This. Is time for the podcast?
Yeah, the podcast is starting. What's?
The podcast, it's all going to be all right in the air.
It's going to be. You've got some worries, my dear
little rest your busy minds because it's finally time.
The stories from now and then. Hey everybody, Captain
Blunderface here. I'm back in the old library and
welcome back to Stories from Now and Then.
I'm really into this story today and Debra got us.
I hope you will pay close attention because there is a
character who is a cat, so you might love it.
No, I'm not trying to set your expectations one way or another.
I just think you might like it. No, no, no, this is not a
spoiler in any way. So you're telling me that any
reaction whatsoever is a spoiler of some kind?
Even if I say it's a great story, I can't just give you a a
completely blank look every time.
Well, before we bring Nicola in to tell us all about the story
of musicians of Bremen, we have a shout out for Heiress and his
baby sister Esme from San Antonio, TX.
Eris loves singing the intro music and listening to the
stories over and over. So Eris, this story is for you
and Esme 2O and it looks like we just got a message from our
sponsor. Today's episode is brought to
you by the official Stories from Now and Then Coloring Book
companion. You can color along as you
listen to the stories. To pick up your copy, head over
to storiesfromnowandthen.com or check out our Instagram profile.
And with that, all you got to do is just rest your busy minds
because it's finally time. Take it away, Nicola.
Thank you, Captain. Today's story is about four
unlikely friends and a journey they go on together.
We're going back in time for this story, and we're going to
the country of Germany, in particular, a town called
Bremen. This story is called the
Musicians of Bremen. There once was a man who owned a
donkey which had carried his sacks to the mill industriously
for many years, but whose strength had come to an end, so
that the poor beast grew more and more unfit for work.
The master decided to stop his food, but the donkey,
discovering that there was no good intended to him, ran away
and started on the road to Bremen.
There, thought he, I can become the town musician.
When he had gone a little way, he found a dog lying on the road
and panting like one who was tired from running.
Hello, what are you panting for, worthy hound?
Asked the donkey. Oh, said the dog, just because
I'm old and get weaker every day and cannot go out hunting, My
master wanted to kill me, so I have left him.
But how shall I gain my living now?
I'll tell you what, said the donkey.
I am going to Bremen to be town musician.
Come with me and do music too. I can play the lute and you
shall beat the drum. The dog liked the idea and they
travelled on. It was not long before they saw
a cat sitting by the road making a face like 3 rainy days.
Now then, what has gone wrong with you old whiskers?
Said the donkey. Who can be happy when his neck
is in danger? Answered the cat.
Just because I am advanced in years and my teeth are no longer
sharp, and I like sitting before the fire and purring better than
chasing the mice about. My mistress wanted to drown me.
I have managed to escape, but good advice is scarce.
Tell me, where should I go to come with us 2 to Bremen.
You understand serenading. You can also become a town
musician. The cat thought it a capital
idea and went with them. Soon after the three runaways
came to a farmyard and there sat a rooster on the gate crowing
with might and mane. You crow loud enough to deafen,
said the donkey. What is the matter with you?
I prophesied fair weather, said the rooster, because it is our
good mistress's washing day, and she wants to dry the clothes.
But because tomorrow is Sunday and company is coming, the
mistress has no pity on me and has told the cook to put me into
the soup tomorrow, and I must have my head cut off tonight.
So now I am crowing with all my might as long as I can.
Oh, you old redhead, said the donkey.
You had better come with us. We are going to Bremen, where
you will certainly find something better than having
your head cut off. You have a good voice, and if we
all make music together it will be something striking.
The rooster liked the proposal, and they went on all four
together, but they could not reach the city of Bremen in one
day, and they came in the evening to a wood, where they
agreed to spend the night. The donkey and the dog laid
themselves down under a great tree, but the cat and the
rooster went higher, the rooster flying up to the topmost branch
where he was safest. Before he went to sleep he
looked round towards all the four points of the compass,
north-south, East, West, and he thought he saw a spark shining
in the distance. He called to his companions that
there must be a house not far off, for he could see a light.
