An honest farmer had once an ass that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years, but was now growing old and every day more and more unfit for work. His master therefore was tired of keeping him and began to think of putting an end to him; but the ass, who saw that some mischief was in the wind, took himself slyly off, and began his journey towards the great city, ‘For there,’ thought he, ‘I may turn musician.’
从前有一位诚实的农夫，养着一头驴，这头驴多年来一直忠心耿耿地为他服务，但如今已年老体衰，越来越无法胜任工作。因此，农夫厌倦了饲养它，开始打算把它杀掉；然而驴子察觉到了危险，便悄悄溜走，踏上了前往大城市的旅程，心想：‘那里或许能让我成为一名音乐家。’
After he had travelled a little way, he spied a dog lying by the roadside and panting as if he were tired. ‘What makes you pant so, my friend?’ said the ass. ‘Alas!’ said the dog, ‘my master was going to knock me on the head, because I am old and weak, and can no longer make myself useful to him in hunting; so I ran away; but what can I do to earn my livelihood?’ ‘Hark ye!’ said the ass, ‘I am going to the great city to turn musician: suppose you go with me, and try what you can do in the same way?’ The dog said he was willing, and they jogged on together.
走了没多远，他们看见一只狗躺在路边，喘着粗气，似乎累极了。驴子问道：‘朋友，你怎么喘得这么厉害？’狗回答说：‘唉！我的主人因为我又老又弱，不能再帮他打猎了，打算把我打死；所以我逃了出来，可我不知道靠什么谋生呢？’驴子说：‘听我说！我正要去大城市当音乐家，你不如跟我一起去，试试能不能也做这一行？’狗表示愿意，于是他们便结伴同行。
They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face. ‘Pray, my good lady,’ said the ass, ‘what’s the matter with you? You look quite out of spirits!’ ‘Ah, me!’ said the cat, ‘how can one be in good spirits when one’s life is in danger? Because I am beginning to grow old, and had rather lie at my ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice, my mistress laid hold of me, and was going to drown me; and though I have been lucky enough to get away from her, I do not know what I am to live upon.’ ‘Oh,’ said the ass, ‘by all means go with us to the great city; you are a good night singer, and may make your fortune as a musician.’ The cat was pleased with the thought, and joined the party.
他们还没走多远，就看见一只猫坐在路中间，愁眉苦脸。驴子问道：‘亲爱的女士，您怎么了？看起来情绪很低落！’猫叹息道：‘唉！当生命受到威胁时，怎能心情愉快呢？因为我开始变老，更愿意在炉火旁安逸地躺着，而不是满屋子追老鼠，我的女主人便抓住我，打算把我淹死；虽然我侥幸逃脱了，却不知接下来靠什么生活。’驴子说：‘哦，那就跟我们一起去大城市吧！你可是个出色的夜莺歌手，或许能靠音乐发家致富呢。’猫对这个主意很高兴，便加入了队伍。
Soon afterwards, as they were passing by a farmyard, they saw a cock perched upon a gate, and screaming out with all his might and main. ‘Bravo!’ said the ass; ‘upon my word, you make a famous noise; pray what is all this about?’ ‘Why,’ said the cock, ‘I was just now saying that we should have fine weather for our washing-day, and yet my mistress and the cook don’t thank me for my pains, but threaten to cut off my head tomorrow, and make broth of me for the guests that are coming on Sunday!’ ‘Heaven forbid!’ said the ass, ‘come with us Master Chanticleer; it will be better, at any rate, than staying here to have your head cut off! Besides, who knows? If we care to sing in tune, we may get up some kind of a concert; so come along with us.’ ‘With all my heart,’ said the cock: so they all four went on jollily together.
不久后，当他们路过一个农家院子时，看见一只公鸡站在篱笆上，拼命地啼叫。驴子赞叹道：‘好极了！说真的，你的叫声真响亮！请问这是怎么回事？’公鸡回答说：‘我刚才正说今天天气晴朗，适合洗衣服，可我的女主人和厨娘不仅不感谢我的提醒，反而威胁明天要割下我的头，把我和即将到来的周日客人一起做成汤！’驴子惊呼：‘天哪！快跟我们走吧，唱诗班先生；无论如何，总比留在这里被砍头强！再说，谁知道呢？如果我们能合奏出美妙的歌声，或许还能办一场音乐会呢！所以一起来吧。’公鸡欣然答应：‘太好了！’于是这四只动物便欢欢喜喜地一同上路了。
They could not, however, reach the great city the first day; so when night came on, they went into a wood to sleep. The ass and the dog laid themselves down under a great tree, and the cat climbed up into the branches; while the cock, 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 went to sleep, looked out on all sides of him to see that everything was well. In doing this, he saw afar off something bright and shining 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,’ said the ass, ‘we had better change our quarters, for our lodging is not the best in the world!’ ‘Besides,’ added the dog, ‘I should not be the worse for a bone or two, or a bit of meat.’ So they walked off together towards the spot where Chanticleer had seen the light, and as they drew near it became larger and brighter, till they at last came close to a house in which a gang of robbers lived.
