Relaxing Fairytale For Sleep | The Travelling Musicians

Welcome back to Drift Off! Tonight I’ll be reading the classic fairytale “The Travelling Musicians” by the Brothers Grimm. Since this charming tale is a little shorter, I’ll be reading it twice — giving you two chances to relax and drift away while enjoying the story.

So find a cozy spot, take a few calming breaths, and let this gentle bedtime story carry you into a peaceful night’s sleep.

Sweet dreams,
Joanne xo

Transcript

Welcome,

Dear listener,

To another episode of Drift Off.

My name is Joanne,

And I'm so happy you're here to spend some time with me tonight.

In this episode,

I'll be sharing a whimsical tale from the Brothers Grimm called The Traveling Musicians.

Now,

I want to let you know right at the start,

Like many old vintage stories,

This one comes from a time when animals were often seen as work companions rather than pets.

In the beginning,

The animal's masters decide they're too old to be useful.

But don't worry,

Our clever animal friends don't come to any harm.

Instead,

They run away together,

Choosing a new life of freedom,

Friendship,

And even music.

And by the end,

The story leaves us with a sense of warmth and joy.

Now,

Let's take a few moments to settle in before we begin the story.

Close your eyes if that feels comfortable.

Take in a slow,

Deep breath in,

And then exhale gently,

Letting go of the day.

Feel the weight of your body melting into the bed,

Supported and safe.

With each breath,

Allow your shoulders to soften,

Your hands to rest loosely,

Your jaw to relax.

Imagine yourself strolling down a quiet forest path at dusk.

The sky glows softly with the last golden rays of sun while the air is fresh and cool.

You hear the gentle rustle of leaves overhead,

And the distant call of a bird.

You feel safe,

Calm,

And at ease.

And when you're ready,

Let's begin.

An honest farmer had once a donkey that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years,

But now was growing old,

And every day more and more unfit for work.

His master therefore was tired of keeping him,

But the donkey,

Who saw that some mischief was in the wind,

Took himself slyly off and began his journey towards the great city,

For there,

Thought he,

I may turn musician.

After he travelled a little way,

He spied a dog lying by the roadside and panting as if he were tired.

What makes you pant so,

My friend?

Said the donkey.

Alas,

Said the dog,

My master was going to knock me on the head,

Because I am old and weak and can no longer make myself useful to him in hunting,

So I ran away,

But what can I do to earn my livelihood?

Hark ye,

Said the donkey,

I am going to the great city to turn musician.

Suppose you go with me and try what you can do in the same way.

The dog said he was willing,

And they jogged on together.

They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face.

Pray,

My good lady,

Said the donkey,

What's the matter with you?

You look quite out of spirits.

Ah,

Me,

Said the cat,

How can one be in good spirits when one's life is in danger?

Because I am beginning to grow old and had rather lie at ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice,

My mistress laid hold of me and was going to drown me,

And though I have been lucky enough to get away from her,

I do not know what I am to live upon.

Oh,

Said the donkey,

By all means,

Go with us to the great city.

You are a good night singer and may make your fortune as a musician.

The cat was pleased with the thought and joined the party.

Soon afterwards,

As they were passing by a farmyard,

They saw a rooster perched upon a gate and screaming out with all his might and mane.

Bravo,

Said the donkey,

Upon my word,

You make a famous noise,

Pray,

What is all this about?

Why,

Said the rooster,

I was just now saying that we should have finer weather for our washing day,

And yet my mistress and the cook don't thank me for my pains,

But threaten to cut off my head tomorrow and make broth of me for the guests that are coming on Sunday.

Heaven forbid,

Said the donkey,

Come with us,

It will be better,

At any rate,

Than staying here to have your head cut off.

Besides,

Who knows,

If we care to sing in tune,

We may get up some kind of a concert,

So come along with us.

With all my heart,

Said the rooster,

So they all four went on happily together.

They could not,

However,

Reach the great city the first day,

So when night came on,

They went into a wood to sleep.

The donkey and the dog laid themselves down under a great tree,

And the cat climbed up into the branches,

While the rooster,

Thinking that the higher he sat,

The safer he should be,

Flew up to the very top of the tree,

And then,

According to his custom,

Before he went to sleep,

Looked out on all sides of him to see that everything was well.

In doing this,

He saw afar off something bright and shining and calling to his companion said,

There must be a house,

No great way off,

For I see a light.

If that be the case,

Said the donkey,

We had better change our quarters,

For our lodging is not the best in the world.

Besides,

Added the dog,

I should not be the worst for a bone or two or a bit of meat.

So they walked off together towards the spot where the rooster had seen the light,

And as they drew near,

It became larger and brighter,

Till they at last came close to a house in which a gang of robbers lived.

