The Town Musicians of Bremen reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Town Musicians of Bremen

Time you got around to sponsoring a child
The Town Musicians of Bremen, erected in 1951Enlarge

The Town Musicians of Bremen, erected in 1951

The Town Musicians of Bremen is a fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm.

In the story a donkey, a dog, a cat and an 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 their way, they have a number of adventures.

This fable has a straight-forward 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 three metre high bronze statue near the city hall.

Other Media

The tale has often been retold both as animated pictures, motion pictures (often musicals) and theater plays. Some of the best known translations are: