Origin Of Puss In Boots

Is Puss In Boots A Trickster Tale

Although everyone can likely agree that there is something inherently intriguing about a talking cat in boots, there is less consensus when it comes to determining the storyâs meaning. How we should analyse âPuss in Bootsâ has troubled many writers and critics over the years. Although the story of âPuss in Bootsâ contains several classic features of fairy tales, including the enterprising helper, the beautiful princess, and the ârags to richesâ trope of a character from humble beginnings advancing to become part of the nobilityâthere doesnât seem to be a clear lesson contained in the storyâs events.

In some analysis, âPuss in Bootsâ is presented as a trickster tale since puss begins tricking those in more powerful positions and forcing those beneath him to do his bidding with bribes or menaces. However, he escapes retributionâthere is no point at which his cleverness turns back against him, as is often the case with trickster tales.

Perrault Is Inspired By Basile’s Pentamerone

Scholars agree that Perrault’s biggest inspiration for his stories in Tales of Mother Goose, including Puss in Boots, was Basile’s Pentamerone. In this fairytale he introduces the ogre and changes the cat’s gender from female to male.

But the most important change is certainly the moral of the story. Charles Perrault turned Basile’s moral upside down. If Basile said, “Clothes do not make the man,” then Perrault claims the opposite: “Clothing makes the man.”

Perrault’s story, which has stood the test of time, is the most popular version of Puss in Boots, and has inspired many modern versions. But is the message appropriate for kids? I don’t think so.

But if we look closely enough, we can find some valuable moral lessons. Below, I offer my simplified interpretation of the moral of the story.

My Favorite Messages of the Story

– Don’t waste your time complaining about circumstances.

– The cards are in your hands.

– Play the best you can and you will be rewarded!

Illustration by Josiah Wood Whymper, PD licence

Origin Of Puss In Boots

The origin of this enigmatic furry man dates back to the year 1500, when the European Giovanni Francesco Straparola compiled the story in his novel Nice nights. Later, in 1634, Giambattista Basile recounted it in his book called Cagliuso, and finally in 1697 Charles Perrault gave it a new life in his book Mother Goose Tales.

The objective was to achieve that had a character that could be as close as possible to what cats have in reality. And the truth is that there are those who think they succeeded. Let’s see why.

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Puss In Boots Is One Of Eight Fairy Tales Written By Charles Perrault’s Mother Goose It’s A Classic Tale With A Questionable Moral And Open To Many Interpretations

Puss in the Boots is an old fairy tale written by Charles Perrault. Like all the classics, it has a rich history and numerous interpretations. It can be used as a great example of explaining why some fairy tales stood the test of time and others don’t. Here are 10 amazing facts about Puss in Boots to think over:

The Moral Of The Trickster Tale

Despite the many versions of Puss in Boots, many can agree that the ancient tale of the talking trickster cat is intriguing, yet how should we interpret its meaning? Upon first glance, it seems to be that lying, cheating, and tricking our way through life is how we would be rewarded, though it doesn’t seem right that someone of this nature would be shown with honors. Puss in Boots, as he tricks those above him in powerful positions, seems to always escape retribution, which again, does not seem to be all that ethical or realistic. We cannot take for granted the fact that Puss never has to answer for his misdeeds, as we surely would in our society, which begs the question: what is the moral of the story?

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As many tales, the ‘moral’ is most definitely up for interpretation, and everyone may view this historic fairytale in various different ways. While the moral that seems to make the most sense here is that sometimes it really does pay to lie, cheat, and trick your way to getting what you want, one could easily argue an alternative way of looking at it. What if we look at Puss in Boots as someone who simply does what he has to, for him and his master to survive and make the best of their bad luck in life? He always goes out of his way and puts himself in danger to create a better life for them because, well, what else do they have to lose?

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History Of Puss In Boots

Puss in Boots was the inheritance left by a miller to his son, named Benjamin. In order not to go hungry, the first thing he thought about was eating it, but it turned out that this little animal was a whole box of surprises, yes, surprises that would only be revealed if Benjamin gave him some boots so he could walk through the field without hurt their paws. The clever animal further promised that his inheritance would not be as poor as he thought.

That was how the adventure began. A new Benjamin, whom the cat called , he began to trust his companion more, who the first thing he did was to hunt a rabbit and give it to the King in the name of the Marquis. Later, he gave him partridges and other gifts, always under the name of the Marqués de Carabás with the intention that they would show interest in their owner.