The donkey said, Well, then, we must rise and go to it, for the
lodgings here are very bad, and the dog said, yes, a few bones
with a little flesh on them would do me good.
So they took the road in the direction where the light was,
and soon saw it shine brighter, and it got larger and larger,
till they came to a brilliantly illumined robber's house.
The donkey, being the biggest, got up at the window and looked
in. What do you see?
Grey Beard, said the rooster. What do I see, answered the
donkey. A table covered with beautiful
food and drink, and robbers are sitting round it and enjoying
themselves. That would do nicely for us,
said the rooster. Yes, indeed, if we were only
there, replied the donkey. The animals then consulted
together how they should manage to drive out the robbers, till
at last they settled on a plan. The donkey was to place himself
with his four feet on the windowsill, the dog to climb on
the donkey's back, and the cat on the dogs, and at last the
rooster was to fly up and perch himself on the cat's head.
When that was done, at a signal they began their music all
together. The donkey braid, the dog
barked, the cat mewed, and the rooster crowed.
Then with one great smash they dashed through the window into
the room so that the glass clattered down.
The robbers jumped up at this dreadful noise, thinking that
nothing less than a ghost was coming in, and ran away into the
wood in a great fright. The four companions then sat
down at the table, quite content with what was left there, and
ate heartily. When these 4 musicians had
finished, they put out the light, and each one looked for a
suitable and comfortable sleeping place.
The donkey lay down on the dunghill outside, the dog curled
up behind the door, the cat on the hearth near the warm ashes
from the fire, and the rooster set himself on the hen roost.
And as they were all tired from their long journey, they quickly
went to sleep. Soon after midnight, as the
robbers in the distance could see that no more lights were
burning in the house, and as all seemed quiet, the captain said
we ought not to have let ourselves be scared so easily,
and sent one of them to examine the house.
The robber who was sent found everything quiet, went into the
kitchen to light a candle, and thinking the cat's shining fiery
eyes were live coals, he held a match to them to light it.
But the cat, who did not want a match near its eyes, flew in his
face, spat at him, and scratched.
He was dreadfully frightened, ran away, and was going out of
the back door, when the dog who was lying there jumped up and
bit him in the leg as he ran through the yard past the
dunghill. The donkey gave him a good kick
with his hind foot, and the rooster, being awakened and made
quite lively by the noise, called out from the hen roost.
The robber ran as hard as he could back to the captain and
said, Oh dear. In the house sits A horrid old
witch who blew at me and scratched my face with her long
fingers. And by the door stands a man
with a knife who stabbed me in the leg.
And in the yard lies a black monster who hit me with a club.
And up on the roof there sits a judge who called out Bring the
Rascal up here. So I made the best of my way
off. From that day on, the robbers
never again went near the house, but the four musicians liked it
so well that they decided never to leave it, and they stayed
there the rest of their days. This story is such a good
reminder that even if you can't work as hard as maybe you used
to be able to, you can still be a wonderful friend, a creative
musician, and a cosy homemaker. I'm so glad that these four
friends found a space where they could be together and live in
peace and quiet, warm and comfortable.
They never did make it to Bremen, but if you go there
yourself, you'll see a statue of the four animals in a town
square for people to remember these four clever friends.
Oh, that's a good one. Thank you so much, Nicola.
I always like it when it turns out all right in the end.
So Deborah Katis, do you think you learned any teamwork skills
from that one? Really, You already knew too
much of what would happen just by the way I was talking about
the story beforehand and my micro facial expressions.
Well, then you liked it. That's the important part.
And remember, if you'd like a shout out, just send us Adm on
Instagram at Storiesfrom Now and then.
We'd love to hear from you. See any pictures you've drawn of
the stories or any coloring pages?
And if you want to get a free printable coloring page, just
head over to our website storiesfromnowandthen.com.
Stories from Now and Then is narrated by the amazing Nickel
Award, music by Captain Blunderface and Deprecatus
usually plays with people that have library cards for the most
part. Stay groovy out there everybody,
and we'll see you next time on Stories From Now and Then.