The Bremen Town Musicians
Once upon a time, on a quiet little farm, there lived an old donkey. When he was young he had carried heavy loads with ease, but now his strength was not what it used to be. So the donkey made up his mind to set off on a brand-new road.
“Yes,” said the donkey. “I’ll go to Bremen and become a musician.” When it came to singing, he was sure of himself. And so, clip-clop, clip-clop, he started bravely down the path.
He had not gone far when he came upon a dog lying by the roadside. The dog was old too, and looked weary and worn. “Come along with me to Bremen,” the donkey offered kindly. “Let’s make a band together.”
The dog was delighted and joined him at once. The two of them walked along, chatting softly as they went. A little farther on, they spotted a cat sitting all glum and gloomy.
“Dear cat, come with us too,” said the donkey. “Your voice is lovely — a band would surely need you.” The cat happily came along. Now there were three of them, walking side by side.
At last, they met a rooster crowing atop a fence. The rooster, too, had nowhere in particular to go. “With a voice as grand as that, you’ll be our finest singer of all!” And so the four of them set off together.
As the day grew dark, night found them deep in the forest. Far off, they saw a little house with light leaking through its windows. They crept up and peeked inside, and there sat a band of unkind, greedy folk.
These people had taken what wasn’t theirs, and laid out a feast piled high on the table. The four hungry friends put their heads together and hatched a clever little plan. “What if we all sing out together, in one great voice?”
The dog climbed onto the donkey’s back, the cat onto the dog, and the rooster onto the cat. Then, all at once, on the signal, they let their voices ring out as loud as they could. Hee-haw, woof-woof, meow, cock-a-doodle-doo!
At the burst of that thunderous sound, the people inside jumped in fright. Sure that something huge had come crashing in, they scattered and fled in a panic. And they never, ever came back.
So the four friends took the cozy little house for their own. They shared the feast on the table, fair and friendly, and gathered close in a warm, snug circle. For the first time in a long while, their bellies and their hearts felt full.
The house was so cozy, in fact, that the four of them decided not to bother going all the way to Bremen, and stayed there instead. Even if no one cared that they were old and tired, together there was nothing they couldn’t do. And so the four friends lived happily ever after, singing their songs for many, many years.
An old donkey, a tired old dog — on their own, each of them might have felt so lonely. But when the four of them gathered their hearts together, even in a dark forest they found a warm little home. It was something only togetherness could make happen.
Someday, my darling, you will meet things that feel too heavy to carry all by yourself. When that day comes, I hope you will be someone who knows how to bring hearts together with the friends beside you. When we lean on each other and fill in each other's missing pieces, small bits of strength gather into something mighty.
And if anyone ever tells you, "You're no use anymore," I hope you won't lose heart. Like the donkey, may you bravely set off to find a new road of your own. That is the kind of courage your daddy wishes for you.