“There,” thought he, “I can be town-musician.” When he had run some way, he found a Hound lying by the road-side, yawning like one who was very tired. “What are you yawning for now, you big fellow?” asked the Ass.

“Ah,” replied the Hound, “because every day I grow older and weaker; I cannot go any more to the hunt, and my master has well nigh beaten me to death, so that I took to flight; and now I do not know how to earn my bread.

“Well! do you know,” said the Ass, “I am going to Bremen to be town-musician there; suppose you go with me and take a share in the music. I will play on the lute, and you shall beat the kettledrums.” The Dog was satisfied, and off they set.

Presently they came to a Cat sitting in the middle of the path with a face like three rainy days! “Now then, old shaver, what has crossed you?” asked the Ass.

“How can one be merry when one’s neck has been pinched like mine?” answered the Cat. “Because I am growing old, and my teeth are all worn to stumps, and because I would rather sit by the fire and spin, than run after mice, my mistress wanted to drown me; and so I ran away. But now, good advice is dear, and I do not know what to do.”

“Go with us to Bremen. You understand nocturnal music, so you can be a town-musician.” The Cat consented, and went with them. The three vagabonds soon came near a farm-yard, where upon the barn-door the Cock was sitting crowing with all his might. “You crow through marrow and bone,” said the Ass; “what do you do that for?”

“That is the way I prophesy fine weather,” said the Cock; “but, because grand guests are coming for the Sunday, the housewife has no pity, and has told the cookmaid to make me into soup for the morrow; and this evening my head will be cut off. Now I am crowing with a full throat as long as I can.”

“Ah, but you, Red-comb,” replied the Ass, “rather come away with us. We are going to Bremen, to find there something better than death; you have a good voice, and if we make music together, it will have full play.”

The Cock consented to this plan, and so all four travelled on together. They could not however reach Bremen in one day, and at evening they came into a forest, where they meant to pass the night. The Ass and the Dog laid themselves down under a large tree, the Cat and the Cock climbed up into the branches, but the latter flew right to the top, where he was most safe. Before he went to sleep, he looked all round the four quarters, and soon thought he saw a little spark in the distance; so, calling his companions, he said they were not far from a house, for he saw a light. The Ass said, “If it is so, we had better get up and go further, for the pasturage here is very bad;” and continued the Dog, “Yes, indeed! a couple of bones with some meat on, would also be very acceptable!” So they made haste towards the spot where the light was, which shone now brighter and brighter, until they came to a well-lighted robbers’ cottage. The Ass, as the biggest, went to the window and peeped in. “What do you see, Gray-horse?” asked the Cock. “What do I see!” replied the Ass; “a table laid out with savoury meats and drinks; with robbers sitting around enjoying themselves.”

“That were the right sort of thing for us,” said the Cock.

“Yes, yes, I wish we were there,” replied the Ass. Then these animals took counsel together how they should contrive to drive away the robbers, and at last they thought of a way. The Ass had to place his fore-feet upon the window-ledge, the Hound got on his back, the Cat climbed up upon the Dog, and lastly the Cock flew up and perched upon the head of the Cat. When this was accomplished, at a given signal they commenced together to perform their music; the Ass brayed, the Dog barked, the Cat mewed, and the Cock crew! and they made such a tremendous noise, and so loud, that the panes of the window were shivered! Terrified at these unearthly sounds, the robbers got up with great precipitation, thinking nothing less than that some spirits had come, and fled off into the forest. The four companions immediately sat down at the table, and quickly ate up all that was left, as if they had been fasting for six weeks.

As soon as the four players had finished, they extinguished the light, and each sought for himself a sleeping place, according to his nature and custom. The Ass laid himself down upon some straw, the Hound behind the door, the Cat upon the hearth near the warm ashes, and the Cock flew up upon a beam which ran across the room. Weary with their long walk they soon went to sleep.

At midnight, the robbers perceived from their retreat that no light was burning in their house, and all appeared quiet; so the captain said, “We need not to have been frightened into fits;” and, calling one of the band, he sent him forward to reconnoiter. The messenger finding all still, went into the kitchen to strike a light, and, taking the glistening fiery eyes of the Cat for live coals, he held a lucifer-match to them, expecting it to take fire. But the Cat, not understanding the joke, flew in his face, spitting and scratching, which dreadfully frightened him, so that he made for the back-door; but the Dog, who lay there, sprung up and bit his leg; and as soon as he limped upon the straw whereupon lay the Ass, it gave him a powerful kick with its hind foot. This was not all, for the Cock, awaking at the noise, stretched himself, and cried from the beam, “Cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo!”

Then the robber ran back as well as he could to his captain, and said, “Ah, my master, there dwells a horrible witch in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long nails; and then before the door stands a man with a knife, who chopped at my leg; and in the yard there lies a black monster, who beat me with a great wooden club; and, besides all, upon the roof sits a judge, who called out, ‘Bring the knave up, do!’ so I ran away as fast as I could.”

After this the robbers dared not again go near their house; but every thing prospered so well with the four town-musicians of Bremen, that they did not forsake their situation! And there they are to this day, for any thing I know!

The Twelve Brothers

012

O nce upon a time there lived happily together a Queen and a King, who had twelve children, all boys. One day the King said to his consort, “If the thirteenth child, whom you are about to bring into the world, should be a girl, then shall the twelve boys die, that her riches may be great, and that the kingdom may fall to her alone.” He then ordered twelve coffins to be made, which were filled with shavings, and in each a pillow was placed, and, all of them having been locked up in a room, he gave the key thereof to the Queen, and bade her tell nobody about the matter.

But the mother sat crying the whole day long, so that her youngest child, who was always with her, and whom she had named Benjamin, said to her, “Mother dear, why are you so sorrowful?” “My dearest child,” she replied, “I dare not tell you.” But he let her have no peace until she went and unlocked the room and showed him the twelve coffins filled with shavings. Then she said, “My dearest Benjamin, these coffins your father has had prepared for yourself and your eleven brothers, for, if I bring a little girl into the world, you will be all killed together and buried in them.” And, as she wept while she spoke these words, the son comforted her, saying, “Do not cry, dear mother; we will help ourselves and go away.” But she said, “Go with your eleven brothers into the woods, and let one of you climb into the highest tree which is to be found, and keep watch, looking towards the tower of the castle here. If I bear a little son, I will hang out a white flag, and you may venture home again; but if I bear a little daughter I will hang out a red flag; and then flee away as quickly as you can, and God preserve you. Every night I will arise and pray for you; in winter, that you may have a fire to warm yourselves; and in summer, that you may not be melted with the heat.”

Soon after she gave her blessing to all her sons, and they went away into the forest.