stories to tell to children-第24章

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they　said。　　〃What　of　that？〃　said　we。　　〃Why；

Hamelin　town　is　where　the　Pied　Piper　came；〃

they　told　us；　〃surely　you　know　about　the　Pied

Piper？〃　　〃WHAT　about　the　Pied　Piper？〃　we

said。　　And　this　is　what　they　told　us　about

him。



It　seems　that　once；　long；　long　ago；　that　little

town　was　dreadfully　troubled　with　rats。　　The

houses　were　full　of　them；　the　shops　were　full　of　

them；　the　churches　were　full　of　them；　they　were

EVERYWHERE。　　The　people　were　all　but　eaten　out

of　house　and　home。　　Those　rats；



　They　fought　the　dogs　and　killed　the　cats；

　　　　　　And　bit　the　babies　in　the　cradles；

　　　　　　And　ate　the　cheeses　out　of　the　vats；

　And　licked　the　soup　from　the　cooks'　own　ladles；

　Split　open　the　kegs　of　salted　sprats；

　Made　nests　inside　men's　Sunday　hats；

　And　even　spoiled　the　women's　chats

　　　　　　By　drowning　their　speaking

　　　　　　With　shrieking　and　squeaking

　In　fifty　different　sharps　and　flats！





At　last　it　got　so　bad　that　the　people　simply

couldn't　stand　it　any　longer。　　So　they　all　came

together　and　went　to　the　town　hall；　and　they

said　to　the　Mayor　（you　know　what　a　mayor　is？）；

〃See　here；　what　do　we　pay　you　your　salary　for？

What　are　you　good　for；　if　you　can't　do　a　little

thing　like　getting　rid　of　these　rats？　　You　must

go　to　work　and　clear　the　town　of　them；　find

the　remedy　that's　lacking；　orwe'll　send　you

packing！〃



Well；　the　poor　Mayor　was　in　a　terrible　way。

What　to　do　he　didn't　know。　　He　sat　with　his

head　in　his　hands；　and　thought　and　thought　and

thought。



Suddenly　there　came　a　little　rat…tat　at　the

door。　　Oh！　how　the　Mayor　jumped！　　His　poor

old　heart　went　pit…a…pat　at　anything　like　the　

sound　of　a　rat。　　But　it　was　only　the　scraping　of

shoes　on　the　mat。　　So　the　Mayor　sat　up；　and

said；　〃Come　in！〃



And　in　came　the　strangest　figure！　　It　was　a

man；　very　tall　and　very　thin；　with　a　sharp　chin

and　a　mouth　where　the　smiles　went　out　and　in；

and　two　blue　eyes；　each　like　a　pin；　and　he　was

dressed　half　in　red　and　half　in　yellowhe　really

was　the　strangest　fellow！and　round　his　neck

he　had　a　long　red　and　yellow　ribbon；　and　on　it

was　hung　a　thing　something　like　a　flute；　and

his　fingers　went　straying　up　and　down　it　as　if

he　wanted　to　be　playing。



He　came　up　to　the　Mayor　and　said；　〃I　hear

you　are　troubled　with　rats　in　this　town。〃



〃I　should　say　we　were；〃　groaned　the　Mayor。



〃Would　you　like　to　get　rid　of　them？　　I　can

do　it　for　you。〃



〃You　can？〃　cried　the　Mayor。　　〃How？　　Who

are　you？〃



〃Men　call　me　the　Pied　Piper；〃　said　the　man；

〃and　I　know　a　way　to　draw　after　me　everything

that　walks；　or　flies；　or　swims。　　What

will　you　give　me　if　I　rid　your　town　of　rats？〃



〃Anything；　anything；〃　said　the　Mayor。　　〃I

don't　believe　you　can　do　it；　but　if　you　can；　I'll

give　you　a　thousand　guineas。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　the　Piper；　〃it　is　a　bargain。〃



And　then　he　went　to　the　door　and　stepped

out　into　the　street　and　stood；　and　put　the　long

flute…like　thing　to　his　lips；　and　began　to　play　a

little　tune。　　A　strange；　high；　little　tune。　　And

before



　　　　　　three　shrill　notes　the　pipe　uttered；

　You　heard　as　if　an　army　muttered；

　And　the　muttering　grew　to　a　grumbling；

　And　the　grumbling　grew　to　a　mighty　rumbling；

　And　out　of　the　houses　the　rats　came　tumbling　I

　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；

from　street　to　street　they　followed；　dancing。

Up　one　street　and　down　another；　till　they　came

to　the　edge　of　the　big　river；　and　there　the　piper

turned　sharply　about　and　stepped　aside；　and　all

those　rats　tumbled　hurry　skurry；　head　over　heels；

down　the　bank　into　the　river　ANDWERE

DROWNED。　　Every　single　one。　　No；　there　was

one　big　old　fat　rat；　he　was　so　fat　he　didn't

sink；　and　he　swam　across；　and　ran　away　to　tell

the　tale。



Then　the　Piper　came　back　to　the　town　hall。

And　all　the　people　were　waving　their　hats　and

shouting　for　joy。　　The　Mayor　said　they　would

have　a　big　celebration；　and　build　a　tremendous　

bonfire　in　the　middle　of　the　town。　　He　asked

the　Piper　to　stay　and　see　the　bonfire；very

politely。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Piper；　〃that　will　be　very