然而，他们第一天无法抵达那座大城市；于是夜幕降临时，他们走进一片树林过夜。驴子和狗在一棵大树下躺下休息，猫则爬上树枝；公鸡认为自己坐得越高越安全，便飞到树顶，随后按照习惯，在入睡之前向四周张望，确认一切安好。它看到远处有光亮闪烁，便招呼同伴说：‘附近一定有一座房子，因为我看见灯光了。’驴子说：‘如果是这样，我们最好换个地方，因为这里的住宿条件实在不怎么样！’狗接着补充道：‘而且，我也希望能得到一根骨头或一点肉。’于是它们一同朝公鸡看到光亮处走去，随着距离拉近，那光芒越来越大、越来越亮，最终它们来到一座房子前，里面住着一群强盗。
The ass, being the tallest of the company, marched up to the window and peeped in. ‘Well, Donkey,’ said Chanticleer, ‘what do you see?’ ‘What do I see?’ replied the ass. ‘Why, I see a table spread with all kinds of good things, and robbers sitting round it making merry.’ ‘That would be a noble lodging for us,’ said the cock. ‘Yes,’ said the ass, ‘if we could only get in’; so they consulted together how they should contrive to get the robbers out; and at last they hit upon a plan. The ass placed himself upright on his hind legs, with his forefeet resting against the window; the dog got upon his back; the cat scrambled up to the dog’s shoulders, and the cock flew up and sat upon the cat’s head. When all was ready a signal was given, and they began their music. The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the cock screamed; and then they all broke through the window at once, and came tumbling into the room, amongst the broken glass, with a most hideous clatter! The robbers, who had been not a little frightened by the opening concert, had now no doubt that some frightful hobgoblin had broken in upon them, and scampered away as fast as they could.
驴子作为队伍中最高大的成员，走到窗前向内张望。‘怎么样，驴子？’公鸡问道，‘你看到了什么？’驴子回答：‘我看到的是一张摆满各种美食的桌子，强盗们正围坐在桌旁尽情享乐。’公鸡说：‘那对我们来说真是理想的住所啊！’驴子答道：‘是啊，如果我们能进去的话。’于是它们商量如何把强盗赶出去，最后想出了一个办法。驴子用后腿站立，前蹄抵住窗框；狗爬上它的背；猫顺着狗的肩膀爬上去；公鸡则飞起来停在猫的头顶上。一切准备就绪后，发出信号，它们开始演奏音乐。驴子嘶叫，狗吠叫，猫喵喵叫，公鸡高声啼鸣；随后它们一起撞破窗户，伴随着玻璃碎裂的巨响，跌进屋内，场面一片狼藉！强盗们原本就被这开场音乐会吓得够呛，此刻更确信是某种可怕的妖怪闯了进来，于是拼命逃窜。
The coast once clear, our travellers soon sat down and dispatched what the robbers had left, with as much eagerness as if they had not expected to eat again for a month. As soon as they had satisfied themselves, they put out the lights, and each once more sought out a resting-place to his own 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, and the cock perched upon a beam on the top of the house; and, as they were all rather tired with their journey, they soon fell asleep.
确认安全后，我们的旅伴们立刻坐下，将强盗留下的食物一扫而空，吃得津津有味，仿佛已经一个月没吃过东西似的。吃饱喝足后，它们熄灭灯火，各自寻找舒适的休息处。驴子躺在院子里的一堆稻草上，狗趴在门后的垫子上，猫蜷缩在炉前温暖的灰烬旁，公鸡则栖息在屋顶横梁上；由于旅途劳顿，它们很快便进入了梦乡。
But about midnight, when the robbers saw from afar that the lights were out and that all seemed 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; and then, espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat, he mistook them for live coals, and held the match to them to light it. But the cat, not understanding this joke, sprang at his face, and spat, and scratched at him. This frightened him dreadfully, and away he ran to the back door; but there the dog jumped up and bit him in the leg; and as he was crossing over the yard the ass kicked him; and the cock, who had been awakened by the noise, crowed with all his might. At this the robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades, and told the captain how a horrid witch had got into the house, and had spat at him and scratched his face with her long bony fingers; how a man with a knife in his hand had hidden himself behind the door, and stabbed him in the leg; how a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club, and how the devil had 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 took up their abode there; and there they are, I dare say, at this very day.
然而午夜时分，强盗们远远看见屋内灯火已熄，四周一片寂静，便开始怀疑自己是否逃得太仓促。其中一名胆子较大的强盗前去查看情况。发现一切如常后，他走进厨房，摸索着找到一根火柴准备点蜡烛；这时，他瞥见猫那双闪闪发光的眼睛，误以为是燃烧的炭火，便凑近火柴去点火。但猫并不明白这是玩笑，猛地扑向他的脸，又抓又咬。这吓得他魂飞魄散，转身逃向后门；然而狗突然跳起咬住了他的腿；当他穿过院子时，驴子又踢了他一脚；而公鸡被喧闹声惊醒，用尽全力高声啼叫。强盗吓得立刻飞奔回同伴身边，向首领哭诉：屋里有个可怕的巫婆闯了进来，用她那双瘦骨嶙峋的长手指抓伤了他的脸；门后藏着一个手持利刃的人刺伤了他的腿；院子里站着一个黑怪物，用棍棒打他；屋顶上坐着魔鬼，大喊着‘把那家伙扔上来！’从此，强盗们再也不敢返回那座房子；而我们的音乐家们却对住处非常满意，便在那里安顿下来。据说，直到今天，它们仍住在那里。