The donkey,

Being the tallest of the company,

Marched up to the window and peeped in.

Well,

Donkey,

Said rooster,

What do you see?

What do I see,

Replied the donkey?

Why I see a table spread with all kinds of good things,

And robbers sitting round it making merry.

That would be a noble lodging for us,

Said the rooster.

Yes,

Said the donkey,

If we could only get in.

So they consulted together how they should contrive to get the robbers out,

And at last they hit upon a plan.

The donkey placed himself upright on his hind legs,

With his four feet resting against the window.

The dog got upon his back,

The cat scrambled up to the dog's shoulders,

And the rooster flew up and sat upon the cat's head.

When all was ready,

A signal was given,

And they began their music.

The donkey brayed,

The dog barked,

The cat meowed,

And the rooster screamed,

And then they all broke through the window at once and came tumbling into the room amongst the broken glass with a most hideous clatter.

The robbers,

Who had been not a little frightened by the opening concert,

Had now no doubt that some frightful hobgoblin had broken in upon them and scampered away as fast as they could.

The coast once clear,

Our traveller soon sat down and dispatched what the robbers had left,

With as much eagerness as if they had not expected to eat again for a month.

As soon as they had satisfied themselves,

They put out the lights and each once more sought out a resting place to his own liking.

The donkey laid himself down upon a heap of straw in the yard,

The dog stretched himself upon a mat behind the door,

The cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm ashes,

And the rooster perched upon a beam on the top of the house,

And as they were all rather tired with their journey,

They soon fell asleep.

But about midnight,

When the robbers saw from afar that the lights were out and it all seemed quiet,

They began to think that they had been in too great a hurry to run away,

And one of them,

Who was bolder than the rest,

Went to see what was going on.

Finding everything still,

He marched into the kitchen and groped about till he found a match in order to light a candle,

And then,

Espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat,

He mistook them for live coals,

And held the match to them to light it.

But the cat,

Not understanding this joke,

Sprang at his face and spat and scratched at him.

This frightened him dreadfully,

And away he ran to the back door.

But there,

The dog jumped up and bit him in the leg,

And as he was crossing over the yard,

The donkey kicked him,

And the rooster,

Who had been awakened by the noise,

Crowed with all his might.

At this,

The robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades and told the captain how a horrid witch had got into the house and had spat at him and scratched his face with her long bony fingers,

How a man with a knife in his hand had hidden himself behind the door and stabbed him in the leg,

How a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club,

And how the devil had sat upon the top of the house and cried out,

Throw the rascal up here.

After this,

The robbers never dared to go back to the house.

The musicians were so happy with their new home that they decided to stay there,

And I dare say they're still there to this very day.

An honest farmer had once a donkey that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years but now was growing old and every day more and more unfit for work.

His master therefore was tired of keeping him,

But the donkey,

Who saw that some mischief was in the wind,

Took himself slyly off and began his journey towards the great city,

For there,

Thought he,

I may turn musician.

After he travelled a little way,

He spied a dog lying by the roadside and panting as if he were tired.

What makes you pant so,

My friend?

Said the donkey.

Alas,

Said the dog,

My master was going to knock me on the head,

Because I am old and weak and can no longer make myself useful to him in hunting,

So I ran away,

But what can I do to earn my livelihood?

Hark ye,

Said the donkey,

I am going to the great city to turn musician,

Suppose you go with me and try what you can do in the same way.

The dog said he was willing,

And they jogged on together.

They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face.

Pray,

My good lady,

Said the donkey,

What's the matter with you,

You look quite out of spirits.

Ah,

Me,

Said the cat,

How can one be in good spirits when one's life is in danger?

Because I am beginning to grow old and had rather lie at ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice,

My mistress laid hold of me and was going to drown me,

And though I have been lucky enough to get away from her,

I do not know what I am to live upon.

Oh,

Said the donkey,

By all means,

Go with us to the great city,

You are a good night singer and may make your fortune as a musician.

The cat was pleased with the thought and joined the party.

Soon afterwards,

As they were passing by a farmyard,

They saw a rooster perched upon a gate and screaming out with all his might and mane.

Bravo,

Said the donkey,

Upon my word,

You make a famous noise,

Pray,

What is all this about?

Why,

Said the rooster,

I was just now saying that we should have finer weather for our washing day,

And yet my mistress and the cook don't thank me for my pains,

But threaten to cut off my head tomorrow and make broth of me for the guests that are coming on Sunday.

Heaven forbid,

Said the donkey,

Come with us,

It will be better,

At any rate,

Than staying here to have your head cut off.

Besides,

Who knows,

If we care to sing in tune,

We may get up some kind of a concert,

So come along with us.

With all my heart,

Said the rooster.

So they all four went on happily together.

