The Bremen Town Musicians

Once upon a time, a farmer had a donkey who had worked tirelessly for many years, carrying sacks to the mill. But as he grew old, he became weak and less fit for work.

The farmer thought it was no longer worth feeding him, and the donkey, sensing trouble, decided to run away. He set off on the road to Bremen, hoping to become a street musician there. After walking for a while, he met a hunting dog lying by the roadside, panting heavily with his tongue hanging out.

"Why are you breathing so hard, Grabber?" asked the donkey.

"Ah," replied the dog, "I’ve grown old and weaker every day. I can no longer go hunting, so my master decided to kill me. But I ran away. How am I supposed to earn my bread now?"

"Listen," said the donkey, "I’m on my way to Bremen to become a street musician. Come with me and join the band. I’ll play the lute, and you can beat the drums."

The dog agreed, and they continued on their way. Soon, they met a cat sitting by the road, looking as gloomy as a raincloud.

"What’s the matter, old Whiskers? Has something bad happened?" asked the donkey.

"How can I be cheerful when my life is at stake?" replied the cat. "I’ve grown old, my teeth are dull, and I can’t catch mice anymore. My mistress decided to drown me, so I ran away. What advice can you give me? Where can I go to find food?"

"Come with us to Bremen. You’re good at night concerts—you can be a street musician too."

The cat liked the idea, and they all set off together. As they passed by a farmyard, they saw a rooster perched on a gate, crowing at the top of his lungs.

"Why are you making such a racket?" asked the donkey. "What’s happened to you?"

"I’m predicting good weather," said the rooster. "But it doesn’t matter—my mistress has no pity. Tomorrow is Sunday, and guests are coming. She told the cook to make soup out of me, so my head will be chopped off tonight. That’s why I’m crowing as loud as I can while I still can."

"Well, Red Comb," said the donkey, "you’d better come with us. We’re going to Bremen—you won’t find anything worse than death there. You have a good voice, and if we make music together, things will work out."

The rooster liked the idea, and the four of them continued on their way. They couldn’t reach Bremen in one day, so when evening came, they decided to spend the night in a forest.

The donkey and the dog lay down under a large tree, while the cat and the rooster climbed onto a branch. The rooster perched at the very top, where he felt safest. Before falling asleep, he looked around and noticed a faint light in the distance. He called out to his companions, saying there must be a house nearby because he could see a light.

"If that’s the case," said the donkey, "we should get up and keep going. This isn’t a good place to spend the night."

The dog thought a few bones and some meat would be just the thing. So they set off toward the light, which grew brighter and brighter until they reached a brightly lit robbers’ den. The donkey, being the tallest, peered through the window.

"What do you see, donkey?" asked the rooster.

"Well," replied the donkey, "I see a table full of delicious food and drinks, and robbers sitting there, enjoying themselves."

"Maybe there’s something there for us too," said the rooster.

"Yes, if only we could get inside," said the donkey.

The animals discussed how to drive the robbers away and finally came up with a plan. The donkey would stand on his hind legs and place his front legs on the windowsill. The dog would climb onto the donkey’s back, the cat would climb onto the dog, and the rooster would perch on the cat’s head. They did just that, and at a signal, they all began to make music: the donkey brayed, the dog barked, the cat meowed, and the rooster crowed. Then they burst through the window, shattering the glass.

Hearing the terrible noise, the robbers jumped up from the table, thinking a ghost had appeared. In great fear, they fled into the forest. The four companions then sat down at the table and helped themselves to the food, eating as if they hadn’t eaten in a month.

After their feast, the musicians put out the lights and looked for comfortable places to sleep, each according to their habits. The donkey lay down on a dung heap, the dog behind the door, the cat by the warm ashes of the hearth, and the rooster on a perch. Exhausted from their journey, they soon fell asleep.

When midnight passed, the robbers saw from a distance that the house was dark and quiet. The leader said, "We shouldn’t let fear get the better of us," and sent one of his men to investigate.

The scout found everything quiet. He went into the kitchen to light a candle, but the cat’s glowing eyes looked like burning coals. He struck a match to light the candle, but the cat, not fond of jokes, leapt at his face, hissing and scratching. Terrified, the robber ran toward the back door, where the dog bit him on the leg. He ran across the yard, and the donkey kicked him with his hind legs. The commotion woke the rooster, who crowed loudly from his perch.

The robber ran back to his leader and said, "There’s a terrible witch in the house! She breathed fire in my face and clawed at me with her long fingers. A man with a knife slashed my leg by the door, and a black monster in the yard hit me with a club. And on the roof, a judge shouted, ‘Bring the thief here!’ I barely escaped with my life."

From then on, the robbers were too afraid to return to the house, and the four Bremen musicians liked it so much that they decided to stay.

And whoever told this tale last saw it all with their own eyes.

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The Bremen Town Musicians

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