Saturday Rave: Puss in Boots.

I love stories about crafty people, and there's surely no hero craftier than Puss in Boots.

Puss in Boots is not nearly as well-known a story as some of the other tales published (and in this case quite possibly written) by Charles Perrault, but it's a cracker all the same. It starts most satisfactorily with a youngest son who is left only a cat in his father's will, and ends...but of course I mustn't tell you the ending, except that it involves an ogre and the most beautiful princess in the whole world.

Puss in Boots is an unusual story because the youngest son isn't really the hero: the hero's the brains of the outfit, which is most definitely Puss. 

The youngest son doesn't have to be brave, or clever, or important, or even to know anything. I suppose he does have to be handsome, and he has to be humble enough to follow his cat's advice, but that's about it.

Gives hope to us all, I reckon. Hurray!

'Never again did he chase a mouse - except for fun.'

Word To Use Today: fun. This word popped up in the 17th century. It might come from fon, which meant to make a fool of, and before that from fonne, a fool.