The Bremen Town Musicians – A classic fairy tale to read aloud (ages 3–10)

The timeless story of a donkey , a dog , a cat , and a rooster who conquer a robber's den on their way to Bremen —closely based on the Grimm fairy tale, told in a friendly, child-friendly way. Ideal as a bedtime story (approx. 10–15 minutes).

The Bremen Town Musicians – close to the original

The Donkey's Decision

Once upon a time, there was an old donkey who had carried sacks to the mill his entire life. When his strength began to fail, he decided: "I'm going to Bremen and become a town musician !" He happily set off.

Friends are found along the way

Soon he met a dog who couldn't hunt as fast anymore. "Come with me to Bremen, we'll make music!" The dog wagged his tail: "Woof—I'd love to!"

Later, a tired cat sat by the path. "I'm not very good at catching mice anymore," it sighed. "Then play with us!" the donkey meowed amiably. The cat purred and joined in.

Finally, they heard a rooster crow. "Tomorrow I'm supposed to be in the soup," he complained. "With us, you'll be a singer!" the three cried. So the four of them continued on their way—donkey, dog, cat, and rooster.

The Robber's House in the Forest

As evening fell, they saw a house with a light in the forest. Inside, robbers were sitting at the table, eating. "If only we could live there!" whispered the dog. "We need courage and good music," said the donkey.

The famous animal pyramid

The friends hatched a plan: The donkey stood at the window, the dog jumped onto its back, the cat onto the dog, and the rooster stood on top. At a signal, they made music : the donkey cried "EA!", the dog "Woof!", the cat "Meow!", and the rooster "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" – so loudly that the windows rattled. The robbers, frightened, ran into the forest, leaving their house and food behind.

A home for four

The animals sat down at the table, ate gratefully, and made themselves comfortable. At night, everyone wanted to keep watch: the cat lay by the hearth, the dog behind the door, the donkey in the yard, and the rooster on the beam.

The Return of the Robbers

Later, the robbers sent a man back. In the dark, he mistook the cat by the hearth for an ember, but it hissed and scratched. The dog bit his leg, the donkey gave him a powerful kick, and the rooster crowed from the roof: "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" The robber fled in terror. "There's a witch with claws living in the house, a man with a knife, a black monster in the courtyard, and upstairs a judge who's calling: Bring that fellow here! " he stammered. The robbers never came back.

A happy ending

"We don't need to go to Bremen anymore," the four friends said in the morning. "It's beautiful here." So they stayed in the robber's house —and if you listen carefully, you can hear their cheerful music in the evening: OH, woof, meow, cock-a-doodle-doo!

Good night.

Figures & products from the fairy tale

To replay after reading aloud – ideal for a quiet evening ritual:

Tip: Act out the three key scenes: meeting on the path, the animal pyramid at the window, and the nighttime "return of the robbers." This keeps the plot clear and reassuring.

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