grey fairy tale book

Chapter 34 The Street Musician
Once upon a time there was a donkey who had worked faithfully for his master for many years.In the end, the poor donkey was old and frail, and his daily work was becoming a burden.Since it was no longer useful, the owner decided to shoot it dead.When the donkey learned of his impending fate, he decided not to die like this, but fled to a nearby city to become a street performer.

After running for a while, the donkey met a greyhound lying on the side of the road panting. "Brother," asked the donkey, "what's the matter? You look so tired."

The Greyhound replied, "Yes. My master was going to kill me because I was growing old and could no longer hunt. I left him thinking that life was so good, but I didn't know how to make a living."

"Well," said the donkey, "I'm going to the big city around here, and I'm going to be a busker there. Why don't you play music? I'll play the flute, and you play the timpani."

The greyhound thought it was a good idea, so he set off with the donkey.After walking for a short distance, they met a cat with a long face, as if it had rained for three days without sunshine.The donkey asked, "Cat friend, what happened to make you unhappy?"

"I can't cheer up when I'm down," replied the Cat. "I'm old now, and my teeth are about to fall out, so I only like to catch mice by the brazier, and my mistress will drown me if she wants to. I I didn't want to die yet, so I ran away from her, and now I don't know where to go or what to do. Good advice is worth it!"

"Come with us to the big town around here," said the donkey, "and try to busk. I know you make a wonderful noise at night, so you're sure to succeed."

After listening to the donkey's suggestion, the cat was very happy, so the three friends set off together.After a while, they came to the courtyard of a hotel and saw a rooster crowing vigorously. "What's the matter with you?" the donkey asked the rooster. "You're making such a noise that our eardrums are bursting."

"I'm just forecasting good weather," replied the rooster. "Tomorrow is a feast day. Because every festival, many people come to this hotel. The lady boss has ordered that my neck be wiped off tonight, so as to do it." A soup for tomorrow's feast."

"Here's a tip for you, Redhead," said the donkey. "You'd better come with us to a nearby town. You have a beautiful voice and you could join the marquee band we're forming." At the idea, Rooster Very happy, so the four of them moved on together.

But it is too far to go to the neighboring towns, and they have to travel more than a day to get there.In the evening, they came to a wood, and decided to rest there that night and not go any further.The donkey and the greyhound lay down under a big tree, the cat and the rooster climbed onto the branches, and the rooster flew directly to the top of the tree, thinking it was the safest place.Before going to bed, the rooster looked around and saw a little fire flickering in the distance, and said loudly to his companion that there must be a family not far away, because it saw the light there.

Upon hearing this, the donkey said at once: "Then we must get up and look for the house, because this resting place is too ugly." The greyhound added: "Yes, I think if there are a few bones and A piece or two of meat will do."

So they walked towards a place with a faint light in the distance.The nearer they got there, the brighter the light became, until at last they came to a very bright house.The donkey was the tallest of the four, so he went to the window and looked in.

The rooster asked, "Hey, gray head, what do you see?"

"I saw a beautifully decorated table," said the donkey, "and there was something to eat and drink on it. Some thieves were sitting at the table, eating and drinking to their heart's content."

"I wish we could do the same," said the rooster.

"Me too," replied the donkey, "why don't we find a way to drive these thieves away and then live in them again?"

So, they discussed together what to do.In the end, it was decided that the donkey would stand by the window with his front feet on the sill, the greyhound would stand on the donkey's back, the cat would stand on the greyhound's shoulders, and the rooster would stand on the cat's head.After being combined like this, they play different music together according to the agreed signals: donkeys meow, greyhounds bark, cats meow, cocks meow.Then they crawled in through the window, making the panes rattle and shatter.

This frightful noise frightened the band of thieves, at least into thinking that black-hearted ghosts had broken into the house.The thief was so frightened that his hair stood on end, he hurried into the woods.Excited by their success, the four companions sat at the table enjoying the food and wine left by the thieves.

After dinner, they turned off the lights and each chose a comfortable place to sleep.The donkey was lying in the yard outside the house, the dog was sleeping behind the door, the cat was sleeping by the brazier, and the rooster was flying up to the high partition.Tired from traveling all day, they quickly fell asleep.

Just after midnight, when the gang of thieves saw that the lights in the house had gone out and all was quiet, the leader said, "We are so foolish to be scared away so easily." He turned to one of his men and ordered him to go and find out. Check if everything is safe.

The fellow found everything quiet and dark everywhere.So, going into the kitchen, he thought it best to light a lamp.He mistook the cat's fierce eyes for two burning coals.He tried to light it with a match.But the cat didn't think it was funny, and jumped right at his face, spitting and scratching.Terrified to death, the thief tried to escape through the back door, but tripped over the greyhound, which bit him on the leg.The thief screamed and walked through the yard, but when he passed by the donkey, he was kicked by the donkey's hind leg.At the same time, the rooster woke up from his sleep, and on a whim, he yelled loudly on the partition of his perch: "Several together."

The thief ran back in a hurry and reported to the bandit leader: "Boss, there is a terrible witch in the house. While she was spitting on me, she scratched my face with her long fingers. There was a man with a long knife standing in front of the door." man, slashed my thigh hard. There was a black devil in the yard, and he attacked me with a thick stick. This was not over, and there was a judge sitting on the roof, and he shouted: 'Take the robber Bring it up.' So I fled back."

After this incident, the gang of thieves did not dare to trespass into the house again, and never went there again.Satisfied with their lodgings, the four street musicians decided to make the burglar's house their own, and probably still live there now, though I'm not convinced.

(End of this chapter)