which appear on the Puss in Boots Bibliography page. I have provided links back to the Annotated Puss in Boots to facilitate referencing between the notes and the tale.
Special thanks to Kat Hall, a student in the School of Information Science at the University of Tennessee, for providing supplemental annotations to this tale. Annotations provided by Kat Hall are printed in italics and are followed by the initials KH. The remaining annotations were compiled and/or written by Heidi Anne Heiner.
The annotations for the Puss in Boots fairy tale are below. Sources have been cited in parenthetical references, but I
have not linked them directly to their full citations which
appear on the Puss in Boots Bibliography page. I have provided links back to the Annotated Puss in Boots to facilitate referencing between the notes and the tale.
Special thanks to Kat Hall, a
student in the School of Information Science at the
University of Tennessee, for providing supplemental
annotations to this tale. Annotations provided by Kat Hall
are printed in italics and are followed by the initials KH. The remaining annotations were compiled and/or written by
Heidi Anne Heiner.
1. Miller: A miller is "one who keeps or attends a flour mill or gristmill" (Webster's 1990). A miller, while not a peasant, would be part of the working class and not the nobility. He would have some property and a few comforts for himself and his family, depending on the success of his mill.
A miller symbolizes greed, habitual and uncreative thinking as
well as logic as a feeble protection against passion (Olderr
1986).
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2. Three sons: Fairy tales often contain three siblings in which the youngest becomes the protagonist. Either the youngest is the most beautiful and worthy--often female protagonists--or the youngest is stupid and lucky--often male protagonists. In either scenario, the youngest achieves good fortune through a lucky adventure and/or magical helper. "It is the modest, the humble, and often the dispossessed who are elevated to noble rank" (Tatar, 2002, 235).
Some variants of the tale, such Giambattista Basile's Gagliuso found in Il Pentamerone, have only two sons, Oratiello and Pippo. Basile's version
predates Perrault's version of the tale by several decades.
Note that an alternate translation of Gagliuso
is Caglioso which is favored by current scholars.
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3. Mill: A
mill is "a machine that processes materials by grinding or
crushing" (WordNet). The mill would be the primary source of the miller's
income.
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4. Ass: An ass
is a "hardy and sure-footed animal smaller and with longer
ears than the horse" (WordNet). The miller would find the ass useful by providing the
power to operate his mill. The ass could also be used to
deliver the flour produced at the mill.
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5. Cat: This tale is classified as Aarne-Thompson 545B: Puss in Boots, but variants of the tale with animal helpers making their owners' fortunes appear around the world. The cat is most popular in parts of Europe, such as France and Norway ("Lord Peter"), but a fox appears in many tales in Italy (Italo Calvino's "Giovanuzza the Fox") and Armenia ("The Miller and the Fox"). In one African variant, the animal helper is a gazelle. You can read more about the variants of the tale on the Tales Similar to Puss in Boots page.
Straparola and Basile's versions of this tale featured a
female cat, while Perrault's is male. "In all instances the
animal is a common one to all outward appearances, easily
obtained by even the poorest peasant. Thus, in this magic
world ...anyone could imagine himself married to the
princess and living in a big castle, if he could only find
the right kind of cat or fox." (Clarkson and Cross 1980,
41). KH
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6. Scrivener: A
scrivener is "someone employed to make written copies of
documents and manuscripts" (WordNet). A scrivener would be used to write up the contract and
agreement for the division of the inheritance.
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7. Attorney: An attorney is a "professional
person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives
legal advice" (WordNet). An attorney would be used to legally divide up the sons'
inheritance.
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8. Patrimony: Patrimony is an inheritance
coming by right of birth, in past times usually from one's
father (WordNet). In England, patrimony was often decided under the English
law of primogeniture. Primogeniture is the exclusive right of
inheritance which belongs to the eldest son. Thus in England
the right of inheriting the estate of the father belongs to
the eldest son, leaving the younger children little or no
inheritance to support themselves. They would be forced to
marry into money or find careers to support themselves.
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9. Nothing but the cat: A cat would be useful to the miller for keeping rodents out
of the mill. However, a cat would be of small or negligible
value and easily replaced in the mill, unlike the ass and the
mill itself. The youngest son, as last in line, has surely
received the poorest inheritance.
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10. Eaten up my cat: In Perrault's version, this is the only reason for the cat to help his new master--the threat of being eaten by him. One doubts the youngest son's ability to outsmart and eat the cat, however. Even the possibility that the cat wanted a comfortable life isn't reasonable since he could have achieved similar results for his former master.
We find better motivation in other variants, such as a
Norwegian version of the tale, Lord Peter. In this tale, the cat is an enchanted Princess. She helps
the son and then asks him to cut off her head. When he finally
agrees to do so, he breaks the enchantment and marries her.
Another famous cat story with an enchanted princess is The White Cat, a French tale, by Madame la Comtesse d'Aulnoy.
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11. Muff of his skin: A muff is "a warm tubular covering for the hands" (WordNet).
