Part 19 (1/2)

”Heaven forbid!” said the a.s.s. ”Come with us. Anything will be better than staying here. Besides, who knows, if we take care to sing in tune, we may get up a concert of our own, so come along with us.”

”With all my heart,” replied the c.o.c.k; so they all four went on jollily together towards Bremen.

They could not, however, reach the town the first day, so when night came on they turned off the high-road into a wood to sleep. The a.s.s and the dog laid themselves down under a great tree, and the cat climbed up into the branches; while the c.o.c.k, thinking that the higher he sat the safer he should be, flew up to the very top of the tree, and then, according to his custom, before he sounded his trumpet and went to sleep, looked out on all sides to see that everything was well. In doing this he saw afar off something bright, and calling to his companions, said--

”There must be a house no great way off, for I see a light.”

”If that be the case,” replied the a.s.s, ”we had better change our quarters, for our lodging here is not the best in the world.”

”Besides,” said the dog, ”I should not be the worse for a bone or two.”

”And may be,” remarked the cat, ”a stray mouse will be found somewhere about the premises.”

So they walked off together towards the spot where the c.o.c.k had seen the light; and as they drew near, it became larger and brighter, till they came at last to a lonely house, in which was a gang of robbers.

The a.s.s, being the tallest of the company, marched up to the window and peeped in.

”Well,” said the c.o.c.k, ”what do you see?”

”What do I see?” replied the a.s.s. ”Why, I see a table spread with all kinds of good things, and robbers sitting round it making merry.”

”That would be a n.o.ble lodging for us,” said the c.o.c.k.

”Yes,” rejoined the a.s.s, ”if we could only get in.”

They laid their heads together to see how they could get the robbers out, and at last they hit upon a plan. The a.s.s set himself upright on his hind-legs, with his fore-feet resting on the window; the dog got upon his back; the cat scrambled up to the dog's shoulders, and the c.o.c.k flew up and sat upon the cat. When all were ready the c.o.c.k gave the signal, and up struck the whole band of music. The a.s.s brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the c.o.c.k crew. Then they all broke through the window at once, and came tumbling into the room amongst the broken gla.s.s, with a hideous clatter. The robbers, who had been not a little frightened by the opening concert, had now no doubt that some frightful hobgoblins had broken in upon them, and scampered away as fast as they could.

The coast once clear, the travellers soon sat down and despatched what the robbers had left, with as much eagerness as if they had not hoped to eat again for a month. As soon as they had had enough they put out the lights, and each once more sought out a resting-place to his liking. The donkey laid himself down upon a heap of straw in the yard; the dog stretched himself upon a mat behind the door; the cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm ashes; the c.o.c.k perched upon a beam on the top of the house; and as all were rather tired with their journey, they soon fell fast asleep.

About midnight, however, when the robbers saw from afar that the lights were out and that all was quiet, they began to think that they had been in too great a hurry to run away; and one of them, who was bolder than the rest, went to see what was going on. Finding everything still, he marched into the kitchen, and groped about till he found a match in order to light a candle. Espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat, he mistook them for live coals, and held the match to them to light it. The cat, however, not understanding such a joke, sprang at his face, and spat, and scratched him. This frightened him dreadfully, and away he ran to the back door, where the dog jumped up and bit him in the leg. As he was crossing over the yard the a.s.s kicked him; and the c.o.c.k, who had been awakened by the noise, crew with all his might.

At this the robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades, and told the captain that a horrid witch had got into the house, and had scratched his face with her long bony fingers--that a man with a knife in his hand had hidden himself behind the door, and stabbed him in the leg--that a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club--and that the devil sat upon the top of the house, and cried out--

”Throw the rascal up here!”

After this the robbers never dared to go back to the house; but the musicians were so pleased with their quarters, that they never found their way to Bremen, but took up their abode in the wood. And there they live, I dare say, to this very day.

THE FLAMING CASTLE.

Upon a high mountain in the Tyrol there stands an old castle, in which there burns a fire every night, and the flashes of that fire are so large that they rise up over the walls, and may be seen far and wide.

It happened once that an old woman in want of firewood was gathering the fallen twigs and branches upon this castle-crowned mountain, and at length arrived at the castle door. To indulge her curiosity she began peering about her, and at last entered, not without difficulty, for it was all in ruins and not easily accessible. When she reached the courtyard, there she beheld a goodly company of n.o.bles and ladies seated and feasting at a huge table. There were, likewise, plenty of servants, who waited upon them, changing their plates, handing round the viands, and pouring out wine for the party.

As she thus stood gazing upon them, there came one of the servants, who drew her on one side, and placed a piece of gold in the pocket of her ap.r.o.n, upon which the whole scene vanished in an instant, and the poor frightened old woman was left to find her way back as well as she could. However, she got outside the courtyard, and there stood before her a soldier with a lighted match, whose head was not placed upon his neck, but held by him under his arm. He immediately addressed the old woman, and commanded her not to tell any one what she had seen and heard upon peril of evil befalling her.

At length the woman reached home, full of anguish, still keeping possession of the gold, but telling no one whence she had obtained it.

When the magistrates, however, got wind of the affair, she was summoned before them, but she would not speak one word upon the subject, excusing herself by saying that if she uttered one word respecting it great evil would ensue to her. When, however, they pressed her more strictly, she discovered to them all that had happened to her in the Fiery Castle, even to the smallest particular.