1. ۱Hamelin town's in Brunswick,
2. ۲By famous Hanover city;
3. ۳The river Weser, deep and wide,
4. ۴Washes its walls on either side;
5. ۵A pleasanter spot you never spied;
6. ۶But, when begins my ditty,
7. ۷Almost five hundred years ago,
8. ۸To see the townsfolk suffer so
9. ۹From vermin, was a pity.
10. ۱۰
11. ۱۱ Rats!
12. ۱۲They fought the dogs and killed the cats,
13. ۱۳And bit the babies in the cradles,
14. ۱۴And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
15. ۱۵And licked the soup from the cooks' own ladles,
16. ۱۶Split open the kegs of salted sprats.
17. ۱۷Made nests inside men's Sunday hats.
18. ۱۸And even spoiled the women's chats
19. ۱۹By drowning their speaking
20. ۲۰With shrieking and squeaking
21. ۲۱In fifty different sharps and flats.
22. ۲۲
23. ۲۳At last the people in a body
24. ۲۴To the Town Hall came flocking:
25. ۲۵"'Tis clear," cried they, "our Mayor's a noddy;
26. ۲۶And as for our Corporation, shocking
27. ۲۷To think we buy gowns lined with ermine
28. ۲۸For dolts that can't or won't determine
29. ۲۹What's best to rid us of our vermin!
30. ۳۰You hope, because you're old and obese,
31. ۳۱To find in the furry civic robe ease!
32. ۳۲Rouse up, sirs! give your brains a racking
33. ۳۳To find the remedy we're lacking,
34. ۳۴Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!"
35. ۳۵At this the Mayor and Corporation
36. ۳۶Quaked with a mighty consternation.
37. ۳۷
38. ۳۸An hour they sat in council;
39. ۳۹At length the Mayor broke silence:
40. ۴۰"For a guilder I'd my ermine gown sell,
41. ۴۱I wish I were a mile hence!
42. ۴۲It's easy to bid one rack one's brain--
43. ۴۳I'm sure my poor head aches again,
44. ۴۴I've scratched it so, and all in vain.
45. ۴۵Oh for a trap, a trap, a trap!"
46. ۴۶Just as he said this, what should hap
47. ۴۷At the chamber door but a gentle tap?
48. ۴۸"Bless us," cried the Mayor, "what's that?"
49. ۴۹(With the Corporation as he sat,
50. ۵۰Looking little, though wondrous fat;
51. ۵۱Nor brighter was his eye, nor moister
52. ۵۲Than a too-long-opened oyster,
53. ۵۳Save when at noon his paunch grew mutinous
54. ۵۴For a plate of turtle, green and glutinous)
55. ۵۵"Only a scraping of shoes on the mat?
56. ۵۶Anything like the sound of a rat
57. ۵۷Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!"
58. ۵۸
59. ۵۹"Come in!"--the Mayor cried, looking bigger:
60. ۶۰And in did come the strangest figure!
61. ۶۱His ... long coat from heel to head
62. ۶۲Was half of yellow and half of red,
63. ۶۳And he himself was tall and thin,
64. ۶۴With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin,
65. ۶۵With light loose hair, yet swarthy skin,
66. ۶۶No tuft on cheek, nor beard on chin,
67. ۶۷But lips where smiles went out and in;
68. ۶۸There was no guessing his kith and kin:
69. ۶۹And nobody could enough admire
70. ۷۰The tall man and his quaint attire.
71. ۷۱Quoth one: "It's as my great grandsire,
72. ۷۲Starting up at the Trump of Doom's tone,
73. ۷۳Had walked his way from his painted tombstone!"
74. ۷۴
75. ۷۵He advanced to the council-table:
76. ۷۶And, "Please your honors," said he, "I'm able,
77. ۷۷By means of a secret charm, to draw
78. ۷۸All creatures living beneath the sun,
79. ۷۹That creep or swim or fly or run,
80. ۸۰After me so as you never saw!
81. ۸۱And I chiefly use my charm
82. ۸۲On creatures that do people harm,
83. ۸۳The mole and toad and newt and viper;
84. ۸۴And people call me the Pied Piper."
85. ۸۵(And here they noticed round his neck
86. ۸۶A scarf of red and yellow stripe,
87. ۸۷To match with his coat of self-same cheque:
88. ۸۸And at the scarf's end hung a pipe;
89. ۸۹And his fingers, they noticed, were ever straying,
90. ۹۰As if impatient to be playing
91. ۹۱Upon this pipe, as low it dangled
92. ۹۲Over his vesture so old-fangled.)
93. ۹۳"Yet," said he, "poor piper as I am,
94. ۹۴In Tartary I freed the Cham,
95. ۹۵Last June, from his huge swarms of gnats;
96. ۹۶I eased in Asia the Nizam
97. ۹۷Of a monstrous brood of vampire-bats:
98. ۹۸And as for what your brain bewilders,
99. ۹۹If I can rid your town of rats
100. ۱۰۰Will you give me a thousand guilders?"
101. ۱۰۱"One? fifty thousand!"--was the exclamation
102. ۱۰۲Of the astonished Mayor and Corporation.
