The Bremen Town Musicians

Author: Brothers Grimm

Age3–7
Reading time9 min
LevelBeginner

Introduction

This is one of the merriest and warmest of all the Grimm tales. Here is a fun surprise: the four animals set out to become musicians in Bremen, yet they never actually reach Bremen at all — they find a new home in a robbers' house along the way and never leave. And yet the city took them to heart: in the centre of Bremen today stands a famous bronze statue (made in 1953 by the sculptor Gerhard Marcks) of the donkey, dog, cat, and rooster stacked one on top of another, and visitors say that touching the donkey's front legs brings good luck. What gives the story its heart is this: each animal has been cast aside — even doomed to death — for being 'old and useless,' yet none of them gives up. Together they frighten off the robbers with a wonderfully terrible 'concert.' As you read, ask your child why four weak animals could win together what none of them could win alone.

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There was once an ass whose master had made him carry sacks to the mill for many a long year, but whose strength began at last to fail, so that each day as it came found him less capable of work. Then his master began to think of turning him out, but the ass, guessing that something was in the wind that boded him no good, ran away, taking the road to Bremen; for there he thought he might get an engagement as town musician.

When he had gone a little way he found a hound lying by the side of the road panting, as if he had run a long way. "Now, Holdfast, what are you so out of breath about?" said the ass. "Oh dear!" said the dog, "now I am old, I get weaker every day, and can do no good in the hunt, so, as my master was going to have me killed, I have made my escape; but now, how am I to gain a living?"

"I will tell you what," said the ass, "I am going to Bremen to become town musician. You may as well go with me, and take up music too. I can play the lute, and you can beat the drum." And the dog consented, and they walked on together.

It was not long before they came to a cat sitting in the road, looking as dismal as three wet days. "Now then, what is the matter with you, old shaver?" said the ass. "I should like to know who would be cheerful when his neck is in danger," answered the cat. "Now that I am old my teeth are getting blunt, and I would rather sit by the oven and purr than run about after mice, and my mistress wanted to drown me; so I took myself off; but good advice is scarce, and I do not know what is to become of me."

"Go with us to Bremen," said the ass, "and become town musician. You understand serenading." The cat thought well of the idea, and went with them accordingly. After that the three travellers passed by a yard, and a cock was perched on the gate crowing with all his might. "Your cries are enough to pierce bone and marrow," said the ass; "what is the matter?"

"I have foretold good weather for Lady-day, so that all the shirts may be washed and dried; and now on Sunday morning company is coming, and the mistress has told the cook that I must be made into soup, and this evening my neck is to be wrung, so that I am crowing with all my might while I can." - "You had much better go with us, Chanticleer," said the ass. "We are going to Bremen. At any rate that will be better than dying. You have a powerful voice, and when we are all performing together it will have a very good effect." So the cock consented, and they went on all four together.

But Bremen was too far off to be reached in one day, and towards evening they came to a wood, where they determined to pass the night. The ass and the dog lay down under a large tree; the cat got up among the branches, and the cock flew up to the top, as that was the safest place for him. Before he went to sleep he looked all round him to the four points of the compass, and perceived in the distance a little light shining, and he called out to his companions that there must be a house not far off, as he could see a light,

so the ass said, "We had better get up and go there, for these are uncomfortable quarters." The dog began to fancy a few bones, not quite bare, would do him good. And they all set off in the direction of the light, and it grew larger and brighter, until at last it led them to a robber's house, all lighted up.

The ass, being the biggest, went up to the window, and looked in. "Well, what do you see?" asked the dog. "What do I see?" answered the ass; "here is a table set out with splendid eatables and drinkables, and robbers sitting at it and making themselves very comfortable." - "That would just suit us," said the cock. "Yes, indeed, I wish we were there," said the ass. Then they consulted together how it should be managed so as to get the robbers out of the house, and at last they hit on a plan. The ass was to place his forefeet on the window-sill, the dog was to get on the ass's back, the cat on the top of the dog, and lastly the cock was to fly up and perch on the cat's head.

When that was done, at a given signal they all began to perform their music. The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the cock crowed; then they burst through into the room, breaking all the panes of glass. The robbers fled at the dreadful sound; they thought it was some goblin, and fled to the wood in the utmost terror.

Then the four companions sat down to table, made free with the remains of the meal, and feasted as if they had been hungry for a month.

And when they had finished they put out the lights, and each sought out a sleeping-place to suit his nature and habits. The ass laid himself down outside on the dunghill, the dog behind the door, the cat on the hearth by the warm ashes, and the cock settled himself in the cockloft, and as they were all tired with their long journey they soon fell fast asleep. When midnight drew near, and the robbers from afar saw that no light was burning, and that everything appeared quiet, their captain said to them that he thought that they had run away without reason, telling one of them to go and reconnoitre.

So one of them went, and found everything quite quiet; he went into the kitchen to strike a light, and taking the glowing fiery eyes of the cat for burning coals, he held a match to them in order to kindle it. But the cat, not seeing the joke, flew into his face, spitting and scratching. Then he cried out in terror, and ran to get out at the back door, but the dog, who was lying there, ran at him and bit his leg; and as he was rushing through the yard by the dunghill the ass struck out and gave him a great kick with his hind foot; and the cock, who had been wakened with the noise, and felt quite brisk, cried out, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

Then the robber got back as well as he could to his captain, and said, "Oh dear! in that house there is a gruesome witch, and I felt her breath and her long nails in my face; and by the door there stands a man who stabbed me in the leg with a knife; and in the yard there lies a black spectre, who beat me with his wooden club; and above, upon the roof, there sits the justice, who cried, 'Bring that rogue here!' And so I ran away from the place as fast as I could." From that time forward the robbers never ventured to that house, and the four Bremen town musicians found themselves so well off where they were, that there they stayed. And the person who last related this tale is still living, as you see.

Vocabulary from "The Bremen Town Musicians"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

houndB2

/haʊnd/n.

A dog used for hunting.

猎狗；猎犬。

When he had gone a little way he found a hound lying by the side of the road panting.
走了一段路后，他发现一只猎狗躺在路边喘气。

bluntB2

/blʌnt/adj.

Not sharp; having a dull edge or point.

钝的；不锋利的。

Now that I am old my teeth are getting blunt, and I would rather sit by the oven and purr than run about after mice.
现在我老了，牙齿也钝了，我宁愿坐在炉边打呼噜，也不想去追老鼠。

purrB1

/pɜː/v.

To make the soft, low sound a happy cat makes.

（猫满足时）发出呼噜声。

I would rather sit by the oven and purr than run about after mice.
我宁愿坐在炉边打呼噜，也不想去追老鼠。

scarceB2

/skeəs/adj.

Hard to find; not enough to meet the need.

稀少的；缺乏的；难以得到的。

But good advice is scarce, and I do not know what is to become of me.
可是好建议很难找，我不知道自己该怎么办。

perched(perch)B2

/pɜːtʃt/v.

Sat or rested on the edge of something high (as a bird does).

（鸟）栖息；停歇；（人）高高地坐着。

After that the three travellers passed by a yard, and a cock was perched on the gate crowing with all his might.
这三个旅行者路过一个院子，一只公鸡正站在大门上拼命地叫着。

marrowC1

/ˈmærəʊ/n.

The soft substance inside bones.

骨髓。

Your cries are enough to pierce bone and marrow, said the ass; what is the matter?
你的叫声简直能刺穿骨头和骨髓，驴子说，发生什么事了？

compassB1

/ˈkʌmpəs/n.

A tool that shows direction (north, south, east, west).

罗盘；指南针（此处指方向）。

Before he went to sleep he looked all round him to the four points of the compass.
他在睡觉前朝罗盘的四个方向望了望。

consulted(consult)B2

/kənˈsʌltɪd/v.

Talked things over together to decide what to do.

商量；商议；协商。

Then they consulted together how it should be managed so as to get the robbers out of the house.
于是他们商量如何才能把强盗赶出房子。

brayed(bray)C1

/breɪd/v.

Made the loud, harsh cry of a donkey.

（驴）叫；发出驴鸣般的声音。

The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and the cock crowed.
驴子大叫，狗大吠，猫喵喵叫，公鸡喔喔啼。

panes(pane)B2

/peɪnz/n.

Sheets of glass in a window.

窗玻璃；一块块的玻璃。

Then they burst through into the room, breaking all the panes of glass.
然后他们撞破窗户冲进房间，打碎了所有的玻璃。

gruesomeB2

/ˈɡruːsəm/adj.

Horrible and frightening; causing shock and disgust.

可怕的；令人毛骨悚然的。

Oh dear! in that house there is a gruesome witch, and I felt her breath and her long nails in my face.
哎呀！那屋子里坐着一个可怕的巫婆，我感到她的呼吸，还有她那长长的指甲抓我的脸。

spectreC1

/ˈspektə/n.

A ghost; a frightening shadowy figure.

幽灵；鬼怪；可怕的幻影。

In the yard there lies a black spectre, who beat me with his wooden club.
院子里躺着一个黑色的幽灵，用木棍打我。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

There is strength in working together; even those cast aside can build a new life by supporting one another.

Educational Value

Helps children feel the power of teamwork and friendship, respect the old and the weak, and solve problems with cleverness rather than force.

Tips for Parents

Imitate the four animal sounds together and play at building an 'animal band'; then talk about what big things everyone's different strengths could achieve when combined.

Talk About It

All four animals were cast off for being 'old and no longer useful.' Do you think a person or animal loses their worth just because they grow old?
A single donkey or dog could not beat the robbers, so why could four of them together frighten the robbers away?
The animals never really hurt the robbers — they only scared them off. Is scaring instead of fighting the cleverer choice?
They set out for Bremen but made a home halfway there. Do the best things sometimes happen outside our plans?