Английские сказки для мальчиков / English Fairy Tales for Boys

The master cat came at last to a castle, the lord of which was an ogre, the richest that had ever been known.[20 - that had ever been known – которого когда-либо знали] All the lands which the king had just passed by belonged to this castle. The cat, who found out who this ogre was and what he could do, asked to speak with him, saying he could not pass so near his castle without having the honor of paying his respects to him.

The ogre received him as civilly as an ogre could do and invited him to sit down.

“I have heard,” said the cat, “that you are able to change yourself into any kind of creature. You can, for example, transform yourself into a lion, an elephant, or the like.”

“That is true,” answered the ogre, “and to convince you, I shall now become a lion.”

The cat was so terrified to see a lion so near him that he leaped onto the roof, that was even more difficult for him because his boots didn’t help him to walk on the tiles.

However, the ogre resumed his natural form, and the cat came down, saying that he had been very frightened indeed.

“I have further been told,” said the cat, “that you can also transform yourself into the smallest of animals, for example, a rat or a mouse. But I can scarcely believe that. I think that that would be quite impossible.”

“Impossible!” cried the ogre. “You shall see!”

He immediately changed himself into a mouse and began to run about the floor.

As soon as the cat saw this, he fell upon him and ate him up.

Meanwhile the king, who saw this fine castle of the ogre’s as he passed, decided to go inside. The cat, who heard the noise of his majesty’s coach running over the drawbridge, ran out and said to the king, “Your majesty is welcome to this castle of my Lord Marquis of Carabas.”

“What! My Lord Marquis,” cried the king, “and does this castle also belong to you? There can be nothing finer than this court and all the stately buildings which surround it.

Let us go inside, if you don’t mind.[21 - if you don’t mind – если вы не возражаете]”

The marquis gave his hand to the princess and followed the king, who went first. They passed into a spacious hall, where they found a magnificent feast, which the ogre had prepared for his friends, who were coming to visit him that very day but dared not to enter, knowing the king was there.