103. ۱۰۳
104. ۱۰۴Into the street the Piper stept,
105. ۱۰۵Smiling first a little smile,
106. ۱۰۶As if he knew what magic slept
107. ۱۰۷In his quiet pipe the while:
108. ۱۰۸Then, like a musical adept,
109. ۱۰۹To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled,
110. ۱۱۰And green and blue his sharp eyes twinkled,
111. ۱۱۱Like a candle-flame where salt is sprinkled;
112. ۱۱۲And ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered,
113. ۱۱۳You heard as if an army muttered:
114. ۱۱۴And the muttering grew to a grumbling;
115. ۱۱۵And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;
116. ۱۱۶And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.
117. ۱۱۷Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,
118. ۱۱۸Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats,
119. ۱۱۹Grave old plodders, ... young friskers,
120. ۱۲۰Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,
121. ۱۲۱Cocking tails and pricking whiskers,
122. ۱۲۲ Families by tens and dozens,
123. ۱۲۳Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives--
124. ۱۲۴Followed the Piper for their lives.
125. ۱۲۵From street to street he piped advancing,
126. ۱۲۶And step for step they followed dancing,
127. ۱۲۷Until they came to the river Weser,
128. ۱۲۸Wherein all plunged and perished!
129. ۱۲۹--Save one, who, stout as Julius Cæsar,
130. ۱۳۰Swam across and lived to carry
131. ۱۳۱(As he, the manuscript he cherished)
132. ۱۳۲To Rat-land home his commentary:
133. ۱۳۳Which was: "At the first shrill notes of the pipe,
134. ۱۳۴I heard a sound as of scraping tripe,
135. ۱۳۵And putting apples, wondrous ripe,
136. ۱۳۶Into a cider press's gripe;
137. ۱۳۷And a moving away of pickle-tub-boards,
138. ۱۳۸And a leaving ajar of conserve-cupboards,
139. ۱۳۹And a drawing the corks of train-oil-flasks,
140. ۱۴۰And a breaking the hoops of butter-casks:
141. ۱۴۱And it seemed as if a voice
142. ۱۴۲(Sweeter far than by harp or by psaltery
143. ۱۴۳Is breathed) called out, 'Oh, rats, rejoice!
144. ۱۴۴The world is grown to one vast drysaltery!
145. ۱۴۵So munch on, crunch on, take your nuncheon,
146. ۱۴۶Breakfast, supper, dinner, luncheon!'
147. ۱۴۷And just as a bulky sugar-puncheon,
148. ۱۴۸Already staved, like a great sun shone
149. ۱۴۹Glorious scarce an inch before me,
150. ۱۵۰Just as methought it said, 'Come, bore me!'
151. ۱۵۱--I found the Weser rolling o'er me."
152. ۱۵۲
153. ۱۵۳You should have heard the Hamelin people
154. ۱۵۴Ringing the bells till they rocked the steeple.
155. ۱۵۵"Go," cried the Mayor, "and get long poles,
156. ۱۵۶Poke out the nests and block up the holes!
157. ۱۵۷Consult with carpenters and builders,
158. ۱۵۸And leave in our town, not even a trace
159. ۱۵۹Of the rats!"--when suddenly, up the face
160. ۱۶۰Of the Piper perked in the market-place,
161. ۱۶۱With a, "First, if you please, my thousand guilders!"
162. ۱۶۲
163. ۱۶۳A thousand guilders! The Mayor looked blue;
164. ۱۶۴So did the Corporation, too.
165. ۱۶۵For council dinners made rare havoc
166. ۱۶۶With Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hock;
167. ۱۶۷And half the money would replenish
168. ۱۶۸Their cellar's biggest butt with Rhenish.
169. ۱۶۹To pay this sum to a wandering fellow
170. ۱۷۰With a gypsy coat of red and yellow!
171. ۱۷۱"Beside," quoth the Mayor, with a knowing wink,
172. ۱۷۲"Our business was done at the river's brink;
173. ۱۷۳We saw with our eyes the vermin sink,
174. ۱۷۴And what's dead can't come to life, I think.
175. ۱۷۵So, friend, we're not the folks to shrink
176. ۱۷۶From the duty of giving you something for drink,
177. ۱۷۷And a matter of money to put in your poke;
178. ۱۷۸But as for the guilders, what we spoke
179. ۱۷۹Of them, as you very well know, was in joke.
180. ۱۸۰Beside, our losses have made us thrifty.
181. ۱۸۱A thousand guilders! Come, take fifty!"
182. ۱۸۲
183. ۱۸۳The Piper's face fell, and he cried,
184. ۱۸۴"No trifling! I can't wait! Beside,
185. ۱۸۵I've promised to visit by dinner-time
186. ۱۸۶Bagdat, and accept the prime
187. ۱۸۷Of the Head-Cook's pottage, all he's rich in,
188. ۱۸۸For having left, in the Caliph's kitchen,
189. ۱۸۹Of a nest of scorpions no survivor:
190. ۱۹۰With him I proved no bargain-driver,
191. ۱۹۱With you, don't think I'll bate a stiver!