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12. Said to him with a grave and serious air: Here, with the introduction of a talking cat, we receive our
first hint at the magical elements of the fairy tale. Now we
know that this cat has unusual value since it can speak,
unlike normal cats.
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13. A bag: Puss plans to use the bag in hunting as we will soon see.
Bags are useful tools in hunting, although less recognized so
today as a weapon with the popularity of guns. Bagging prey
requires great planning, speed, and dexterity. Bag, as a verb,
has the meaning of to "capture or kill, as in hunting," for
example 'to bag game.' As a noun, another definition for bag
is "the quantity of game taken in a particular period (usually
by one person); 'his bag included two deer'" (WordNet).
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14. A pair of boots: Why boots? No reason is given for the cat's request for fancy footwear in Perrault's version of the tale. The two literary variants of the tale that predate Perrault, Straparola's "Constantino Fortunato" and Basile's "Gagliuso," (also know as Caglioso) do not include boots in the story. Perrault's is the first literary version to include the boots. Some scholars believe the boots are not Perrault's invention but came from the French oral sources he had heard. Either way, Perrault's version gained such popularity that it later influenced other oral and literary versions with additions of the boots and the ogre we meet later in the story. In the end, the boots give Puss a sign of distinction and a level of respect. Jack Zipes reminds us that even during the time of this tale that clothes make the person (Zipes 2001, 390).
Illustrators often provide a portrait of Puss in his boots. You can see several illustrators' visions of Puss on the Illustrations of Puss in Boots page. The image is still popular in novelty and gift items today.
Footwear is important in many popular fairy tales, such as Cinderella's slipper, the worn-out shoes in The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and the red hot dancing shoes found in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Seven league boots are popular modes of transportation in
folklore and make an appearance on SurLaLune on the Annotations for Sleeping Beauty page.
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15. Cunning tricks to catch rats and mice: Maria Tatar, like many scholars, finds questionable morals in this popular tale. She states, "If the tale has any real lesson, it has something to do with inspiring respect for those domestic creatures that hunt mice and look out for their masters" (Tatar 2002, 235). Perhaps Tatar is right, considering that cats are one of the most popular species of domestic pets in the world. The tale's popularity might rest simply on its narrative of a cat's cunning, one of its most endearing traits to cat owners around the world.
The following descriptions of the cat's skill at trickery and
hunting will include methods used by real cats, such as
playing dead, and methods impossible for real cats, such as
hanging by his his heels.
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16. Warren: A warren is "a colony of rabbits"
or "a series of connected underground tunnels occupied by
rabbits" (WordNet).
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17. Killed him without pity: Fairy tales have two very different moralities, one low and one high. Many romantic fairy tales have high moralities in which the protagonist earns honor, advancement, and riches through compassion, humility, and other types of good behavior. Cinderella and Beauty in Beauty and the Beast provide two such examples.
In contrast, the trickster tales tend towards a lower morality in which cunning and trickery is rewarded, often with wealth that has been essentially stolen from the original owner. Frequently, the trickster directly causes the death of his antagonist in the process of robbing him. Another famous trickster is Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk. Puss is the intelligent alter ego of the youngest son in this tale.
In the end, the cat is simply behaving like a cat, catching
and killing its natural prey.
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18. Asked to speak with his majesty: For a low ranking subject, gaining an audience with the king
is not usually such an easy task, often requiring an appointed
time except in the case of an emergency. Puss' skill with
diplomacy and words are part of his cunning success.
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19. Making a low reverence: Making a low reverence means the cat bowed to the king.
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20. Marquis of Carabas: A marquis is a nobleman in various countries such as France, England, and Germany, usually ranking above a count or earl and below a duke. Visit this offsite link to see a table of Hereditary Western European Titles of Nobility.
Jack Zipes offers a few theories behind the name's selection
in The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: "The derivation of
this name is not certain. It was known through legend that
there was a fool in Alexandria who was referred to as Carabas
by the inhabitants of the city, and they mocked him by
treating him as if he were a king. The Turkish
word Carabag designates a beautiful place in the
mountains where the sultans and princes would spend the summer
months. Perrault might have come upon this term in the Dictionaire oriental, edited by Barthelemy d'Herbelot during this time." (Zipes
2001, 398).
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21. Made a present of these to the king: Gift giving has long been a method of gaining favor, such as with a king. Gifts are often presented to sovereigns, dignitaries, and diplomats in hopes of gaining their favor while showing honor to them. Gift giving can also be used to show one's wealth through the costliness of the gift.
According to Maria Tatar, "Perrault's Puss in Boots has been
seen as a creature of his time, a cat who models the kind of
behavior required to succeed in grand society under Louis XIV
in seventeenth-century France" (Tatar 2002, 235).
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22. Two or three months: Note the cat's patience and ability to engineer and act upon
a long term plan. He gains the king's familiarity and trust
before acting upon the next stage of his scheme. Deliberate
patience is an important skill in a confidence game or swindle
such as this one.
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23. To take the air along the river-side: To air in this instance means to "expose to cool or cold air
so as to cool or freshen" (WordNet). In other words, the king and his daughter are going for a
ride to enjoy the fresh air, a soothing activity especially
before the modern era of good ventilation and frequent
bathing.
