Puss in Boots, like many folk and fairy tales is found in varying versions of the same story. Two of the many versions of this tale which are still told today are the classic version by Charles Perrault and one retold by Harry Robinson, an Okanagan Native Storyteller. Robinson's version was recorded and then transcribed and may be found in 'Write It On Your Heart - The Epic World of an Okanagan Storyteller.' This paper will examine and compare the content of both these tales with regards to plot and attempt to explain why the differences and similarities occur with regards to characters and places.
Though both versions share a common goal of assuring a good life for the son who inherits the cat, the reasons vary considerably from version to version. In Perrault's tale, the son is destitute and the cat sets out to ensure his master's survival and comfort. Robinson's version, on the other hand, portraits a cat that seeks to right a wrong and return to his master that which was stolen from his family. A significant difference between the two tales is the number of events that take place.
The openings to these two tales are very different from one another. In Perrault's tale, the father is already dead and the children are about to split their meagre inheritance: a mill, an ass and one cat. Robinson launches instead into an extended preamble identifying the story to be told along with some pertinent facts concerning its source. He identifies its source as being non- Native. "This is white people stories." (Robinson, 282) Unlike Perrault's poor miller, Robinson's father figure is identified as a well-to-do rancher with lots of cattle, several horses and many acres of cultivated fields. In fact, the farming operation is so large that there are many farmhands to tend to the various tasks (Robinson, 283). The father is very much alive and continues to be an integral part of the story for one third of the tale.
Perrault's sequence of events is compact and straightforward. Once the sons have divided the assets, the two oldest siblings are removed from the tale. The cat requests some boots and a bag and sets off to provide for his master. Upon snagging each day's catch, he presents it to the king as a gift from his master whom he dubs the Marquis of Carabas. Having succeeded in capturing the king's attention, the cat continues his daily visits for an extended period all the while pretending that it is at the request of his master. When he learns that the king will be out for a drive "with his beautiful daughter," (Perrault, 95) the cat immediately springs into action and sets the wheels in motion for his master and the king to meet. The plot has now arrived at a critical part of the story.
Robinson's plot development is much slower. He includes five segments of the story leading up to the equivalent point of Perrault's opening. The first is a description of the farm. The second describes the theft of his land and possessions by a very large and threatening figure of a man. Next the father takes his sons, finds some land to squat on and builds their initial home, a teepee. The next segment is somewhat long and takes a rather convoluted path in order to introduce Robinson's equivalent to Perrault's king. In the fifth segment, the father dictates his will and finally dies several years after the beginning of the story. The sons accept their inheritance and the youngest takes possession of the house and the cat. It is at this point that the two versions continue on parallel paths but with interesting differences.
In Perrault's version, the cat proceeds to ingratiate himself to the king without his master's knowledge. Robinson's cat, on the other hand, tells his master about his plan to deliver his catch to the rancher across the river, claiming it is to be a 'thank you' for the help the rancher provided to them over the years. The two plots then continue with a great many similarities. Essentially both cats capture the same pray, except in reverse order. In the classic version, the cat refers to his master as a nobleman while in the native version the master is referred to as "King." Both names imply a degree of wealth and nobility. In both versions, the ongoing activity of gift giving occurs over an extended period of time; the cat succeeds in getting his master to swim near enough to the road to be discovered; the master's clothes have been disposed of; and the person capable of ensuring a comfortable future for the cat and his master arrives on the scene. At this point, the stories differ somewhat though still on parallel paths.
Perrault continues with the cat's deception of both master and king concerning the clothing. Robinson's cat explains the disappearance of the clothing to both. The differing explanations seem plausible within the context of time and place for each version. While the king dispatches a servant to fetch some new clothing, the rancher retrieves the clothing himself. Perrault has his princess fall "madly in love" (Perrault, 95) as soon as the master is transformed by the new clothing into the Marquis. Robinson gives his hero an opportunity to get to know the two daughters.
The cat's final trick is virtually the same in each case. Not leaving anything to chance, the cat proceeds ahead of the tiny group and convinces the workmen to identify his master as the owner of the lands when approached by the king/rancher. He convinces the Ogre/Gorilla to transform himself into a mouse through flattery and cunning thus overcoming the final obstacle to success. Having assured that his master would appear to be both wealthy and successful, both fathers offer the young man a daughter in marriage. At last the young man is transformed from pauper to wealthy landowner and he gets the girl in order to live happily ever after.
While Perrault's tale ends at that point, Robinson includes one final section. Both the cat and the storyteller warn the young man that he must never betray the cat by treating him badly, or bad luck will be the only thing that he will reap for the rest of his life. Robinson ends his tale by stating that this admonition is the reason why cats behave the way that they do in their home and around their owners and it is the reason why the owners should permit it.
It could be said that the moral of both stories is exactly what Perrault wrote: "A great inheritance may be a fine thing, but hard work and ingenuity will take a young man further than his father's money." (Perrault, 97) Robinson adds a warning: when you reach the top, don't treat badly those who helped you get there or your good fortune may soon end.
The settings for both versions are reflective of the audience's station in life and the period that they are being told in. Perrault wrote his stories and tales for the nobility and therefore transforms his hero into first a nobleman and then a prince. The comforts and rewards of being a member of the nobility or royal was something his audience could understand and relate to. The carriage with a team of fine horses, castles and large numbers of servants were common in his day. His lesser characters are a poor miller and his sons, workers in the fields and an ogre. With the exception of the ogre, the first two were also common people of the times. The ogre, on the other hand, had long since been recognised in various tales as the 'bad guy,' the evil one, the one to be defeated.
Being a North American Native, Robinson's version of Puss in Boots has been modified to include elements relevant to his time and place. This continent lacks nobility per se, but there are many wealthy ranchers who hold positions of authority. A big bully who takes what he wants by brute force or threat of violence and death replaces the ogre. By referring to him as a gorilla, Robinson gives him both great size and strength - things to be feared in an opponent and easily recognisable. In keeping with the oral tradition, stories may be expanded in order to provide context and unlike combined word/picture books, the Storyteller must 'paint the pictures' for his audience to see using only his words.
Both storytellers have many common elements as well. The main character's task is identical in the stories: he must arrange matters in order for his master to be assured of wealth, survival and a happy life. A journey must be undertaken in order to reach the goal. Wealth, gold, a vastly improved station in life and a princess/wife become symbols of achievement. They also share the commonality of water and food, both powerful symbols of transformation. Both stories contain elements of the trickster as the major archetype.
The additional moral or warning provided by Robinson is relevant to our modern society. While Perrault wrote for an audience that was mostly born into the nobility or royalty, great rewards were expected. Robinson's audience, however, lives in a world where others are often needed in order to achieve success and treating those below your station badly can also lead to your demise.
These two versions of the same story clearly illustrate that the main ingredients of archetypes, rituals, heroes and villains continue to survive and draw an audience despite the adaptation of other elements to suit the local audience and times.
Perrault, Charles. "Puss in Boots." Folk and Fairy Tales, Second Edition. Ed. Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. Peterborough, Broadview Press, 2001. 94-97
Robinson, Harry. "Puss in Boots." Write It on Your Heart The Epic World of an Okanagan Storyteller. Ed. Wendy Wickwire. Vancouver; Talonbooks/Theytus, 1989. 282-315