at last they settled on a plan. Tie donkey was
to place himself with his forefeet on the window-sill, the dog to
climb on the donkey's back, and the cat on the dog's, and, at last,
the cock was to fly up and perch himself on the cat's head. When that
was done, at a signal they began their music all together: the donkey
brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the cock crowed; then, with
one great smash, they dashed through the window into the room, so that
the glass clattered down. The robbers jumped up at this dreadful
noise, thinking that nothing less than a ghost was coming in, and ran
away into the wood in a great fright. The four companions then sat
down at the table, quite content with what was left there, and ate as
if they were expecting to fast for a month to come.

When the four musicians had finished, they put out the light, and each
one looked out for a suitable and comfortable sleeping-place. The
donkey lay down on the dunghill, the dog behind the door, the cat on
the hearth near the warm ashes, and the cock set himself on the
hen-roost; and, as they were all tired with their long journey, they
soon went to sleep. Soon after midnight, as the robbers in the
distance could see that no more lights were burning in the house, and
as all seemed quiet, the captain said, "We ought not to have let
ourselves be scared so easily," and sent one of them to examine the
house. The messenger found everything quiet, went into the kitchen to
light a candle, and, thinking the cat's shining fiery eyes were live
coals, he held a match to them to light it. But the cat did not
understand the joke, flew in his face, spat at him, and scratched. He
was dreadfully frightened, ran away, and was going out of the back
door; when the dog, who was lying there, jumped up and bit him in the
leg. As he ran through the yard, past the dunghill, the donkey gave
him a good kick with his hind-foot; and the cock being awakened, and
made quite lively by the noise, called out from the hen-roost
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The robber ran as hard as he could, back to the captain, and said:
"Oh, dear! in the house sits a horrid old witch, who blew at me, and
scratched my face with her long fingers; and by the door stands a man
with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg; and in the yard lies a black
monster, who hit me with a club; and up on the roof there sits the
judge, who called out, 'Bring the rascal up here'--so I made the best
of my way off."

From