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24. Most beautiful princess in the world: Beauty often represents goodness, worthiness, privilege, and
wealth in fairy tales. Princesses are especially expected to
be beautiful. Physical beauty is often considered to represent
inner beauty in folklore.
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25. Fetch one of his best suits: Once again, clothes make the man. Puss resorts to more
trickery to gain grand apparel for the youngest son. In other
versions of the tale, such as Basile's "Gagliuso," (also know as Caglioso), the cat arrives at the castle
before a scheduled appointment announcing that the Marquis'
servants have stolen all of his clothing. The king then sends
a wardrobe to the Marquis. Once the youngest son appears in
the king's own majestic clothing, he cannot be recognized as a
lowly commoner.
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26. Who were mowing a meadow: Before the invention of mechanical mowers, farm workers,
also known as mowers, would work in the fields to cut down
grass, usually with scythes.
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27. You shall be chopped as small as herbs for the pot: While colorful, it's hard to imagine Puss' ability to fufill
this threat to the mowers and reapers. In earlier versions of
the tale (and many later ones), Puss tells the people--and
sometimes animals--he meets to tell the approaching king (or
the king's servants) that the land belongs to the Marquis in
order to save themselves from an invading army or bunch of
marauding thieves.
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28. Said the Marquis: Note the son's ability to follow-up on the cat's schemes. He
knows the right words and behavior to convince the king and
princess of his nobility. It also makes him the accessory as
well as benefactor of the cat's schemes.
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29. The Master Cat: The original French is Le maitre chat. "Perrault
uses the French familiar term maitre, which referred
to someone whose social standing was not very high. At the
same time, he is playing with the word and using it in the
sense of a teacher as master who instructs a young man and
determines the events in the story." (Zipes 2001, 397).
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30. Reapers: A reaper is "someone who helps to
gather the harvest," usually a food crop (WordNet).
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31. Stately castle, the master of which was an ogre: In some versions of the tale, the cat finds a castle whose
owner is away. He quickly outwits the guards and then gains
admittance for the Marquis and his bride. The former owner
inexplicably dies while away and never returns to claim his
property. In other versions, the Marquis quickly buys property
with the money he receives as a dowry.
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32. The ogre: The addition of the ogre and the magic surrounding his
demise is another difference in Perrault's tale from older
European versions. An ogre is defined as "a giant or hideous
monster of folklore...often given to eating human flesh, and
characterized by extreme stupidity... The word ogre is said
to have first been used by Perrault in his Contes, though
the ogre himself, according to Gaston Paris, is a descendant
of the Italian rackshasas. The word may be from the Italian ogro for orgo or orco, monster, demon, in turn from the Latin Orcus, god of Hades. (Leach 1949, 816). KH
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33. Change yourself into all sorts of creatures you have a mind
to: Shapeshifting is a common motif in folklore and found in
almost every culture around the world, often attributed to
gods and mythical creatures, but sometimes practiced by
humans.
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34. Lion: The ogre probably chooses the form
of a large, predatory feline to impress the smaller cat before
him. Lions are also exotic beasts in France.
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35. He fell upon him and ate him up: The cat tricks the gullible ogre into transforming into small
prey so he can easily kill him. Ogres and giants are often
easily outwitted in fairy tales by tricksters, such as in The Brave Little Tailor. In other versions of the tale, the cat convinces the ogre
to hide, such as in an oven, and then burns him up like the
witch in Hansel and Gretel.
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36. Magnificent collation: A collation is "a light informal meal" (WordNet). The collation may be Perrault's own invention.
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37. After having drunk five or six glasses: The implication is that the king's good will has been
increased with an abundance of alcohol while his critical
thinking has been adversely affected. He fails to be cynical
of the perfect circumstances.
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38. Married the Princess: Happy fairy tale endings, especially romantic fairy tales,
usually require a royal marriage. Note the French salon
influence upon Perrault, however. He states a few times in the
story that the princess has fallen madly in love with the
Marquis and wants the marriage herself. The fairy tales
written in the French Salons often explored the circumstances
and conditions in marriages, especially deploring arranged
marriages.
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39. Puss became a great lord: Basile's version of this tale, Cagliuso (also known as Gagliuso), makes a social commentary about court life and ends much
differently than Perrault's. Cagliuso betrays his cat after
she pretends to die, and throws her out a window rather than
placing her in a golden coffin, as he had promised. Basile's
tale "parodies the social dynamics usually at the heart of
the fairy tale,...exemplified just as much by the lack of
gratitude toward the helper cat...as by the ridiculous
figure of Cagliuso, to whose new noble title corresponds no
such noble spirit. The extratextual comments on
Cagliuso...stress the prevalence of ingratitude in society
at large, and, in particular in the world of the courts."
(Canepa 1999, 146). KH
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40. Never ran after mice any more but only for his
diversion: Puss, like a true nobleman, now enjoys hunting for the sport,
instead of the necessity. He has become a cat of leisure, just
like his master. For the lower classes, this would be a very
happy ending.
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