Town Musicians of Bremen

The Town Musicians of Bremen, erected in 1951.

The Town Musicians of Bremen (German Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten, also translated as the Bremen Town Musicians) is a fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm.

In the story a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster, all mistreated by their masters, leave them and meet in a desolate place. They decide to go to Bremen, known for its freedom, to live without owners.

On the way to Bremen, they see a lighted cottage; they look inside and see four robbers enjoying their ill-gotten gains. Standing on each other's backs, they decide to perform for the men in hopes of gaining food. Their 'music' has an unanticipated effect; the men run for their lives, not knowing what the strange sound is. The animals take possession of the house, eat a good meal, and settle in for the evening.

Later that night, the thieves return and send one of their number in to investigate. It is dark, and he sees the eyes of the cat shining in the darkness. He reaches over to light his candle, thinking he sees the coals of the fire. Things happen in quick succession; the cat swipes his face with her claws, the donkey kicks him, the dog bites him, and the rooster chases him out the door, screaming. He tells his companions that he was beset by monsters - a horrible witch who scratched him with her long nails (the cat), a giant who clubbed him (the donkey), and worst of all, a terrible demon who screamed in his ear. The thieves abandon the cottage to the strange creatures who have taken it, where the animals live happily for the rest of their days.

This fable has a straightforward meaning: The four animals (in pictures depicted as standing atop each other) represent the classes of the citizenry, their masters the feudal regents of the time. Bremen as a free trader's town, was their natural goal for living without masters.

Bremen remembers the tale with a two metre high bronze statue near the city hall.

Other media

The Town Musicians of Bremen, 1969 Soviet animated film

The tale has often been retold both as animated pictures, motion pictures (often musicals) and theater plays. Jim Henson produced a celebrated version with his Muppets as well. In the Soviet Union, the story was adapted into a beloved animated musical by Vasily Livanov. Some of the best known adaptations are:

• Disney 1922 animated version - (IMDB Entry)
• Russian animated version - (IMDB Entry)
• Brazilian musical free adaptation of the tale - (IMDB Entry)
• 1989 Spanish animated movie version - (IMDB Entry)
• 1997 German edition, also released in English under the title "The Fearless Four" - (IMDB Entry)
• The Muppet Musicians of Bremen - (IMDB Entry)