It occurred to the cat that he should save the princess from the ogre so that everyone, including him, could have a much better life. So, neither short nor lazy, he requested an audience with the monster. The guards, bewildered, let him pass. Once he was in front of the ogre, he told him that he had heard that he could transform into any animal. The ogre was very flattered, and it was then that the cat asked him to transform himself into a very small animal, something like a rat or a mouse. The monster, to try to surprise the feline, turned into a rodent, and what did the furry do? What -almost- all the little felines do: hunt it down and eat it.

A Summary And Analysis Of The Puss In Boots Fairy Tale

A classic example of the fairy tale featuring the animal as helper, Puss in Boots entered the canon of classic fairy tales when Charles Perrault included it in his 1697 collection of fairy stories, although like many of the greatest fairy tales, an earlier version can be found in the 1634 Pentamerone, a collection of oral folk tales compiled by Giambattista Basile.

How we should analyse Puss in Boots has troubled authors, commentators, and illustrators over the years. George Cruikshank objected to a system of imposture being rewarded by the greatest worldly advantages.

Puss in Boots: plot summary

Before we look more closely at this aspect of the tale, heres a brief summary of the Puss in Boots tale:

A miller died and left his three sons all he had: he left his mill to his eldest son, an ass to the middle son, and to the youngest son, he left his cat.

The youngest son thought hed drawn the short straw with the cat, but the cat promised that if the son got him some boots made, he would prove to be a worthy and helpful pet. Once the cat had some boots and a little bag he could wear, he went off and hunted for rabbits. Having caught a rabbit, Puss in Boots took it to the King, telling him that it was a gift from the Lord Marquis of Carabas, the cats master.

Shortly after this, Puss in Boots caught some partridges, and once again he took them to the King and announced that they were a gift from the Lord Marquis of Carabas. This happened for several months.

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One Of Many Stories About The Animal Helper

1. The cat is not the only possible animal helper in the tale about a young poor master building his way up in the society. While we can start with differences between a female cat in Italy and a male cat in France , it’s only a beginning. There are several variations, where the helper is a fox , a jackal , a monkey and even a gazelle . Depending on society, where the story takes place, the animal is inherited, or trapped by its future master.

2. Boots are probably Perrault’s invention, at least as we can check in written resources, and illustrators loved them. Footwear plays important role in many fairy tales.

Cinderella is obviously the most famous of all, but we can find an important role of shoes or boots in Snow White, Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Glass Mountain, Jack the giant Killer, Hop o’ My Thumb, …

Andersen paid homage to the role of shoes in a society with his The Red Shoes and we should not forget Dorothy’s shoes in The Wizard of Oz either.

3. This story is a nice example of exercising the power of three rule, so often in fairy tales. We have three sons, three gifts, three stops on the way to the ogre’s castle, … Less obvious are three steps of the cat’s deception:

First, he is flattering the king with presents, achieved by pretending.

Second, he is presenting his master in precious but borrowed clothes.

Last, he is proving his master’s wealth by stealing the properties thanks to threatening and trickery.

What About The Boots

Although the morality of âPuss in Bootsâ may not be easy to pin down, it does include revealing socio-historical cues that can be interesting to note from a modern perspective. The fact that the Puss has boots, for example, should not be overlooked.

When the story was written, attaining a pair of shoes was an essential step in climbing the social ladder. Children outgrew shoes so quickly that they were a luxury afforded only to young persons of the very upper class. Therefore, getting a pair of shoes marked a critical time in a personâs life when they were growing up and filling a role in society. If an adult did not manage to get a pair of shoes, though, they might be looked down on as a result. And the fact that a cat got an audience with the king simply for being well dressed and having boots, shows how much appearances and presentation mattered.

We tend to think that our society is overly focused on appearances now, but âPuss in Bootsâ tells us something about the role they have always played. The story illustrates that societyâs standards for appearance have always played a very important role in peopleâs lives. And even though you should not judge a book by its cover, people will still judge you based on your looks and actions â a point well-worth discussing with your child as you read.

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How Should We Interpret The Story

So if puss never has to answer for his misdeeds, what is the moral of the story? As mentioned above, one of the differentiating aspects of fairytales from fables or religious stories is that there is often no clear moral, leaving the tale more open to interpretation. Although one could plausibly argue that the âmoralâ of âPuss in Bootsâ seems to be that it pays off to lie, cheat, threatenâthatâs only one way to look at it.

On the other hand, we could view puss as a creature who makes the best of his lousy lot in life. He is simply doing everything in his power to improve the situation of his disenfranchised master. The story is written explicitly to allow the reader to take their own lessons from the story â for example that knowledge, and being quick thinking can help you succeed in life.

The Surprising Origins Of Puss In Boots

Fairytales are told in almost every society, all around the world. And yet, despite their universality and ability to inspire generations young and old, they often fail to fit neatly into any one mode of storytelling.

