The Travelling Musicians

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.’

Dahulu ada seorang petani jujur yang memiliki seekor keledai yang telah menjadi pelayan setia baginya selama bertahun-tahun, tetapi kini semakin tua dan setiap hari semakin tak layak untuk bekerja. Karena itu tuannya bosan memeliharanya dan mulai berpikir untuk mengakhirinya; tetapi keledai itu, yang melihat ada niat buruk yang mengambang di udara, diam-diam pergi, dan memulai perjalanannya menuju kota besar, "Sebab di sana," pikirnya, "aku bisa menjadi musisi."

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.

Setelah berjalan sedikit jauh, ia melihat seekor anjing berbaring di pinggir jalan dan terengah-engah seolah kelelahan. "Mengapa kau terengah-engah begitu, sahabatku?" kata keledai itu. "Aduh!" kata anjing itu, "tuanku hendak memukul kepalaku, karena aku sudah tua dan lemah, dan tak bisa lagi berguna baginya dalam berburu; jadi aku kabur; tetapi apa yang bisa kulakukan untuk mencari nafkah?" "Dengarkan!" kata keledai itu, "aku sedang menuju kota besar untuk menjadi musisi: bagaimana kalau kau ikut denganku, dan mencoba apa yang bisa kau lakukan dengan cara yang sama?" Anjing itu berkata ia bersedia, dan mereka pun berjalan bersama-sama.

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.’

Belum jauh mereka berjalan ketika melihat seekor kucing duduk di tengah jalan dengan wajah yang amat sedih. "Permisi, Nyonya yang baik," kata keledai itu, "ada apa denganmu? Kau tampak begitu murung!" "Ah, aku!" kata kucing itu, "bagaimana bisa bersemangat kalau nyawa sendiri sedang terancam? Karena aku mulai menua, dan lebih suka berbaring santai di dekat perapian daripada berlari-lari mengejar tikus di seluruh rumah, majikanku menangkapku, dan hendak menenggelamkanku; dan meskipun aku cukup beruntung bisa lolos darinya, aku tak tahu apa yang harus kumakan untuk bertahan hidup."

‘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.

"Oh," kata keledai itu, "bagaimanapun juga ikutlah bersama kami ke kota besar; kau penyanyi malam yang bagus, dan bisa meraih peruntunganmu sebagai musisi." Kucing itu senang dengan pemikiran itu, dan bergabung dengan rombongan.

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!’

Tak lama kemudian, ketika mereka melewati sebuah halaman peternakan, mereka melihat seekor ayam jantan bertengger di atas gerbang, berkokok sekuat tenaga. "Bagus sekali!" kata keledai itu; "sungguh, kau membuat suara yang luar biasa; ada apa gerangan?" "Begini," kata ayam jantan itu, "aku baru saja berkata bahwa cuaca akan cerah untuk hari mencuci kita, tetapi majikanku dan juru masak tidak berterima kasih atas jerih payahku, malah mengancam akan memenggal kepalaku besok, dan menjadikanku kaldu untuk para tamu yang akan datang hari Minggu!"

‘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.

"Semoga Tuhan mencegahnya!" kata keledai itu, "ikutlah dengan kami, Tuan Chanticleer; bagaimanapun, itu akan lebih baik daripada tinggal di sini untuk dipenggal kepalamu! Lagipula, siapa tahu? Jika kita mau bernyanyi selaras, kita mungkin bisa membuat semacam konser; jadi ayo ikut bersama kami." "Dengan senang hati," kata ayam jantan itu: maka mereka berempat pun berjalan riang bersama-sama.

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.

Namun, mereka tidak dapat mencapai kota besar itu pada hari pertama; maka ketika malam tiba, mereka masuk ke sebuah hutan untuk tidur. Keledai dan anjing membaringkan diri di bawah sebatang pohon besar, dan kucing memanjat naik ke cabang-cabangnya; sementara ayam jantan, berpikir bahwa semakin tinggi ia bertengger semakin aman ia akan berada, terbang ke puncak pohon itu, dan kemudian, seperti kebiasaannya, sebelum tidur, ia melihat ke segala penjuru sekelilingnya untuk memastikan semuanya baik-baik saja.

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.

Dalam melakukan itu, ia melihat dari kejauhan sesuatu yang terang dan bersinar dan berseru kepada teman-temannya, "Pasti ada rumah tak jauh dari sini, sebab aku melihat cahaya." "Kalau begitu," kata keledai itu, "sebaiknya kita pindah tempat, sebab tempat menginap kita ini bukan yang terbaik di dunia!" "Lagipula," tambah anjing itu, "aku takkan menolak sepotong atau dua tulang, atau sedikit daging." Maka mereka pun berjalan bersama menuju tempat di mana Chanticleer melihat cahaya itu, dan semakin dekat mereka cahaya itu semakin besar dan terang, hingga akhirnya mereka tiba di sebuah rumah tempat sekawanan perampok tinggal.

