'For a guilder I'd my ermine gown sell; I wish I were a mile hence!

It's easy to bid one rack one's brain

I'm sure my poor head aches again,
I've scratched it so, and all in vain.
O for a trap, a trap, a trap!'

Just as he said this, what should hap

At the chamber door, but a gentle tap?
'Bless us,' cried the Mayor, 'what's that?
Anything like the sound of a rat

Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!'

Come in!' the Mayor cried, looking bigger:
And in did come the strangest figure!

His queer long coat from heel to head
Was half of yellow, and half of red;
And he himself was tall and thin,
With sharp blue eyes each like a pin,
And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin,

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No tuft on cheek, nor beard on chin,

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But lips where smiles went out and in

There was no guessing his kith and kin!
And nobody could enough admire

The tall man and his quaint attire:

Quoth one, 'It's as my great-grandsire,

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Starting up at the Trump of Doom's tone,

Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!'

He advanced to the council table:

And, 'Please your honors,' said he, 'I'm able,

By means of a secret charm, to draw
All creatures living beneath the sun,
That creep or swim, or fly, or run,
After me so as you never saw!
And I chiefly use my charm

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On creatures that do people harm,

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The mole, the toad, the newt, the viper;

And people call me the Pied Piper.

Yet,' said he, 'poor piper as I am,

In Tartary I freed the Cham,°

Last June, from his huge swarm of gnats;

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I eased in Asia the Nizam

Of a monstrous brood of vampire bats:

And as for what your brain bewilders,

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If I can rid your town of rats

Will you give me a thousand guilders?'

'One? fifty thousand!' was the exclamation Of the astonished Mayor and Corporation.

Into the street the Piper stept,

Smiling first a little smile,

As if he knew what magic slept

In his quiet pipe the while;

Then like a musical adept,

To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled,

And green and blue his sharp eyes twinkled,
Like a candle flame where salt is sprinkled;
And ere three shrill notes the pipe had uttered,
You heard as if an army muttered;

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And the muttering grew to a grumbling;
And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;
And out of the houses the rats came tumbling-
Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,
Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats,
Grave old plodders, gay young friskers,
Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,
Cocking tails, and pricking whiskers.
Families by tens and dozens,

Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives

Followed the Piper for their lives.

From street to street he piped, advancing,
And step for step they followed dancing,
Until they came to the river Weser
Wherein all plunged and perished,
Save one, who stout as Julius Cæsar,
Swam across, and lived to carry
(As he the manuscript he cherished)
To Rat-land home his commentary,

Which was, 'At the first shrill notes of the pipe,
I heard a sound as of scraping tripe,

And putting apples wondrous ripe

Into a cider press's gripe;

And a moving away of pickle-tub boards,
And a leaving ajar of conserve cupboards,
And a drawing the corks of train-oil flasks,
And a breaking the hoops of butter casks;
And it seemed as if a voice

(Sweeter far than by harp or by psaltery

Is breathed) called out, Oh, rats, rejoice!
The world is grown to one vast drysaltery!

So munch on, crunch on, take your nuncheon,
Breakfast, dinner, supper, luncheon!

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And just as a bulky sugar puncheon,

All ready staved, like a great sun shone

Glorious, scarce an inch before me,

Just as methought it said, "Come bore me,"

I found the Weser rolling o'er me.'

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You should have heard the Hamelin people
Ringing the bells till they rocked the steeple;
'Go,' cried the Mayor, and get long poles!
Poke out the nests, and block up the holes!
Consult with carpenters and builders,
And leave in our town not even a trace

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Of the rats!' When suddenly up the face

Of the Piper perked in the market-place,

With a, 'First, if you please, my thousand guilders!'

A thousand guilders! The Mayor looked blue,
So did the Corporation too.

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For council dinners made rare havoc

With Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hock;

And half the money would replenish

Their cellar's biggest butt with Rhenish.
To pay this sum to a wandering fellow
With a gypsy coat of red and yellow!

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'Besides,' quoth the Mayor, with a knowing wink,
'Our business was done at the river's brink;
We saw with our eyes the vermin sink,

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And what's dead can't come to life, I think.
So, friend, we're not the folks to shrink

From the duty of giving you something for drink,
And a matter of money to put in your poke;
But as for the guilders, what we spoke

Of them, as you very well know, was in joke –
Besides, our losses have made us thrifty :
A thousand guilders! come, take fifty!'

The Piper's face fell, and he cried, 'No trifling! I can't wait beside!

I've promised to visit by dinner-time

Bagdad, and accept the prime

Of the head-cook's pottage, and all he's rich in,
For having left in the caliph's kitchen,

Of a nest of scorpions no survivor.
With him I proved no bargain-driver,
With you, don't think I'll bate a stiver!
And folks who put me in a passion

May find me pipe to another fashion.'

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'How?' cried the Mayor, 'd'ye think I'll brook

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Being worse treated than a cook?

Insulted by a lazy ribald

With idle pipe and vesture piebald?

You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst,

Blow your pipe there till you burst.'

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