Four Voices on the Road
Grey, Red, Rusty, and Fluffy… Four different animals, four different stories, and one shared dream: to go to Bremen and become musicians! On a long journey where their paths cross, these extraordinary friends begin to discover how to walk together, how to trust one another, and how much their own voices are worth. Sometimes they must gather their courage, and sometimes they must find a new way forward. But no matter what happens, they learn that they are never alone along the way. A heartwarming tale of friendship, courage, and the power of being together, Four Voices on the Road invites children on an unforgettable journey full of music, laughter, and hope.
Free story — no account needed to read it.
20 Minutes
3 Endings
7-10
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About This Story
“Four Voices on the Road” is an interactive educational story for children aged 7-10, about 20 minutes long. The reader decides how it goes at 3 choice points, and there are 3 different endings. It is free to read on Kitapz, with no account needed.
- Age range
- 7-10 years
- Reading time
- about 20 minutes
- Genre
- Educational
- Format
- Interactive · 3 choice points · 3 endings
- Language
- English, Turkish
- Access
- Free, no account needed
- Characters
- Grey, Red, Rusty, Fluffy
- Values
- Friendship, Teamwork
- Collections
- Educational stories, Stories for ages 7-8, Stories for ages 9-10
- Reading support
- dyslexia-friendly font, bionic reading, color-blindness filters
An Excerpt from the Story
Grey sets down the heavy sacks and lets out a slow breath.
Grey (thinking):
I carried loads for all these years. Now they don't want me anymore.
Grey:
“So that's how it is... The years went by, and I grew old.”
He lifts his head and looks at the thin road far away.
Grey:
“But that road is still there.”
Grey (thinking):
Maybe this isn't my last stop. Could it be?
Grey lets his decision settle inside him, then turns his nose toward the road.
Grey:
“I've heard there are musicians in Bremen.”
Grey (thinking):
My voice is still loud and strong. Maybe it can be useful.
Grey:
“You have a voice, and you have a road. That's more than enough.”
“Four Voices on the Road” · Ages 7-10 · kitapz.com
school For Parents and Teachers
In this retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale “The Town Musicians of Bremen”, children set off with Grey, an old donkey no longer wanted after years of carrying sacks. Grey patiently listens to the hurt and shy animals he meets, and each begins to wonder whether their voice still matters. Readers' choices shape the journey.
What will children learn from this story?
- Thinks about how everyone, even someone told they are too old to be useful, still has something to offer.
- Notices how listening patiently, without rushing or interrupting, helps a shy or hurt friend open up.
- Practises making a decision by weighing the good and hard sides of two options, the way Grey does at the fork in the road.
- Learns that different voices working together can do what no one could do alone, and that decisions can be made as a group.
Curriculum links: Language arts, Music, Life skills
Fact Box
Who collected the tale of the Town Musicians of Bremen?
The German Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, collected it. The tale first appeared in the second edition of their Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen) in 1819, as tale number 27.
Is there a statue of the Town Musicians in Bremen?
Yes. A bronze statue made by the sculptor Gerhard Marcks in 1953 stands on the western side of the town hall in Bremen, Germany, showing the tale's donkey, dog, cat and rooster together. Touching the donkey's front legs is said to bring good luck, so they shine from all the hands that have rubbed them.
Source: Bremen city portal
How do roosters know when it's morning?
Roosters have an internal body clock that keeps track of the time of day. In a 2013 study from Nagoya University in Japan, roosters kept in dim light day and night for two weeks still crowed when they sensed dawn was coming, so they don't need to see the sunrise to know morning is near.
Source: National Geographic
How long do donkeys live?
The average domesticated donkey lives 25 to 30 years, and with good care many have been known to live into their 50s. Donkeys crave company, so they should never be kept alone and are best kept at least in pairs.
Source: The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada
Reading Comprehension Questions (5W1H)
The questions cover the opening that every reader sees, whatever they choose. Tap a question to see the answer.
-
Who? Who is perched on the fence at the farm by the roadside?
Answer: Red, who says he can wake up a whole field all by himself.
-
What? What has Grey heard about Bremen?
Answer: He has heard that there are musicians in Bremen.
-
Where? Where does Grey arrive at the end of the long dirt road?
Answer: At a fork, where the road splits in two.
-
When? When does Grey start thinking about leaving?
Answer: When he sets down the heavy sacks and realizes that, after all these years, they don't want him anymore.
-
Why? Why does Red decide to go to Bremen?
Answer: They don't want him to crow anymore, and he has heard that people in Bremen love musicians, so he believes they will appreciate his voice there.
-
How? How does Grey describe the two roads at the fork?
Answer: The main road looks bright and busy, while the forest path might be shorter but is very quiet.
Questions to Talk About After Reading
- At the fork, did you send Grey down the bright main road or the quiet forest path? Why? How do you think the journey might have changed if you had picked the other road?
- Grey feels nobody wants him anymore because he has grown old, but he believes his voice can still be useful. How should we treat an old pet or an older member of our family? What can they still give us?
- Grey listens to the animals he meets without rushing them. How do you feel when someone listens to you patiently? When did you last listen to a friend like that?
- Every animal in the story has a different voice. What are you good at that you could bring to a group? Have you ever done something with friends where each of you added something different?
Word List
- mill
- A building where grain such as wheat is ground into flour; Grey leaves the mill behind when he sets off.
- comb
- The red, fleshy crest on top of a rooster's head.
- perch
- To sit on something high or narrow, the way a bird sits on a branch or a fence.
- fork
- A place where a road splits into two roads going different ways.
- bray
- The loud, harsh call a donkey makes.
- twilight
- The dim, half-dark time just after the sun goes down.
Activity Idea
Form groups of four and let each child pick one animal's sound from the story: Grey's bray, Rusty's bark, Fluffy's meow or Red's crow. Make the sounds one at a time and then all together, then find a household "instrument" for each animal, such as a spoon tapped on a pot lid or a closed plastic bottle with rice inside, and make up a short four-part tune.
Completion Rewards
What you'll earn when you finish this story: