Puss in Boots, Jr., and the Good Gray Horse

In Short

David Cory’s 1921 children's tale follows Puss in Boots, Jr., a remarkably well-mannered cat in red-topped boots, feather-plumed hat, and sword, as he travels through Mother Goose land. Mounted on his Good Gray Horse—or briefly riding a borrowed bicycle—Puss aids a sequence of familiar nursery figures: helping kittens locate lost mittens, protecting a maid from a nose-snatching blackbird, visiting royal courts, and mastering the alphabet. Built as an episodic road novel for young readers, the story relies on brisk, rhythmic prose, light rhyming verse, and constant courtly politeness to drive its gentle quest.

The Story

The narrative opens with Puss in Boots, Jr., traveling through Mother Goose country on his Good Gray Horse. After picking a real diamond from a spider's web, Puss boasts of his bravery, drawing the ire of forest fairies who bind him and his steed with tiny ropes. A kind owl cuts the bonds with scissors and directs Puss toward Willow Tree Inn. There, thieves steal his horse during the night. The generous innkeeper lends Puss a bicycle, setting off an energetic chase up and down steep hills. Guided by a hobbling old man and a friendly blackbird, Puss pedals furiously, catches up to the runaway fairy thieves, and reclaims his horse.

Restored to his saddle, Puss resumes his overarching quest: finding his famous father, the original Puss in Boots. His journey becomes a chain of encounters with famous nursery characters. He assists a girl who speaks only in "gobble, gobble," lends his horse to a little old man whose farm wagon has broken down, and laughs off the scowls of Taffy the chauffeur. Arriving at a small green house, Puss helps three crying kittens search the woodpile, well, and barn for their lost mittens, leading to a snowy tumble when they push open a heavy barn door. After recovering the mittens, Puss ensures the kittens fulfill their promise to share pie crust with Mrs. Mouse and her babies.

Continuing along the road, Puss arrives at a royal castle where four-and-twenty blackbirds sing inside a pie. When a rogue bird nips off the garden maid's nose, Puss offers aid and is granted an audience with the King and Queen. The royals feast on bag pudding, and the Queen lulls Puss to sleep in her lap while the King slips gold pieces into his pocket. Morning brings new tasks; Puss tends his steed with help from little Jenny Wren and witnesses a farmer, his daughter, and their gray mare spill down a hill when a mischievous raven croaks.

Each stop brings Puss closer to local lore but no closer to his father. He meets a Bramble-bush Man, returns a lost pearl necklace to a yellow hen alongside a silk-hatted crow, visits a forge to shoe his steed, and receives shelter from a welcoming mother after watching her child sleep. When his boots burn in a house fire, Puss purchases a fresh pair with red tops from a cobbler who once made shoes for the Old Woman who lived in a shoe. He learns the alphabet in twenty minutes at Alphabet Town, gives a bright penny to Lucy Locket, listens to Tom the Piper's Son play tunes for dancing hens, and shares ice cream with Bobby Shafto after an airship lands nearby. The book concludes with Puss riding onward toward distant towers, his quest unfinished but his resolve firm.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Bound to his saddle by forest fairies for boasting, Puss receives help from a wise owl who cuts his ropes and points him toward shelter at Willow Tree Inn.

The bicycle pursuit When mischievous forest gnomes steal his Good Gray Horse, Puss borrows a bicycle from the innkeeper and pedals up high hills to track down his steed.

The loss of the mittens Puss helps three weeping kittens search their yard and barn for lost mittens, braving a heavy rolling barn door that knocks them into the snow.

The royal banquet After a blackbird snaps off a maid's nose, Puss visits the King and Queen, enjoys a dinner of plum bag pudding, and slumbers in the Queen's lap.

The cobbler's red boots Having lost his footwear in a fire, Puss stops at a cobbler's shop, buys a fresh pair of red-topped boots, and inquires about his father's old cobbler.

Alphabet Town and beyond Puss learns a twenty-six-line rhyme in Alphabet Town, aids Lucy Locket, shares cake with airship pilot Bobby Shafto, and gallops toward the next adventure.

The People

• Puss in Boots, Jr. wants above all to locate his famous father, Puss in Boots. Politeness, swordsmanship, and a sharp pair of boots define him. Though fairy pranks, stolen horses, and lost footwear delay his trek, he remains unfailingly courtly, leaving every encounter with new friends and renewed determination.
• The Good Gray Horse serves as Puss's main mode of transport, wanting only clear roads, steady feeds of oats, and comfortable straw beds. Though target to fairy thefts and steep, breathless hills, the steed stays loyal to his small master.
• The Three Little Kittens want their lost mittens so their mother will allow them to eat pie. Hindered by cold weather and hidden nooks, they succeed with Puss's help, generously sharing their treats with the barn mice afterward.
• The King and Queen want pleasant entertainment and traditional meals. Pleased by Puss's manners, they offer him hospitality, gold coins, and a quiet lap for his afternoon nap.
• The Cobbler wants to craft fine footwear for travelers. Though unable to direct Puss to his father, he equips the young cat with a stout pair of red-topped boots.

In Its Own Voice

"Pride must ever have a fall. Ne'er despise the weak and small. Only he who's brave and good Shall pass safely through this wood."

The forest fairies sing this lesson to Puss after ensnaring him in tiny ropes, establishing the book's emphasis on humility and good manners over boasting.

"Lifting the slide ever so little, Puss held the measure carefully under the wooden trough until it was filled. Then he carried it over to his horse, who neighed twice, as much as to say, 'Thank you.'"

This moment shows Puss carefully attending to his steed's comfort, underscoring his practical responsibility and gentleness toward animals.

"'Your Royal Highness,' exclaimed Puss, Junior, 'I am overwhelmed with your generosity, but I needs must decline your offer. For until I find my father, the famous Puss in Boots, I may not rest upon my journey except for sleep and refreshment.'"

Addressing the King, Puss reveals his single-minded dedication to his quest, placing duty to his family lineage above royal luxury.

What It's Really About

Beneath its playful episodic structure, the book examines filial duty, courtesy, and the responsibilities of growing up. Puss, Junior, is defined not merely by his father's legacy, but by how he chooses to carry that name forward. Where classic fairy-tale tricksters rely on cunning or deception, Puss, Junior, navigates the world through rigid politeness, helpfulness, and respect for smaller creatures.

The story asks how a young protagonist establishes an identity while searching for a famous parent. By dropping into familiar nursery-rhyme scenarios and leaving them better than he found them, Puss demonstrates that true knighthood rests in simple everyday kindnesses—mending a harness, finding a lost penny, or feeding a horse—rather than grand military conquests.

Why Read It Today

This short chapter book offers a charming slice of early twentieth-century American children's literature, blending original fairy-tale travelogue with traditional Mother Goose lore. Readers who enjoy classic nursery rhymes, cozy talking-animal stories, and gentle episodic adventures will appreciate its rhythmic, song-filled structure and sunny tone.

The narrative moves at a swift pace, switching easily between brief prose chapters and light verse. Its primary challenge for modern readers lies in its deliberate repetition and episodic nature; there is little overarching tension, as problems resolve quickly within two or three pages. The language reflects its 1921 origins with quaint phrasing ("gid-ap," "twixt," "warrant"), but the text remains accessible, avoiding harsh period stereotypes or difficult dialects. What stays with the reader is the image of a small, cheerful cat riding through a landscape where every turn in the road brings a familiar rhyme to life.