The Four Happy Friends

Once Upon a Time

Once there was a miller who owned a donkey. For many years, the donkey had worked hard, carrying sacks of flour to the mill and turning a large wheel round and round, which powered the machinery to grind the corn.

A Grim Decision

As the donkey grew older, he could no longer work as hard. “This donkey is useless to me,” the miller thought to himself one day. “He is getting slower and slower, and he is not worth the food he eats, which costs me enough as it is. I will kill him tomorrow.”

Escape

The donkey overheard his master’s words. That night, when all was dark and quiet, he escaped and made off down the road. He decided to spend the rest of his life wandering the country as a strolling musician. “I have a fine voice, even though I am getting old,” the donkey told himself. “I am sure I shall be a great success.” To prove it, he brayed, “Ee-aw, Ee-aw,” several times.

Meeting the Dog

The noise attracted the attention of a dog sitting by the side of the road. “What have you got to be so happy about, donkey?” the dog asked.

“I’m going to the big city to earn my living as a strolling musician, so I am just practising,” replied the donkey. “What about you, friend dog? Why are you lying in the road with your tongue hanging out?” “Ah,” said the dog, “my story is a sad one. I have served my master faithfully for many years, but today I overheard him say that he was going to kill me because I am getting old and can no longer go hunting like I used to, so I ran away and now I have nowhere to go.”

A New Companionship

“Come along with me,” said the donkey. “We can travel together and keep each other company.”

The dog agreed to join the donkey. As they travelled further down the road, they came across a cat. The cat looked thin and miserable. “Good day to you, cat,” called the donkey. “May I ask why you look so unhappy?”

“My master wants to get rid of me,” replied the cat. “I’m getting old and I’m no longer as good at catching mice as I used to be. In my youth, I was a champion mouser, but now I am not so quick.” “Come with us,” said the donkey. “We are going to the big city to make our fortune as wandering minstrels.” The cat joined them, and they continued down the road together.

Encountering the Cockerel

Soon, the three animals came upon a farm. There, on the fence, sat a cockerel, crowing at the top of his voice. “You are piercing our eardrums with your crowing,” called the donkey. “Tell us, what is the matter?”

“Oh,” cried the cock, “I am making as much noise as I can while I am still alive. Tomorrow, I shall be dead because I heard my mistress say that she has guests coming tomorrow and told the cook to kill me and put me in a saucepan.” “Why not come with us?” suggested the donkey. “We are going to the big city to make our fortune as wandering minstrels. I am sure your powerful voice would be a help.” “Yes, yes,” crowed the cock, delighted. The four friends continued their journey together.

A Night in the Woods

The big city was far away, so they decided to spend the night in a wood. The dog, the cat, and the donkey curled up at the foot of a tree, but the cock flew up and perched on a branch. In the distance, he saw a light and called down to his friends, “I am sure I can see a house where we could spend the night more comfortably.”

A Plan of Action

The animals went to look for it, and led by the cock, they soon found the house. The donkey, being the tallest, looked in through the window. “What can you see?” the others asked. “I can see a table piled high with food and some robbers sitting around it,” replied the donkey. “What can we do to get rid of those rascals?”

“Perhaps we could make a loud noise and scare them away,” suggested the cat. They then devised a plan: the dog jumped on the donkey’s back, the cat jumped on the dog’s back, and the cock perched on the cat’s head. Together, they made the loudest noises they could. The donkey banged on the door with his hooves, while the dog barked, the cat howled, and the cock crowed. Then they all jumped through the door into the room. The robbers, frightened by the noise and the unexpected attack, fled in great haste.

A New Beginning

The four friends sat down at the table and ate their fill. Afterwards, they turned out the light and lay down to sleep in front of the fire.

When the robbers reached the safety of the trees, they began to recover from their fright. “What fools we were to run away like that,” said the robber chief, and he sent one of his men back to have a look around. The robber tiptoed up to the dark house and crept into the room. Mistaking the gleaming eyes of the cat for glowing coals, he picked up a stick to light it from the fire. However, as he did so, the cat sprang at him, scratching his face. The robber turned to flee, but the dog bit his leg, the donkey gave him a hearty kick, and the cock pecked him.

The robber rushed trembling and out of breath through the woods until he reached the robber band. “There are witches and demons in the house,” he panted. “They attacked me, and I barely managed to escape.”

From that evening on, the robbers lacked the courage to return to their old house. Meanwhile, the four friends, who had grown fond of the place, decided not to become strolling minstrels after all and chose to stay there peacefully for the rest of their lives.