Grimms fairy tales The Traveling Musicians

for traveling musicians from Grimm’s

fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

an honest farmer had once a donkey that

had been a faithful servant to him a

great many years but was now growing old

and every day more and more unfit for

work his master therefore was tired of

keeping him and began to think of

putting an end to him but the donkey who

saw that some mischief was in the wind

took himself slyly off and began his

journey towards the great city for there

thought he I may turn musician

after he had traveled a little way he

spied a dog lying by the roadside and

panting as if he were tired what makes

you pant so my friend said the donkey

alas said the dog my master was going to

knock me on the head because I am old

and weak and can no longer make myself

useful to him in hunting so I ran away

but what can I do to earn my livelihood

haki said the donkey I am going to the

great city to turn musician suppose you

go with me and try what you can do in

the same way the dog said he was willing

and they jogged on together

they had not gone far before they saw a

cat sitting in the middle of the road

and making a most rueful face prey my

good lady said the donkey what’s the

matter with you you look quite out of

spirits mommy

said the cat how can one be in good

spirits when one’s life is in danger

because I am beginning to grow old and

had rather lie at my ease by the fire

then run about the house after the mice

my mistress laid hold of me and was

going to drown me and though I have been

lucky enough to get away from her I do

not know what I am to live upon Oh said

the donkey by all means go with us to

the great city you are a great night

singer and may make your fortune as a

musician the cat was pleased with the

thought and joined the party soon

afterwards as they were passing by a

farmyard they saw a rooster perched upon

a gate and screaming out with all his

might and mane Bravo said the donkey

upon my word you make a famous noise

pray what is all this about my said the

rooster I was just now saying that we

should have fine weather for our washing

day and yet my mistress and the cook

don’t thank me for my pains but

threatened to cut off my head tomorrow

and make breath of me for the guests

that are coming on Sunday

heaven forbid said the donkey come with

us master Chanticleer it will be better

not any rate than staying here to have

your head cut off besides who knows if

we care to sing in tune we may get up

some kind of a concert so come along

with us with all my heart said the

rooster so they all four went on jollily

together they could not however reach

the great city the first day so when

night came on

they went into a wood to sleep the

donkey and the dog laid themselves down

under a great tree and the cat climbed

up into the branches while the rooster

thinking that the higher he sat the

safer he should be flew up to the very

top of the trees and then according to

his custom before he went to sleep

looked out on all sides of him to see

that everything was well in doing this

he saw a far-off something bright and

shining and calling to his companions

said there must be a house no great way

off for I see a light if that be the

case said the donkey we had better

change our quarters but our lodging is

not the best in the world besides added

the dog I should not be the worse for a

bone or two what a bit of meat so they

walked off together towards the spot

where Chanticleer had seen the light and

as they drew near it became larger and

brighter till they at last came close to

a house in which a gang of robbers and

leaved

the donkey being the tallest of the

company perched up to the window and

peeped in

well donkey said Chanticleer what do you

see

what do I see replied the donkey why the

hi-c a tablespread with all kinds of

good things and robbers sitting round it

making merry that would be a noble

lodging for us said the rooster yes said

the donkey if we could only get in so

they consulted together how they should

contrive to get the robbers out and at

last they hit upon a plan

the donkey placed himself upright on his

hind legs with his fore feet resting

against the window the dog got upon his

back the cat scrambled up to the dog’s

shoulders and the rooster flew up and

sat upon the cat’s head when all was

ready a signal was given and they began

their music the donkey brayed the dog

Bart the cat mewed and the rooster

screamed and then they all broke through

the window at once and came tumbling

into the room amongst the broken glass

with a most hideous clatter the robbers

who had been not a little frightened by

the opening concert had now no doubt

that some frightful Hobgoblin had broken

in upon them and scampered away as fast

as they could the coast once clear by

our traveller soon sat down and

dispatched what the robbers had left

with as much eagerness as if they had

not expected to eat again for a month as

soon as they had satisfied themselves

they put out the lights and each once

more sought out a resting place to his

own liking the donkey laid himself down

upon a heap of straw in the yard the dog

stretched himself upon a mat behind the

door the cat rolled herself up on the

hearth before the warm ashes and the

rooster perched upon a beam on the top

of the house and as they were all rather

tired with their journey they soon fell

asleep but about midnight when the

robbers saw from afar that the lights

were out and that all seemed quiet they

began to think that they had been in too

great a hurry to run

way and one of them who was bolder than

the rest went to see what was going on

finding everything still he marched into

the kitchen and groped about till he

found a match in order to light a candle

and then aspiring the glittering fiery

eyes of the cat he mistook them for live

coals and held the match to them to

light it but the cats not understanding

his joke sprang at his face and spat and

scratched at him this frightened him

dreadfully and away he ran to the back

door but there the dog jumped up and bit

him in the leg and as he was crossing

over the yard

the donkey kicked him and the rooster

who had been awakened by the noise

crowed with all his might now this the

robber ran back as fast as he could to

his comrades and told the captain how a

horrid witch had got him into the house

and had spat at him and scratched his

face with her long bony fingers have a

man with a knife in his hand had hidden

himself behind the door and stabbed him

in the leg how a black monster stood in

the yard and struck him with a club and

how the devil had sat upon the top of

the house and cried out throw the rascal

up here after this the robbers never

dared to go back to the house but the

musicians were so pleased with their

quarters that they took up their abode

there and there they are

I dare say at this very day