In this free A1 beginner English story, four old farm animals find themselves no longer wanted. A donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster set off together for Bremen to become town musicians. But on the way, they stumble upon a house of robbers and have to use their wits – and their 'music' – to scare them off. It's a fun and easy retelling of the classic fairy tale, perfect for practicing simple English.
This interactive graded reader includes full story audio, so you can listen and read along. Click any word for instant translation and pronunciation help. After the story, you'll find handy lesson notes that focus on key A1 grammar and vocabulary – all designed to make learning English enjoyable and stress-free. Start reading now – it's completely free!
The story is written using only the most common English words and structures. You'll meet simple present and past tenses, and lots of useful everyday words. Whether you're studying alone or with a teacher, this retelling of The Bremen Town Musicians is a great way to build your reading and listening skills.
Once upon a time, a donkey lived on a farm. He was very old. He could not work anymore. The farmer was angry. The donkey said, "I can sing! I can go to Bremen and be a musician!" Hee-haw! He walked down the road.
Soon he met a . The dog was old. He could not . "Why are you sad?" asked the donkey. "I am old. I cannot work," said the dog. "Come with me!" said the donkey. "We can be musicians in Bremen!" Woof! The dog was happy. They walked together.
Then they met a cat. "I am old. I cannot catch mice," said the cat. "I can only sleep." Meow. "Come with us!" said the donkey. "You can sing in Bremen!" They met a rooster. "I am old. I cannot in the morning," he said. "The cook wants to cook me!" ! "Come with us!" said the animals. "We can all be musicians!"
They walked all day. At night, they saw a little house in the forest. There was a light inside. They looked inside. ! The robbers were eating and laughing. The animals were and . They made a plan.
The donkey stood near the window. The dog stood on the donkey. The cat stood on the dog. The rooster stood on the cat. Then they ! Hee-haw! Woof! Meow! Cock-a-doodle-doo! The robbers were very . They ran away fast.
The animals went inside. They ate the food. It was so good! They slept in the warm house. Late at night, one robber came back. It was very dark. The cat him. The dog him. The donkey kicked him. The rooster crowed! The robber ran away. "A witch is in the house!" he said. The animals stayed in the house. They were happy musicians forever.
There was an old donkey on a farm. He couldn't work. The farmer was mad. The donkey said, 'I can sing! I'll go to Bremen to be a musician.' He left.
He met an old dog that couldn't hunt. The dog was sad because he was old and useless. The donkey invited him to come to Bremen to be a musician. The dog was happy, and they walked together.
They met an old cat who couldn't catch mice and only slept. The donkey said, 'Come sing with us in Bremen!' Then they met an old rooster. He couldn't crow and was going to be cooked. They invited him too. All four animals decided to be musicians together.
They walked until night and found a house with robbers inside. The animals, hungry and tired, planned to scare them away.
The animals stacked up and made loud noises at the window. The robbers got scared and ran off.
The animals ate, slept, and when one robber returned, they attacked him. He thought there was a witch. The animals kept the house and lived happily as musicians.
In the story, we meet four animal friends. Each one makes a special sound. These words are fun to say!
Learning animal sounds is a great way to practice English pronunciation.
- donkey - hee-haw
- dog - woof
- cat - meow
- rooster - cock-a-doodle-doo
The story uses the simple past tense to say what happened. Many verbs add -ed, but some change their form.
Here are some verbs from the story. Try saying them out loud!
- walk → walked
- look → looked
- say → said
- see → saw
The animals help each other on the road to Bremen. They use friendly phrases to invite and encourage.
You can use these phrases to show kindness and make friends in English.
- "Come with me!"
- "We can be musicians!"
- "Why are you sad?"
- "I can sing!"
Now you know the animal sounds, some past tense verbs, and friendly phrases. Try to retell the story in your own words-even a short sentence is perfect!
Every time you practice, you become a better English speaker. The animals would be proud!
The Bremen Town Musicians comes from an older public-domain story tradition and is best known as a public_domain_fairy_tale_retelling. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on public-domain source material, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. This version is adapted for A1 Beginner learners studying English.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the A1 English Vocabulary List. After that, try 1,200 English Phrases and Expressions for another useful next step.
