Read The Bremen Town Musicians Online
Once upon a time, there was a donkey who had worked for many years carrying sacks, baskets, and all kinds of heavy things. As time passed, he was no longer as young or as strong as before. He walked more slowly and became tired more easily. One day, he heard that his master thought he was no longer useful for work and wanted to get rid of him.
The donkey felt very sad when he heard that. He had been faithful and hardworking all his life, and it did not seem fair to end that way. So he decided to leave before something bad happened. He thought that the best thing would be to go to the city of Bremen and become a musician.
—Maybe I am not the strongest anymore —he said to himself—, but I can still make myself heard.
And so, very early in the morning, he began his journey.
As he walked along a country path, he saw a dog lying by the side of the road. The dog was breathing heavily, as if he were very tired.
—What is the matter, my friend dog? —asked the donkey.
The dog lifted his head and answered sadly:
—I spent many years guarding my master’s house. I ran, barked, and watched day and night. But now I am old, I do not run as fast, and my master wants to get rid of me. So I left and started walking without knowing where to go.
The donkey looked at him kindly.
—Come with me to Bremen —he said—. I am going there to become a musician too. You can sing with your dog’s voice, and I will play with my braying.
The dog thought that sounded much better than staying alone, so he got up and went with the donkey.
The two of them continued down the road together. After walking for quite a while, they found a cat sitting beside a fence. He had a long face and looked very unhappy.
—What is wrong, my friend cat? —asked the donkey.
The cat sighed.
—I am not young anymore —he said—. I used to catch mice very quickly, but now I prefer to rest by the fire and sleep peacefully. My mistress grew angry with me because I do not hunt as I once did, and I had to leave. Now I do not know what will become of me.
The dog came closer and wagged his tail kindly, while the donkey said:
—Come with us to Bremen. We are going to be musicians. You have a voice that could be very useful for singing in our group.
The cat thought for a moment and then replied:
—That sounds much better than sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I will go with you.
And so, the donkey, the dog, and the cat continued on their way.
They had not gone much farther when they heard a loud crowing. Near a farm, they saw a rooster standing on a gate. He was crowing with all his might, but he did not sound happy. He sounded worried.
—Why are you crowing so loudly, my friend rooster? —asked the cat.
The rooster fluttered his wings a little and answered:
—I am singing while I still can. Tomorrow guests are coming to the farm, and I heard that they want to make soup with me. So today I sing for the last time before it is too late.
The three animals looked at him sadly.
—That cannot be —said the dog.
—Come with us —added the donkey—. We are going to Bremen to become musicians. You have a strong and cheerful voice. You will surely be a wonderful part of our group.
The rooster opened his eyes wide.
—Would you really take me with you? —he asked.
—Of course —answered the cat—. The more we are, the better.
The rooster liked that idea very much, so he jumped down from the gate and joined them.
The four animals walked together for hours. They talked, rested a little, and then kept going. Sometimes they imagined what their new life in Bremen would be like. The donkey said that he would play very loudly, the dog said that he would sing the chorus, the cat promised that he would sing with elegance, and the rooster said that he would wake the whole city with joy.
But the road was long, and soon it began to grow dark. Since they had not yet reached Bremen, they decided to look for a place to spend the night.
They came to a forest and saw some tall, leafy trees. They thought they could rest there safely. The donkey and the dog settled under a tree, the cat climbed onto a branch, and the rooster flew to the very top so he could keep watch from above.
From there, the rooster looked into the distance, and suddenly he saw a light among the trees.
—I see a light! —he cried—. There must be a house not far from here.
—Then let us go there —said the donkey—. Sleeping in the forest is all right, but a house would be much better.
The four of them followed the light until they came to a house in the middle of the forest. The windows were glowing, and the smell of food came from inside.
The donkey, being the tallest, walked up to a window and looked inside.
—What do you see? —asked the dog.
—I see a table full of delicious food —answered the donkey—. I also see some men sitting there eating and laughing. They look like robbers.
The animals were very hungry. The rooster could hardly stop thinking about the bread and fruit he saw on the table.
—We must find a way to get in —said the cat.
—Yes, but without being caught —added the dog.
Then the donkey had an idea.
—If we stand one on top of another and make as much noise as we can, perhaps those men will be frightened and run away.
Everyone thought it was a good plan. The donkey stood firmly beside the window. The dog climbed onto his back. The cat climbed on top of the dog. And finally, the rooster stood on top of them all.
When they were ready, they began to make as much noise as possible.
The donkey brayed loudly.
The dog barked with all his strength.
The cat meowed as loudly as he could.
And the rooster crowed at the top of his voice.
At the same time, they threw themselves against the window.
Crash!
The glass broke, and the four animals burst in all at once, making a terrible noise.
The robbers were badly frightened. In the darkness and the noise, they thought they had seen a horrible monster coming through the window.
—Run! —shouted one of them.
And all of them ran out of the house as fast as they could.
The four friends went in happily. At last they had food, a roof, and a warm place to rest. They ate everything they found on the table, and when they were full, they looked for the best places to sleep.
The donkey lay down near the door.
The dog stretched out behind it.
The cat curled up beside the fire.
And the rooster flew up to a beam in the ceiling.
Everything became quiet.
But later, one of the robbers returned to the house. His companions had told him that perhaps it had all been a mistake and that he should go back and see whether it was really safe to return.
The robber entered slowly, without making a sound. The house was dark and seemed calm. Then he went toward the fire, looking for a candle or a glowing coal to light a lamp. But what he saw shining was not burning coal. It was the cat’s eyes.
Thinking they were embers, he reached out his hand.
Then the cat scratched his face.
—Ow! —cried the robber.
Frightened, he ran toward the door, but there the dog bit his leg.
—Ow, ow! —he shouted again.
He tried to run out into the yard, but as he passed the donkey, the donkey gave him a strong kick with one of his back legs.
The robber jumped away in terror.
And from above, the rooster crowed with all his might:
—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The poor man ran back in complete panic to where his companions were waiting.
—Let us never go back to that house! —he said, trembling—. Inside there is a witch who scratched my face, a man with a knife who bit my leg, a giant who struck me with a club, and on the roof there was a judge shouting that I should be caught.
When the other robbers heard that, they decided never to return.
And so the house was left to the four friends.
As the days passed, the animals realized that the place was comfortable, peaceful, and had everything they needed. They thought about continuing on to Bremen, but then they came to the conclusion that they had already found a good home.
—Here we are safe —said the dog.
—Here there is warmth and food —said the cat.
—And no one wants to hurt us —added the rooster.
The donkey smiled and answered:
—Then this will be our new home.
And so, the donkey, the dog, the cat, and the rooster lived together, taking care of one another and showing that, even though they were no longer young, they could still begin a new life.
The end
