The Bremen Town Musicians

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It’s humorous and warm: underdogs find each other and build a new life. The ‘scary’ moment is mostly silly noise, and the ending feels safe and cozy in a new home.

Story Synopsis

An old donkey is told he’s no longer useful. Instead of accepting a grim fate, he leaves home to start over as a musician in Bremen. On the road he meets a worn‑out dog, an aging cat, and a rooster in danger—each cast aside for being ‘past their prime.’ The donkey invites them to join him. Together, they become a little traveling family. As night falls, they search for shelter and spot a house lit with food and laughter. When they get closer, they realize it’s occupied by robbers. The animals are hungry and tired, but they’re also clever. They form a plan: stack themselves up—donkey, dog, cat, rooster—and make the loudest, strangest music they can. Their sudden chorus is so wild that the robbers believe a monster has arrived. In panic, the robbers flee into the dark, leaving the feast behind. The animals eat, rest, and decide this warm house suits them far better than distant Bremen. When a robber returns to investigate, the animals defend their new home in a chain of comic surprises that convinces him to run for good. The Bremen Town Musicians is a story about choosing hope when others count you out—and about how friendship can turn fear into laughter and strangers into a family.

Story Excerpt

A certain man had a donkey who, for many long years, carried heavy corn-sacks to the mill without complaint. But time does what it always does: the donkey’s legs grew tired more quickly, his back ached sooner, and his breath did not come as easily as before. His master began to think, not unkindly but very practically, about how to stop spending food on an animal that could no longer work. The donkey noticed the change in the man’s face and voice. He understood that no good plan was being made for him. So, before anyone could decide his fate for him, the donkey slipped away and set off down the road. “To Bremen,” he said to himself, keeping his ears forward. “There I can surely be a town musician.” He had not gone very far when he saw a hound lying by the roadside. The dog’s sides rose and fell quickly, as if he had run until his paws could hardly carry him. “What are you gasping so for, you big fellow?” asked the donkey. The hound lifted his head. “Ah,” he said, “I am old, and I grow weaker every day. I can’t hunt the way I used to. My master decided I wasn’t useful anymore, so I ran away. But now… how am I to earn my bread?” The donkey stood close enough to share his steady warmth.

In One Glance