In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Musicians of Bremen,” the donkey is the oldest member of the traveling group.
The donkey begins the story after his master decides he is too old to work. Rather than accept this fate, he leaves home and plans to become a town musician. Along the road, he meets an aging dog, cat, and rooster, each facing a similar problem.
The four animals form a partnership and travel together. They never actually reach Bremen, because they frighten robbers from a forest house and settle there instead. Their famous stacked-animal pose helps create the illusion of a huge monster.
The title refers to Bremen, but the animals’ destination is not the story’s final setting. This is a common mix-up: the group intends to travel to Bremen, while the ending takes place in the robbers’ house.