7. The Pied Piper

(Written by Robert Browning, the poet, for the amusement of a friend’s son who was ill, and to give him subjects for drawings.)

Long ago in a country far away there was a town that was troubled with rats. These rats fought the dogs and killed the cats and bit the babies in their cradles. They ate up all the cheese. Yes, and often a man would find a rat’s nest in his Sunday hat. The people began to think they would have to move out and let the rats have the town. At last the Mayor and Council met to see if they could think of a way to get rid of them. They had almost given up when they heard a rap at the door. “Come in,” they said; and there stood a strange, tall, thin man, with a queer long coat, half yellow and half red, that came down to his heels, and a pipe upon which he played. “My friends,” said he, “I see you have a great many rats in your town. If I can rid you of them, will you give me a thousand guilders?” “Yes, fifty,” they cried; “only take away the rats!” Then Pied Piper stepped out into the street and began to blow on his pipe. Before he had played three notes, out of the houses the rats came tumbling—great rats, small rats, lean rats, fat rats, black rats, gray rats, brown rats, all following the Piper as if for their very lives. Straight to the river he walked, drawing the rats after him. In they plunged head first, and were all drowned. How the bells rang for joy! How the people shouted! The Mayor gave orders to poke out all the nests and fill up the holes. “First, if you please, my thousand guilders,” said the Piper. The Mayor and Council laughed: “Now the rats are dead, they won’t come back to life, you know. It was only a joke we spoke. We won’t give you more than fifty guilders.” Pied Piper threatened, but the Mayor said, “Do your worst. Blow your pipe till you burst.” Then the Piper stepped into the street again and played three notes, and at once all the children of the town came running, tripping, skipping, shouting merrily after the Piper and his wonderful music. When they reached the mountainside a great door suddenly opened and all the children went in with the Piper—all except one poor little lame boy who could not keep up, and came too late. And the door was shut. No one ever heard of the Piper or the children again. But the Mayor and Council agreed that when they owed any one anything after that they would pay it. And these words were kept in the town where all could see them: “Always keep your promise!”