ne feels depressed,' answered
the cat. 'I am well up in years now, and have lost most of my teeth;
consequently I prefer sitting in front of the fire to catching mice, and
so my old mistress wanted to drown me. I have no wish to die yet, so I
ran away from her; but good advice is expensive, and I don't know where
I am to go to, or what I am to do.'

'Come to the nearest big town with us,' said the donkey, 'and try your
fortune as a street musician. I know what sweet music you make at night,
so you are sure to be a success.'

The cat was delighted with the donkey's proposal, and they all continued
their journey together. In a short time they came to the courtyard of an
inn, where they found a cock crowing lustily. 'What in the world is the
matter with you?' asked the donkey. 'The noise you are making is enough
to break the drums of our ears.'

'I am only prophesying good weather,' said the cock; 'for to-morrow is
a feast day, and just because it is a holiday and a number of people
are expected at the inn, the landlady has given orders for my neck to be
wrung to-night, so that I may be made into soup for to-morrow's dinner.'

'I'll tell you what, redcap,' said the donkey; 'you had much better come
with us to the nearest town. You have got a good voice, and could join a
street band we are getting up.' The cock was much pleased with the idea,
and the party proceeded on their way.

But the nearest big town was a long way off, and it took them more than
a day to reach it. In the evening they came to a wood, and they made up
their minds to go no further, but to spend the night there. The donkey
and the greyhound lay down under a big tree, and the cat and the cock
got up into the branches, the cock flying right up to the topmost twig,
where he thought he would be safe from all danger. Before he went to
sleep he looked round the four points of the compass, and saw a little
spark burning in the distance. He called out to his companions that he
was sure there must be a house not far off, for he could see a light
shining.

When he heard this, the donkey said at, once: 'Then we must get up,
and go and look for the house, for this is very poor shelter.' And the
greyhound added: 'Yes; I feel I'd be all the better for a few bones and
a scrap or two of meat.'

So they set out for the spot where the light was to be seen shining
faintly in the distance, but the nearer they approached it the brighter
it grew, till at last they came