The Town Musicians of Bremen

‘The Town Musicians of Bremen’ tells the story of four animals: a rooster, a cat, a dog, and a donkey. Because they were too old, they were deliberately abandoned by their owners. On the donkey's suggestion, they decide to go to Bremen together to become town musicians. On the way to Bremen, the animals discover a forest cottage where four robbers are enjoying their ill-gotten gains. The four animals, one standing on the back of another, decide to play music and beg for a hearty meal. However, this 'music' has an unexpected effect, and the robbers flee, not knowing what this strange sound is. The animals enter the house, have a good meal, and decide to spend the night there. That night, the robbers return to the cottage and send one of them to check inside. The room is pitch dark, and he sees the cat's eyes glowing in the dark, thinking they are embers, and approaches to light his candle. At this point, the cat strikes the robber's face with its paws, then the donkey kicks him with its legs, the dog bites him, and finally, the rooster crows loudly and drives the robber out of the door. The escaped robber tells his companions that he was attacked by a pack of monsters, that a witch scratched him with her nails, a giant hit him with a club, a tiger bit him with his teeth, and worst of all, a devil screamed in his ear. The robbers give up the cottage and never return, and the animals live happily ever after. It's a very fairy-tale-like fairy tale, or you could say the robbers did so many bad things that they thought they would be targeted and punished by monsters? I'm more concerned about how the old donkey was so healthy despite carrying weight, yet was abandoned (#