The old donkey can't haul the heavy sacks any longer. "Useless old donkey — off with you!" his master grumbles. The donkey's long ears droop… and then, all at once, they prick right up. "I'll go to Bremen and be a musician! Hee-haw, hee-haw!"
Farther along the dirt road, an old dog sits panting, tail in the dust. "I'm too old to hunt now — my master will throw me out." The donkey grins. "Then let him! Come to Bremen with me — I'll sing, and you'll play. Woof, woof!"
Under an old tree sulks a glum cat — too slow to catch mice these days. And up on the fence a rooster is shaking all over — tomorrow's dinner, they say, is HIM! "Come to Bremen, and we'll be a band!" Hee-haw! Woof! Meow! Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Night comes down, and still no Bremen. Lost in the forest, the four fall quiet — empty bellies, cold fur, and only the crickets chirring in the dark. Under an old tree they huddle close together.
All at once the rooster crows out, "Cock-a-doodle-doo! A light — look, a light!" Through the trees stands a little cottage, its window glowing like gold. They creep up and peep inside: steaming food, sweet cakes… and a whole band of robbers crowded round it all!
On tiptoe they steal up under the window. The dog climbs onto the donkey's back, the cat onto the dog, and the rooster flutters up on top of them all — one whole tower of animals! The donkey whispers, "One, two, three — PLAY!"
HEE-HAWWW! WOOF-WOOF! MEEE-OWWW! COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOO! The window rattles and shakes. To the robbers, a huge sky-high monster's shadow looms up across the glass! "Oh no — a g-g-ghost!" And off they bolt into the dark forest.
That night the four friends ate until they could eat no more — every last crumb. Then they curled up together by the warm fire, ears up and bellies round. "Who's useless now?" the donkey murmured, half asleep. "We're the Bremen town band!"