The Old Donkey
There was once a donkey who had worked for many years, carrying heavy sacks of corn to the mill without ever complaining. But as time went on, the donkey grew older and weaker, and he couldn’t work as hard anymore. His owner started thinking about ways to save money and didn’t want to keep the donkey around. Sensing trouble, the donkey decided to run away. “I’ll go to Bremen,” he thought, “and become a town musician there!”
The Tired Hound
After walking for a while, the donkey came across a hound lying on the road, panting as if he had been running for a long time. “Why are you so out of breath, big fellow?” asked the donkey.
“Oh,” sighed the hound, “I’m getting old and weaker every day. I can’t hunt anymore, and my master wanted to get rid of me. So, I ran away. But now, I don’t know how I’m going to survive.”
“I have an idea,” said the donkey. “I’m heading to Bremen to become a town musician. Why don’t you join me? I’ll play the lute, and you can play the drums.”
The hound liked the plan and agreed, so they continued on their journey together.
The Sad Cat
Before long, they came across a cat sitting in the middle of the path, looking as gloomy as three rainy days in a row. “What’s got you looking so down, whiskers?” asked the donkey.
“Well, how can I be cheerful when my life’s at risk?” replied the cat. “I’m getting old, my teeth are worn down, and I’d rather sit by the fire than chase mice. But my owner wanted to drown me, so I ran away. Now, I don’t know what to do or where to go.”
“Why not come with us to Bremen?” suggested the donkey. “You’re good at making night music, so you’d fit right in as a town musician.”
The cat thought it was a great idea and decided to join them.
The Loud Rooster
After this, the three new friends continued on their journey until they came to a farmyard. There, they saw a rooster perched on a gate, crowing as loud as he could.
“Why are you making so much noise?” asked the donkey. “It’s enough to go right through you!”
The rooster replied, “I’m predicting good weather because it’s the day Our Lady washes the Christ-child’s little shirts and needs them to dry. But the housewife is having guests over for Sunday, and she has no mercy. She told the cook to prepare me for soup tomorrow, and tonight, she plans to chop off my head! So, I’m crowing while I still can!”
“Well, red-comb,” said the donkey, “why don’t you come with us instead? We’re on our way to Bremen, and there’s always something better than death. You’ve got a strong voice, and if we all make music together, we’ll sound amazing!”
The rooster liked the idea and agreed to join them. Now, all four went on together, excited about their new adventure.
The Dark Forest
Since they couldn’t reach the city of Bremen in one day, the animals decided to rest for the night in a forest. The donkey and the hound lay down under a large tree, while the cat and the rooster found a comfortable spot in the branches. The rooster flew right to the top, where he felt the safest.
As he was about to fall asleep, the rooster noticed a small light flickering in the distance. Curious, he called down to his friends, “I see a little spark! There must be a house nearby.”
The donkey replied, “If that’s the case, we should get going. This forest isn’t the best place to stay.”
The hound, feeling hungry, added, “And maybe they have some leftover bones with a bit of meat on them!” So, the four companions decided to investigate the light.
The Robber’s House
The animals made their way toward the light, which became brighter and larger as they approached. Soon, they saw that it came from a brightly lit house, which turned out to be a robber’s hideout! The donkey, being the tallest, peeked in through the window.
“What do you see, my friend?” asked the rooster.
The donkey replied, “I see a table filled with delicious food and drinks, and robbers feasting away!”
“That sounds perfect for us!” said the rooster, excited at the thought of such a meal.
“Yes, yes, I wish we could be in there right now!” the donkey added.
The animals huddled together and came up with a clever plan to scare the robbers away. The donkey stood up with his front legs on the window ledge. The hound jumped onto the donkey’s back, the cat climbed on top of the hound, and finally, the rooster flew up and perched on the cat’s head.
At the signal, they all began to make a wild noise— the donkey brayed loudly, the hound barked ferociously, the cat screeched, and the rooster crowed with all his might. Then, they crashed through the window, making the glass shatter everywhere!
The robbers, terrified by the deafening noise and sudden chaos, thought a ghost or monster had broken in. In a panic, they dashed into the forest, leaving everything behind.
The four companions, now safe and sound, sat down at the table. They were more than happy to enjoy the feast that the robbers had left behind, eating as if they hadn’t had a meal in days!
Once the four musicians had finished their feast, they each found a cozy spot to sleep. The donkey stretched out on some straw in the yard, the hound curled up behind the door, the cat settled down near the warm ashes on the hearth, and the rooster perched himself high on a beam in the roof. After their long day, they all quickly fell into a deep sleep.
A New Home
Meanwhile, the robbers, watching from a distance, noticed the house had gone dark and everything seemed quiet. The captain, feeling embarrassed for running away, said, “We shouldn’t have been scared off so easily.” He sent one of the robbers back to check out the house.
The robber tiptoed into the kitchen to light a candle. When he spotted the cat’s glowing eyes, he mistook them for hot coals and tried to light his match from them. The cat, startled and angry, sprang at him, spitting and scratching his face. The robber, terrified, ran toward the door, but the dog lying there bit his leg. As he hobbled through the yard, the donkey kicked him hard with its hind legs. To top it off, the rooster, now wide awake, crowed from the roof, “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Panicked, the robber raced back to his captain and breathlessly reported, “It’s awful in there! There’s a witch in the kitchen who scratched my face with her claws, a man with a knife by the door who stabbed me in the leg, a monster in the yard who hit me with a club, and a judge on the roof who shouted, ‘Bring the rogue to me!’ I barely escaped!”
After hearing this, the robbers didn’t dare return to the house. As for the four musicians of Bremen, they liked their new home so much that they decided to stay there for good. And as the storyteller says, the one who last told this tale still speaks of it with warmth!