Once upon a time, there was a miller who left his three sons only a mill, a donkey, and a cat. The division was quickly made. No need for a lawyer or attorney, as they would have eaten up all the poor property. The eldest got the mill, the second the donkey, and the youngest got nothing but the cat.

The youngest, understandably, was quite unhappy with his poor share. "My brothers," he said, "can make a decent living by working together; but as for me, once I've eaten my cat and made a muff out of his fur, I'll starve."

The Cat, who heard this without showing any reaction, said to him seriously, "Don't worry, my master. Just give me a bag and have a pair of boots made for me, so I can run through the bushes, and you'll see that your share isn't as bad as you think."

Though the Cat's master didn't think much of what he said, he had seen him play such clever tricks to catch rats and mice—hanging by his heels or hiding in the flour to pretend he was dead—that he didn't completely lose hope of the Cat helping him out of his misery.