The Travelling Musicians

May 19, 2009 by storybus

An honest farmer had once an ass 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 ass, who saw that some mischief was in wind, took himself slyly off, and began his journey towards the great city, 'For there,' thought he, 'I may turn musician.'
After he had travelled a little way, he spied a dog lying by roadside and panting as if he were tired. 'What makes you pant so, my
friend?' said ass. 'Alas!' said dog, 'my master was going to
knock me on 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?' 'Hark ye!' said ass, 'I am going to great
city to turn musician: suppose you go with me, and try what you can
do in 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 middle of
road and making a most rueful face. 'Pray, my good lady,' said the ass,
'what's matter with you? You look quite out of spirits!' 'Ah, me!'
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 fire than run about the house after 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 ass, 'by all means go with us to the great city; you are
a good night singer, and may make your fortune as a musician.' cat
was pleased with thought, and joined the party.
Soon afterwards, as they were passing by a farmyard, they saw a cock
perched upon a gate, and screaming out with all his might and main.
'Bravo!' said ass; 'upon my word, you make a famous noise; pray what
is all this about?' 'Why,' said the cock, 'I was just now saying that
we should have fine weather for our washing-day, and yet my mistress and
cook don't thank me for my pains, but threaten to cut off my
head tomorrow, and make broth of me for the guests that are coming
on Sunday!' 'Heaven forbid!' said ass, 'come with us Master
Chanticleer; it will be better, at 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 cock: so they all four went on jollily together.
They could not, however, reach great city the first day; so when
night came on, they went into a wood to sleep. The ass and dog laid
themselves down under a great tree, and cat climbed up into the
branches; while cock, thinking that the higher he sat safer he
should be, flew up to very top of the tree, 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 afar 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 case,' said
the ass, 'we had better change our quarters, for our lodging is not
best in the world!' 'Besides,' added dog, 'I should not be
worse for a bone or two, or a bit of meat.' So they walked off together
towards spot where Chanticleer had seen 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 lived.
The ass, being tallest of the company, marched up to window and
peeped in. 'Well, Donkey,' said Chanticleer, 'what do you see?' 'What
do I see?' replied the ass. 'Why, I see a table spread with all kinds of
good things, and robbers sitting round it making merry.' 'That would
be a noble lodging for us,' said cock. 'Yes,' said the ass, 'if we
could only get in'; so they consulted together how they should contrive
to get robbers out; and at last they hit upon a plan. The ass placed
himself upright on his hind legs, with his forefeet resting against
window; dog got upon his back; cat scrambled up to dog's
shoulders, and the cock flew up and sat upon cat's head. When
all was ready a signal was given, and they began their music. ass
brayed, he dog barked, the cat mewed, and cock screamed; and then
they all broke through window at once, and came tumbling into
room, amongst the broken glass, with a most hideous clatter!
robbers, who had been not a little frightened by 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, our travellers soon sat down and dispatched what
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 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
yard, the dog stretched himself upon a mat behind door, the
cat rolled herself up on hearth before the warm ashes, and
cock perched upon a beam on the top of house; and, as they were all
rather tired with their journey, they soon fell asleep.
But about midnight, when robbers saw from afar that lights were
out and that all seemed quiet, they began to think that they had been in
too great a hurry to run away; and one of them, who was bolder than
rest, went to see what was going on. Finding everything still, he
marched into kitchen, and groped about till he found a match in
order to light a candle; and then, espying the glittering fiery eyes of
cat, he mistook them for live coals, and held match to them to
light it. But cat, not understanding this joke, sprang at his face,
and spat, and scratched at him. This frightened him dreadfully, and away
he ran to back door; but there dog jumped up and bit him in
leg; and as he was crossing over the yard ass kicked him; and the
cock, who had been awakened by noise, crowed with all his might. At
this the robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades, and told
captain how a horrid witch had got into the house, and had spat at
him and scratched his face with her long bony fingers; how a man with a
knife in his hand had hidden himself behind door, and stabbed him
in leg; how a black monster stood in yard and struck him with a
club, and how devil had sat upon the top of the house and cried out,
'Throw rascal up here!' After this the robbers never dared to go
back to 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.