They could not,

However,

Reach the great city the first day,

So when night came on,

They went into a wood to sleep.

The donkey and the dog laid themselves down under a great tree,

And the cat climbed up into the branches,

While the rooster,

Thinking that the higher he sat,

The safer he should be,

Flew up to the very top of the tree,

And then,

According to his custom,

Before he went to sleep,

Looked out on all sides of him to see that everything was well.

In doing this,

He saw afar off something bright and shining,

And calling to his companion,

Said,

There must be a house no great way off,

For I see a light.

If that be the case,

Said the donkey,

We had better change our quarters,

For our lodging is not the best in the world.

Besides,

Added the dog,

I should not be the worst for a bone or two,

Or a bit of meat.

So they walked off together towards the spot where the rooster had seen the light,

And as they drew near,

It became larger and brighter,

Till they at last came close to a house in which a gang of robbers lived.

The donkey,

Being the tallest of the company,

Marched up to the window and peeped in.

Well,

Donkey,

Said rooster,

What do you see?

What do I see,

Replied the donkey,

Why,

I see a table spread with all kinds of good things,

And robbers,

Sitting round it making merry.

That would be a noble lodging for us,

Said the rooster.

Yes,

Said the donkey,

If we could only get in.

So they consulted together how they should contrive to get the robbers out,

And at last they hit upon a plan.

The donkey placed himself upright on his hind legs,

With his four feet resting against the window.

The dog got upon his back,

The cat scrambled up to the dog's shoulders,

And the rooster flew up and sat upon the cat's head.

When all was ready,

A signal was given,

And they began their music.

The donkey brayed,

The dog barked,

The cat meowed,

And the rooster screamed,

And then they all broke through the window at once and came tumbling into the room amongst the broken glass with a most hideous clatter.

The robbers,

Who had been not a little frightened by the opening concert,

Had now no doubt that some frightful hobgoblin had broken in upon them and scampered away as fast as they could.

The coast once clear,

Our travellers soon sat down and dispatched what the robbers had left,

With as much eagerness as if they had not expected to eat again for a month.

As soon as they had satisfied themselves,

They put out the lights,

And each once more sought out a resting place to his own liking.

The donkey laid himself down upon a heap of straw in the yard,

The dog stretched himself upon a mat behind the door,

The cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm ashes,

And the rooster perched upon a beam on the top of the house,

And,

As they were all rather tired with their journey,

They soon fell asleep.

But about midnight,

When the robbers saw from afar that the lights were out and that all seemed quiet,

They began to think that they had been in too great a hurry to run away,

And one of them,

Who was bolder than the rest,

Went to see what was going on.

Finding everything still,

He marched into the kitchen and groped about till he found a match in order to light a candle,

And then,

Espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat,

He mistook them for live coals,

And held the match to them to light it.

But the cat,

Not understanding this joke,

Sprang at his face and spat and scratched at him.

This frightened him dreadfully,

And away he ran to the back door.

But there the dog jumped up and bit him in the leg,

And as he was crossing over the yard,

The donkey kicked him,

And the rooster,

Who had been awakened by the noise,

Crowed with all his might.

At this,

The robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades and told the captain how a horrid witch had got into the house and had spat at him and scratched his face with her long bony fingers,

How a man with a knife in his hand had hidden himself behind the door and stabbed him in the leg,

How a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club,

And how the devil had sat upon the top of the house and cried out,

Throw the rascal up here.

After this,

The robbers never dared to go back to the house.

The musicians were so happy with their new home that they decided to stay there.

And I dare say,

They're still there to this very day.

And so ends the tale of the Travelling Musicians,

A story of friendship,

Resourcefulness,

And finding comfort in unexpected places.

As you settle deeper into rest,

Imagine yourself in that quiet woodland where the animals made their new home.

The trees stand tall and protective,

Their branches swaying gently in the night breeze.

Lantern light blows softly through the windows of the little cottage,

Casting a golden warmth against the cool hush of the forest.

Outside,

The sounds of the night drift in,

An owl calling softly in the distance.

The rustle of leaves,

The quiet hum of crickets.

The air is fresh and calming,

Carrying with it the earthy scent of moss and wood.

Inside,

All is safe and cozy.

You curl up beneath a soft,

Snuggly blanket,

Feeling the same ease and contentment as the who finally found their place of rest.

Let the gentle rhythms of nature surround you now.

The world is hushed,

Peaceful and kind.

You are safe.

You are cared for,

And you can let go into the soothing arms of sleep.

Thank you,

Dear listener,

For sharing this story with me tonight.

And until next time,

Sweet dreams,

Dear one.

Sleep well.

Reviews

I love animal stories & this cute story made me laugh at the way the animals made the robbers run away. Thank you.