Le Chat botté / Puss in Boots

Le maître Chat ou le Chat botté

(Sir Cat, or Puss in Boots: "the booted cat"; maîtrem — master; sir; lord; botter — to wear boots; bottef — boot)

Un meunier ne laissa pour tous biens (a miller had left as sole possessions: "left for all goods"; laisser — to let; leave; biensm pl — belongings; possessions; goods), à trois enfants qu’il avait (to three children he had; enfantm), que son moulin, son âne et son chat (only his windmill, his donkey and his cat; ânem). Les partages furent bientôt faits (the dividing up was soon done; partager — to share; split; divide up): ni le notaire, ni le procureur n’y furent point appelés (neither the notary, nor the prosecutor were called /to help/; y — there; to there; to it). Ils auraient eu bientôt mangé tout le pauvre patrimoine (they would soon have eaten all the meagre inheritance; pauvre — poor; paltry; meagre; patrimoinem — history; heritage; inheritance). L’aîné eut le moulin (the eldest had the windmill), le second eut l’âne (the second had the donkey), et le plus jeune n’eut que le chat (and the youngest had only the cat). Ce dernier ne pouvait se consoler d’avoir un si pauvre lot (the latter could not console himself over having such a meagre share; dernier — last; latter; lotm — lot; batch; share):