A donkey had carried heavy bags of grain for many years. He was a hard worker, but he began to dream of a different life. He had once heard a street band in a nearby town and loved the music.
“I have a loud, strong voice,” he thought. “I will go to the city and become a famous musician!”

He had not gone far when he saw an old hound lying by the road, looking quite bored. “Why are you so gloomy, my friend?” asked the donkey.
“Ah,” said the hound, “I am too old to hunt for my master. He wants a younger dog, and I feel quite unappreciated. I do not know where to go.”
“Join me!” said the donkey. “I am starting a band. You have a great beat when you run; you can play the drum while I play the flute.”
The hound wagged his tail and agreed.

Soon they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road. He looked as sad as a rainy afternoon. “What is the matter, Tom?” asked the donkey.
“I am tired of chasing mice,” sighed the cat. “My teeth are worn, and I would rather sit by a fire and sing. But my mistress says I must work or leave. Where shall I go?”
“Come with us!” said the donkey. “You have a beautiful voice for night music. You shall be our lead singer.”
“With all my heart,” said the cat, and he joined the parade.

The three friends soon passed a farm gate where a rooster was crowing with all his might. “You are loud enough to wake the world!” laughed the donkey. “Why such a noise?”
“I am crowing a farewell,” said the rooster. “The cook says I am too noisy and wants to replace me with a quiet clock! I don't want to leave my farm, but I have no place to go.”
“Don't be sad, Red Comb,” said the donkey. “You have a magnificent voice. Join our band! It is better to be a star in the city than a clock on a farm.”
“What a grand idea!” cried the rooster.

As the sun began to set, the four friends were still far from the city. They looked for a place to rest and found a large, leafy tree. The donkey and hound lay under the branches, the cat climbed halfway up, and the rooster flew to the very top to keep watch.
“I see a light!” the rooster called out. “There is a cozy cottage just through the woods.”
“Let us go,” said the donkey. “A warm house is better than a cold tree.”

“Maybe there is a spare bone for me,” said the hound.
“And a bowl of milk,” added the cat.
“And some crunchy corn,” chirped the rooster.

They reached the cottage and crept up to the window. The donkey, being the tallest, peeked inside.
“What do you see?” whispered the dog.
“I see a table full of delicious treats!” the donkey replied. “But I also see a group of rowdy robbers. They have taken over this lovely home and are keeping all the food for themselves.”
“That isn't fair,” said the rooster. “We must find a way to chase them back into the woods.”

The animals came up with a clever plan to sound like a giant choir. The donkey stood by the window, the hound jumped on his back, the cat climbed on the dog, and the rooster perched on the cat’s head.
At the donkey’s signal, they let out their loudest song! The donkey brayed, the dog barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crowed. They made such a thunderous sound that the window rattled. Startled by the 'ghostly' noise, the robbers dropped their spoons and ran away in fright.

The four friends went inside and enjoyed a wonderful supper. They were so happy to have a roof over their heads! When they were full, they found perfect places to sleep. The donkey chose the soft straw outside, the dog curled up behind the door, the cat napped by the warm hearth, and the rooster flew up to a high beam.

In the middle of the night, the robbers looked back at the house. It was dark and quiet.
“Perhaps we were scared by nothing,” the leader said. “Go back and see if the house is safe.”
One robber crept back inside. He moved very quietly, trying not to wake anyone.

He went to the fireplace to light a candle. Seeing the cat’s glowing eyes, he thought they were hot coals and reached out. The cat, being startled, jumped up and gave him a playful scratch! The robber tripped towards the door, where the dog woke up and nipped at his trousers nearby. In the yard, he ran into the donkey, who gave him a gentle but firm push with his hooves. The rooster, hearing the fuss, let out a mighty
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

The robber tumbled back to his friends, trembling with fear.
“It is a house of magic!” he cried. “A witch scratched my face, a man with a pair of nippers caught my leg, and a giant monster pushed me in the yard! And on the roof, a captain sat shouting, ‘Catch the rogue! Catch the rogue!’ We must never go back!”

The robbers stayed far away from the woods forever. The four friends loved the cottage so much that they decided to make it their permanent home. They never did make it to the city, because they realised they had already found the best stage in the world-a place where they could be themselves, together.