World classic, retold in simple Mandarin
The Bremen Town Musicians
不来梅的音乐家
The Bremen Town Musicians (不来梅的音乐家, Bùláiméi de yīnyuèjiā) is a fairy tale by Brothers Grimm, retold in simple Mandarin as a 3-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 1 (Beginner).
Retold from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale: four old animals nobody wants set off to be musicians, and one very loud night turns a robbers' cottage into their home.
Meet the voices
- Narrator · 旁白 — A warm grandfather-like storyteller.
- Old Donkey · 老驴 — A big-hearted old donkey with a very loud voice who leads the group.
- Dahuang · 大黄 — A hungry, loyal old yellow dog.
- Mimi · 咪咪 — A sweet, slightly dramatic old cat.
- Dahong · 大红 — A proud, excitable old rooster who loves to shout.
- Little Robber · 小强盗 — A nervous young robber who is easily frightened.
- Robber Boss · 老大 — The robbers' leader, brave until he hears a ghost.
- The Master · 主人 — The donkey's impatient master.
3 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: Too Old to Work
我们都老了
Four old animals are told they are too old to work. Then they set off for Bremen to be musicians, and find a light in the forest.
Free to read
Chapter 2: The Big Concert
大音乐会
Four hungry friends see a feast in a robbers' house and try a very loud plan. But will the robbers stay away?
SayMei Stories
Chapter 3: Home at Last
我们的新家
A robber creeps back into the dark house to look for a ghost. He finds much more than he wanted.
SayMei Stories
Key words in The Bremen Town Musicians
Behind the story
This story comes from the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, who collected folk tales in Germany in the early 1800s. In Chinese it is known as 不来梅的音乐家, and it appears in many Chinese editions of the Grimm fairy tales (格林童话).
The joke of the story is that the four animals never reach Bremen. They are too old for their owners, but together they are clever and loud enough to win a home. Chinese readers often know it as a tale about friendship and teamwork.
Did you know?
- In the German city of Bremen, a bronze statue of the four animals stands near the town hall. The four animals stand on each other's backs, just like in the story.
- Visitors to the statue often rub the donkey's front hooves for good luck.
- The Chinese name of the city, 不来梅, is a sound translation of Bremen.