nice；　but　first；　if　you　please；　I　should　like　my

thousand　guineas。〃



〃H'm；erahem！〃　said　the　Mayor。　　〃You

mean　that　little　joke　of　mine；　of　course　that

was　a　joke。〃　　（You　see　it　is　always　harder　to

pay　for　a　thing　when　you　no　longer　need　it。）



〃I　do　not　joke；〃　said　the　Piper　very　quietly；

〃my　thousand　guineas；　if　you　please。〃



〃Oh；　come；　now；〃　said　the　Mayor；　〃you

know　very　well　it　wasn't　worth　sixpence　to

play　a　little　tune　like　that；　call　it　one　guinea；

and　let　it　go　at　that。〃



〃A　bargain　is　a　bargain；〃　said　the　Piper；

〃for　the　last　time；will　you　give　me　my

thousand　guineas？〃



〃I'll　give　you　a　pipe　of　tobacco；　something

good　to　eat；　and　call　you　lucky　at　that！〃　said

the　Mayor；　tossing　his　head。



Then　the　Piper's　mouth　grew　strange　and

thin；　and　sharp　blue　and　green　lights　began

dancing　in　his　eyes；　and　he　said　to　the　Mayor

very　softly；　〃I　know　another　tune　than　that　I

played；　I　play　it　to　those　who　play　me　false。〃



〃Play　what　you　please！　　You　can't　frighten

me！　　Do　your　worst！〃　said　the　Mayor；　making

himself　big。



Then　the　Piper　stood　high　up　on　the　steps

of　the　town　hall；　and　put　the　pipe　to　his　lips；

and　began　to　play　a　little　tune。　　It　was　quite

a　different　little　tune；　this　time；　very　soft　and

sweet；　and　very；　very　strange。　　And　before　he

had　played　three　notes；　you　heard



　　　　　　　　　　　a　rustling；　that　seemed　like　a　bustling

　Of　merry　crowds　justling　at　pitching　and　hustling；

　Small　feet　were　pattering；　wooden　shoes　clattering；

　Little　hands　clapping　and　little　tongues　chattering；

　And　like　fowls　in　a　farmyard　when　barley　is　scattering；

　Out　came　the　children　running。

　All　the　little　boys　and　girls；

　With　rosy　cheeks　and　flaxen　curls；

　And　sparkling　eyes　and　teeth　like　pearls；

　Tripping　and　skipping；　ran　merrily　after

　The　wonderful　music　with　shouting　and　laughter。





〃Stop；　stop！〃　cried　the　people。　　〃He　is　taking

our　children！　　Stop　him；　Mr　Mayor！〃



〃I　will　give　you　your　money；　I　will！〃　cried

the　Mayor；　and　tried　to　run　after　the　Piper。



But　the　very　same　music　that　made　the

children　dance　made　the　grown…up　people　stand

stock…still；　it　was　as　if　their　feet　had　been　tied

to　the　ground；　they　could　not　move　a　muscle。

There　they　stood　and　saw　the　Piper　move　slowly

down　the　street；　playing　his　little　tune；　with　the

children　at　his　heels。　　On　and　on　he　went；　on

and　on　the　children　danced；　till　he　came　to　the

bank　of　the　river。



〃Oh；　oh！　　He　will　drown　our　children　in　the

river！〃　cried　the　people。　　But　the　Piper　turned

and　went　along　by　the　bank；　and　all　the　children

followed　after。　　Up；　and　up；　and　up　the

hill　they　went；　straight　toward　the　mountain

which　is　like　the　roof　of　a　house。　　And　just

as　they　got　to　it；　the　mountain　OPENED；like　two

great　doors；　and　the　Piper　went　in　through　the

opening；　playing　the　little　tune；　and　the　children

danced　after　himandjust　as　they　got　through

the　great　doors　slid　together　again　and　shut

them　all　in！　　Every　single　one。　　No；　there　was

one　little　lame　child；　who　couldn't　keep　up　with

the　rest　and　didn't　get　there　in　time。　　But　none

of　his　little　companions　ever　came　back　any

more；　not　one。



But　years　and　years　afterward；　when　the

fat　old　rat　who　swam　across　the　river　was　a

grandfather；　his　children　used　to　ask　him；

〃What　made　you　follow　the　music；　Grandfather？〃

and　he　used　to　tell　them；　〃My　dears；

when　I　heard　that　tune　I　thought　I　heard　the

moving　aside　of　pickle…tub　boards；　and　the　leaving