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.

Keledai, sebagai yang paling tinggi di antara rombongan, melangkah ke jendela dan mengintip ke dalam. "Nah, Keledai," kata Chanticleer, "apa yang kau lihat?" "Apa yang kulihat?" jawab keledai itu. "Wah, aku melihat sebuah meja penuh dengan segala macam makanan lezat, dan para perampok duduk mengelilinginya bersukaria." "Itu akan menjadi tempat menginap yang mulia bagi kita," kata ayam jantan itu. "Ya," kata keledai itu, "kalau saja kita bisa masuk"; maka mereka berunding bersama bagaimana caranya mengeluarkan para perampok itu; dan akhirnya mereka menemukan sebuah rencana.

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!

Keledai itu memposisikan dirinya berdiri tegak dengan kaki belakangnya, kaki depannya bersandar pada jendela; anjing itu naik ke punggungnya; kucing itu memanjat naik ke bahu anjing, dan ayam jantan terbang naik dan bertengger di atas kepala kucing. Ketika semua sudah siap, sebuah isyarat diberikan, dan mereka pun mulai bermain musik. Keledai meringkik, anjing menggonggong, kucing mengeong, dan ayam jantan berkokok; lalu mereka semua sekaligus menerobos jendela, dan jatuh bergulingan masuk ke ruangan itu, di tengah pecahan kaca, dengan suara berdentam yang amat mengerikan!

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.

Para perampok, yang sudah cukup ketakutan oleh konser pembuka itu, kini yakin bahwa sesosok hantu mengerikan telah menerobos masuk kepada mereka, dan lari tunggang-langgang secepat yang mereka bisa.

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.

Setelah tempat itu sepi, para pengembara kita segera duduk dan menghabiskan apa yang ditinggalkan para perampok, dengan semangat seolah-olah mereka belum akan makan lagi selama sebulan. Begitu mereka merasa kenyang, mereka memadamkan lampu-lampu, dan masing-masing kembali mencari tempat istirahat sesuai selera mereka sendiri. Keledai membaringkan diri di atas tumpukan jerami di halaman, anjing merentangkan diri di atas tikar di belakang pintu, si kucing menggulung diri di perapian di depan abu hangat, dan ayam jantan bertengger di sebuah balok di atap rumah; dan, karena mereka semua cukup lelah setelah perjalanan mereka, mereka pun segera tertidur.

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.

Namun sekitar tengah malam, ketika para perampok melihat dari kejauhan bahwa lampu-lampu telah padam dan semuanya tampak sunyi, mereka mulai berpikir bahwa mereka telah terlalu tergesa-gesa untuk lari; dan salah satu dari mereka, yang lebih berani daripada yang lain, pergi untuk melihat apa yang terjadi. Karena mendapati semuanya sunyi, ia melangkah masuk ke dapur, dan meraba-raba hingga menemukan korek api untuk menyalakan lilin; dan kemudian, melihat mata kucing yang berkilau seperti api, ia mengiranya bara membara, dan mendekatkan korek api itu untuk menyalakannya.

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.

Namun kucing itu, yang tak paham lelucon itu, melompat ke wajahnya, mendesis, dan mencakarnya. Ini membuatnya ketakutan luar biasa, dan ia pun lari ke pintu belakang; tetapi di sana anjing melompat dan menggigit kakinya; dan ketika ia menyeberangi halaman, keledai menendangnya; dan ayam jantan, yang terbangun oleh keributan itu, berkokok sekuat tenaga.

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!’

Karena itu perampok itu lari kembali secepat mungkin kepada teman-temannya, dan menceritakan kepada kepala mereka bagaimana seorang penyihir mengerikan telah masuk ke dalam rumah, dan telah mendesis kepadanya serta mencakar wajahnya dengan jari-jarinya yang panjang dan bertulang; bagaimana seorang lelaki dengan pisau di tangannya bersembunyi di belakang pintu, dan menikamnya di kaki; bagaimana seekor makhluk hitam berdiri di halaman dan memukulnya dengan sebatang tongkat, dan bagaimana iblis duduk di atap rumah dan berseru, "Lemparkan bajingan itu ke atas sini!"

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.

Setelah kejadian itu, para perampok tak pernah berani kembali ke rumah itu; tetapi para musisi begitu senang dengan tempat tinggal mereka sehingga mereka pun menetap di sana; dan di sanalah mereka, kurasa, hingga hari ini.