The Pied Piper The Story

Once upon a time, there existed a little town called Hamelin. It was a prosperous and happy town, and should have been the perfect place to live. But there was one big problem -- rats!

No one knows where or why these pests came to Hamelin. Maybe one of them found a lot of food, or learned that there were no cats, and decided to tell all of his friends. Whatever the cause, the town soon became home to a large and growing population of these bothersome rodents. As time went by, the rats became so bold, that they stole food right from under people's noses.

The desperate townspeople petitioned the Mayor to take care of this vexing problem. But she had other things on her mind -- namely, a statue of herself. She had commissioned this work to ensure that she would never be forgotten by her subjects. Only when her assistant, Mr. Farnsworth, urged her did she even begin to think about the issue of the rats.

Fortunately for the town, a wandering musician happened to hear about Hamelin's problem, and decided to offer her services. Introducing herself to the Mayor, the Pied Piper said that she would get rid of the rats -- for a fee. The Mayor, happy that a solution had so readily presented herself, agreed to the musician's terms.

The Piper started to stroll out of town, playing her pipe all the while. As the music continued, the rats were drawn out of their hiding places, and began to follow the musician. So when she exited Hamelin, still piping, all of the rats left with her.

The Mayor was extremely pleased that the rats were gone. But, she realized, she now had to fulfill her end of the bargain. The problem was that there was just enough money to pay either the Piper, or the sculptor -- not both. So the Mayor, unwilling to give up her statue, announced to the townspeople that she had driven away the rats. Moreover, she refused to give the Piper the agreed-upon fee.

The Piper, furious at the Mayor, began to play a different tune on her pipe. Now it was the children who were drawn by the musician's mysterious tune; one by one, they came to the Piper, who began to stroll out of town.

It was not long before everyone realized their children were disappearing. The Mayor, feeling guilty and upset (and not just because her daughter was missing), confided in Mr. Farnsworth. They began searching for the children, and eventually happened across the Piper and his followers.

The Mayor finally gave the musician what she owed; then, having learned her lesson, she resigned her office. Her last act was proposing that her loyal assistant, Mr. Farnsworth, be her successor; the people applauded, and the new Mayor issued his first proclamation: "Let's go home and eat!" From that time on, Hamelin was never plagued by rats -- and it always paid the piper.

Production Credits | Characters | The Story