In those days reigned a king in the land, he liked to eat partridges so much: there was a need, that none were to be gotten. The whole forest was full, but they were so shy, that no hunter could reach them. The tom cat knew that and considered to do his matter better; when he came into the forest, he made the sack open, spread the corn apart, but the cord he laid into the grass and led it behind a hedge. There he hid himself, snuck around and lurked. The partridges soon came running, and one after the other hopped into the sack. When a good quantity was in it, the tom cat pulled the cord closed, ran to and twisted their heads around; then he threw the sack over his shoulder and went straight away to the king's palace. The watch cried: "Halt! Whereto?" - "To the king," answered the tom cat quickly. - "Are you crazed, a tom cat to the king?" - "Just let him go, said another, the king has often boredom, maybe the tom cat makes him amused with his humming and spinning. When the tom cat came in front of the king, he made a Reverence and said: "My Herr, the Graf, with that he named his long and distinguished name, lets himself be recommended to the Herr King and sends him these partridges, that he just caught in slings. The king astonished over the beautiful fat partridges, knew not out of pleasure how to contain himself, and commanded that the tom cat be given as much gold out of the treasure chamber into his sack, as he could carry: "That bring to your Herren and thank him again many times for his gift."

I de dage herskede en konge i landet, han holdt så meget af at spise agerhøns: der var brug for, at ingen kunne fås. Hele skoven var fuld, men de var så sky, at ingen jæger kunne nå dem. Tomkatten vidste det og overvejede at gøre sin sag bedre; da han kom ind i skoven, åbnede han sækken, spredte kornet fra hinanden, men snoren lagde han i græsset og førte den bag en hæk. Der gemte han sig, sneg sig rundt og lurede. Agerhønsene kom hurtigt løbende, og den ene efter den anden hoppede ned i sækken. Da der var en god mængde i den, trak tomkatten i snoren, løb hen og vred deres hoveder rundt; så kastede han sækken over skulderen og gik straks til kongens palads. Uret råbte: "Stop! Hvorhen?" - "Til kongen," svarede tomkatten hurtigt. - "Er du skør, en tom cat for kongen?" - "Slip ham bare, sagde en anden, kongen har ofte kedsomhed, måske får Tomkatten ham til at more sig med sin nynnen og snurren. Da Tommekatten kom foran Kongen, lavede han en Ærbødighed og sagde: "Min Herr , Grafen, med det han kaldte sit lange og fornemme Navn, lader sig anbefale Herr Kongen og sender ham disse Agerhøns, som han lige har fanget i Slinger.Kongen forbavsede over de smukke fede agerhøns, vidste ikke af fornøjelse, hvordan han skulle rumme sig, og befalede, at tomkatten skulle give så meget guld fra skattekammeret i sin sæk, som han kunne bære: "Det bringer til din Herren. og tak ham igen mange gange for hans gave."