The only unifying characteristics that fairytales have are that they are usually relatively short and feature âfantasyâ characters, such as dwarves, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, mermaids, trolls or witches, and often some element of magic or enchantments. Fairytales may also be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends and explicitly moral tales, including fables or those of a religious nature, because they donât necessarily always have a clear lesson. The fact that their meaning is not always expressly clear or easy to pin down is part of what makes fairytales so fascinating to read together and such a valuable starting point for imagination and curiosity.

In order to get a better sense of the context from which these tales arose, we will be looking at the surprising origins of some of the most beloved fairytales in our collectionâbeginning with âPuss in Boots.â

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Puss In Boots Is No Ordinary Cat

While this Spanish cat with adorable huge eyes may be popular in Shrek, not many fans are familiar with the original story of Puss in Boots. The tale opens with the death of a miller and the distribution of his belongings to his sons. The youngest son of the miller simply receives the family cat. While it may not be a gift like his elder brother receives , this cat is not like any ordinary feline, and as soon as the boy realizes his magic, he provides him with a pair of boots, upon the cat’s request. With the hopes of making his master’s fortune, the cat sets off on his clever and mischievous adventures. Along the way he displays cunning tricks and a celebration for mischief, including his scheme to fool the king in the end, his tricks are successful and the miller’s son ends up holding the title of Marquis and is offered a princess’ hand in marriage.

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Is Don Quixote Real

Answer and Explanation: Don Quixote is not a true story. Some of the confusion surrounding the novel as fiction or non-fiction stems from the real places and real historical figures with whom Don Quixote interacts. Further, Cervantes called his novel a history, which also adds to this confusion.

What is the moral of the story Puss in Boots?

As I mentioned in the previous post, the themes of Puss In Boots are highly unusual. Perraultthe author of the specific version I based my story onclaims that the main moral is Hard work and ingenuity are preferable to inherited wealth, and that the secondary moral is that womankind is vulnerable to external appearances.

What is the tone of Puss-in-Boots?

After the solemn previous stories, Puss-in-Boots is the first to take a lighthearted, comedic tone, though it still deals with many of the same themes as the rest of the book. The fairy tale of Puss-in-Boots involves a clever, boot-wearing cat who helps his master gain fortune.

What are the archetypes of Puss in Boots?

Archetypes Trickster- Puss in Boots is a cat that is very aware of his intellect who uses it to his advantage by tricking and conning people into getting what he wants. Outcast Hero- The farmers son that was given Puss in Boots, instead of money or land like his brothers, spent the little money that he had on a pair of boots for the cat.

What kind of cat is Puss in Boots?

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What Was The Original Puss In Boots

The Master CatPuss in Boots was first published by Perrault in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passe in 1697. Puss in Boots was originally published as The Master Cat. A different version of the story appears in Straparolas Piacevole notti in the sixteenth century. The story was titled Constantino Fortunato.

Is Puss in Boots 2 Real?

The sequel to the 2011 Oscar nominated Puss in Boots, entitled Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, will open on Friday, September 23, 2022. Currently, Puss in Boots 2 is the only wide release on that date, and Universal had the weekend already reserved for an untitled event film.

How many versions are there of Puss in Boots?

seven different versionsAlongside the history of the Puss in Boots tale and an introduction the fairy tale genre, this book contains seven different versions of the Puss in Boots story.

Story Summary Of Puss In Boots

The story of Puss in Boots starts with a miller who has three sons. When the miller dies his property is divided. The eldest son gets a mill, the middle son a donkey, and the youngest gets a cat.

The youngest son is not very happy with the situation and decides to kill the cat, but the cat asks his master to spare his life. In return, the cat promises to make his young master rich. When the master agrees, the cat asks for a pair of boots.

Puss begins his adventures by catching rabbits and partridges to give to the king. Every time the cat gifts the king, he says that it is sent by his fictional master, Marquis de Carabas . The king starts to become curious about this generous nobleman.

Puss played dead to catch a rabbit.

Walter Crane

One day, the cat hears that the king will drive by the river with his daughter, so he tells his real master to undress and swim in the river. When the carriage with the king and the princess drives by, the cat stops the coach. Here, he tells a lie.

He explains to the king that his master, Marquis de Carabas, was just attacked by robbers while swimming and lost all of his clothes. The king offers fancy clothes to the cat’s master and invites him into the coach. Upon seeing the master, the princess immediately falls in love.

Illustration by Antoinette Lix, PD licence

While the coach continues to drive, the cat runs ahead and orders groups of people to tell anybody that asks that the surrounding property belongs to Marquis of Carabas.

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