The Cat in Boots ran to the castle. It stood in the middle of a big park. There were wonderful flowers everywhere in the park.

The castle itself was a beautiful high building with small towers. The roofs were red. The walls of the castle were made of white stone. The windows were narrow but high. The rooms on the ground floor had the highest windows. And through the glass visitors could see elegant green curtains.

The castle belonged to a giant. He was the richest giant in the country. All the fields, meadows and woods around the castle were part of his lands. Many people worked for him.

The Cat already knew a lot about the Giant. He was a cruel man. Everyone was terribly afraid of him.

The Cat put on a brave face and went to the castle with his boots on. Soon he arrived at the gate. He asked a servant to speak to the Giant.

«I am a traveler,» he said, «I was not far from here. I couldn’t go so near the castle of such a noble gentleman without meeting him.»

The Giant heard this message and agreed to see the visitor. He was going to have dinner, so he was in a good mood.

«Please sit down and have dinner with me,» he said to the Cat.

«Thank you, sir,» said the Cat. «But first I hope you can answer a question. They say that you can change yourself into any animal. A lion, for example, or an elephant.»

«That’s true,» said the Giant. «And I can prove it just now. Look! Whom do you see now?»

And the Giant changed himself into a big lion.

The Cat was terribly frightened. He even climbed up the curtain. Of course, it wasn’t easy to climb in boots. But the lion was so big! How can you be brave and keep still near such an awful animal?

A few moments later the lion changed back into the Giant. The Cat came down.

«I’m so sorry, sir. I was very frightened,» he said. «But do you know what I think? It was easy for such a big gentleman as you to change yourself into a large animal. But I’m afraid even you can’t become a small animal, such as a rat or a mouse. It’s just impossible.»

«Impossible!» cried the Giant, very angry. «See how it’s impossible!»

At the same moment he changed himself into a mouse. The mouse began to run about the floor.

It was part of the Cat’s plan. He jumped on the mouse at once and ate it. So that was the end to the Giant.