The Bremen Town-Musicians
An aging donkey who can no longer work runs away from his master to seek a new life as a town-musician in Bremen. On his journey, he meets an old hound who has been abandoned because he is too weak to hunt anymore. The two agree to travel together, with the donkey playing the lute and the hound beating the kettledrum. Soon after, they encounter a cat whose fur has lost its value for hunting mice, leaving her facing a dangerous fate at home. She joins their band, adding her night music to the group's repertoire. Finally, they find a crowing cock who is about to be cooked for Sunday dinner and invite him along too. As night falls, the four friends cannot reach Bremen and instead seek shelter in a forest near a robber’s house. They spot robbers feasting inside and decide to scare them away with their combined musical talents. The animals form a tower on the windowsill and make a terrifying noise that frightens the bandits into fleeing. After claiming the house as their new home, they settle down for a well-earned sleep. When the robber captain sends a messenger to investigate the silence, he encounters the cat’s claws, the dog’s bite, and the donkey’s kick. The terrified messenger reports seeing a witch, a knife-wielding man, a monster, and a judge, causing all the robbers to abandon their home forever. The four musicians are so pleased with their new sanctuary that they choose to stay there for the rest of their days.
