to
door.

But the good sister received them most kindly, and promised to take
care of them and give them all they wanted. And then they did indeed
repent and feel sorry for having treated her so badly in their
youthful days.

* * * * *

THE MUSICIANS OF BREMEN

BY WILHELM AND JAKOB GRIMM

A certain man had a donkey that had served him faithfully for many
long years, but whose strength was so far gone that at last he was
quite unfit for work. So his master began to consider how much he
could make of the donkey's skin, but the beast, perceiving that no
good wind was blowing, ran away along the road to Bremen. "There,"
thought he, "I can be town musician." When he had run some way, he
found a hound lying by the roadside, yawning like one who was very
tired. "What are you yawning for now, you big fellow?" asked the ass.

"Ah," replied the hound, "because every day I grow older and weaker; I
cannot go any more to the hunt, and my master has well-nigh beaten me
to death, so that I took to flight; and now I do not know how to earn
my bread."

"Well, do you know," said the ass, "I am going to Bremen, to be town
musician there; suppose you go with me and take a share in the music.
I will play on the lute, and you shall beat the kettledrums." The dog
was satisfied, and off they set.

Presently they came to a cat, sitting in the middle of the path, with
a face like three rainy days! "Now, then, old shaver, what has crossed
you?" asked the ass.

"How can one be merry when one's neck has been pinched like mine?"
answered the cat. "Because I am growing old, and my teeth are all worn
to stumps, and because I would rather sit by the fire and spin, than
run after mice, my mistress wanted to drown me; and so I ran away. But
now good advice is dear, and I do not know what to do."

"Go with us to Bremen. You understand nocturnal music, so you can
be town musician." The cat consented, and went with them. The three
vagabonds soon came near a farmyard, where, upon the barn door, the
cock was sitting crowing with all his might. "You crow through marrow
and bone," said the ass; "what do you do that for?"

"That is the way I prophesy fine weather," said the cock; "but because
grand guests are coming for the Sunday, the housewife has no pity, and
has told the cook-maid to make me into soup for the morrow; and this
evening my head will be cut off. Now I am crowing with a full throat
as long as