192. ۱۹۲And folks who put me in a passion
193. ۱۹۳May find me pipe after another fashion."
194. ۱۹۴
195. ۱۹۵"How?" cried the Mayor, "d'ye think I brook
196. ۱۹۶Being worse treated than a cook?
197. ۱۹۷Insulted by a lazy ribald
198. ۱۹۸With idle pipe and vesture piebald?
199. ۱۹۹You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst!
200. ۲۰۰Blow your pipe there till you burst!"
201. ۲۰۱
202. ۲۰۲Once more he stept into the street,
203. ۲۰۳ And to his lips again
204. ۲۰۴Laid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;
205. ۲۰۵ And ere he blew three notes (such sweet,
206. ۲۰۶Soft notes as yet musician's cunning
207. ۲۰۷ Never gave the enraptured air)
208. ۲۰۸There was a rustling that seemed like a bustling
209. ۲۰۹Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling;
210. ۲۱۰Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,
211. ۲۱۱Little hands clapping, and little tongues chattering,
212. ۲۱۲And, like fowls in a farm-yard, when barley is scattering,
213. ۲۱۳Out came the children running.
214. ۲۱۴All the little boys and girls.
215. ۲۱۵With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,
216. ۲۱۶And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,
217. ۲۱۷Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
218. ۲۱۸The wonderful music with shouting and laughter.
219. ۲۱۹
220. ۲۲۰The Mayor was dumb, and the Council stood
221. ۲۲۱As if they were changed into blocks of wood.
222. ۲۲۲Unable to move a step, or cry
223. ۲۲۳To the children merrily skipping by,
224. ۲۲۴--Could only follow with the eye
225. ۲۲۵That joyous crowd at the piper's back.
226. ۲۲۶But how the Mayor was on the rack,
227. ۲۲۷And the wretched Council's bosom beat,
228. ۲۲۸As the Piper turned from the High Street
229. ۲۲۹To where the Weser rolled its waters,
230. ۲۳۰Right in the way of their sons and daughters!
231. ۲۳۱However, he turned from South to West,
232. ۲۳۲And to Koppelberg Hill his steps addressed,
233. ۲۳۳And after him the children pressed:
234. ۲۳۴Great was the joy in every ....
235. ۲۳۵"He never can cross that mighty top!
236. ۲۳۶He's forced to let the piping drop,
237. ۲۳۷And we shall see our children stop."
238. ۲۳۸When lo, as they reached the mountain-side,
239. ۲۳۹A wondrous portal opened wide,
240. ۲۴۰As if a cavern were suddenly hollowed;
241. ۲۴۱And the Piper advanced, and the children followed,
242. ۲۴۲And when all were in, to the very last,
243. ۲۴۳The door in the mountain-side shut fast.
244. ۲۴۴Did I say all? No! One was lame,
245. ۲۴۵And could not dance the whole of the way;
246. ۲۴۶And in after years, if you would blame
247. ۲۴۷His sadness, he was used to say,--
248. ۲۴۸"It's dull in our town since my playmates left!
249. ۲۴۹I can't forget that I'm bereft
250. ۲۵۰Of all the pleasant sights they see,
251. ۲۵۱Which the Piper also promised me.
252. ۲۵۲For he led us, he said, to a joyous land.
253. ۲۵۳Joining the town, and just at hand,
254. ۲۵۴Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew,
255. ۲۵۵And flowers put forth a fairer hue,
256. ۲۵۶And everything was strange and new:
257. ۲۵۷The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here,
258. ۲۵۸And their dogs outran our fallow deer.
259. ۲۵۹And honey-bees had lost their stings,
260. ۲۶۰And horses were born with eagles' wings;
261. ۲۶۱And just as I became assured,
262. ۲۶۲My lame foot would be speedily cured,
263. ۲۶۳The music stopped and I stood still,
264. ۲۶۴And found myself outside the hill,
265. ۲۶۵Left alone against my will,
266. ۲۶۶To go now limping as before.
267. ۲۶۷And never hear of that country more!"
268. ۲۶۸
269. ۲۶۹Alas, alas for Hamelin!
270. ۲۷۰ There came into many a burgher's pate
271. ۲۷۱ A text which says that Heaven's gate
272. ۲۷۲ Opes to the rich at as easy a rate
273. ۲۷۳As the needle's eye takes a camel in!
274. ۲۷۴The Mayor sent East, West, North, and South,
275. ۲۷۵To offer the Piper, by word of mouth,
276. ۲۷۶ Wherever it was men's lot to find him,
277. ۲۷۷Silver and gold to his heart's content,
278. ۲۷۸If he'd only return the way he went,
279. ۲۷۹ And bring the children behind him.
280. ۲۸۰But when they saw 'twas a lost endeavor,
281. ۲۸۱And Piper and dancers were gone forever,
282. ۲۸۲They made a decree that lawyers never
283. ۲۸۳ Should think their records dated duly
284. ۲۸۴If, after the day of the month and year,
285. ۲۸۵These words did not as well appear,
286. ۲۸۶ "And so long after what happened here
287. ۲۸۷ On the twenty-second of July,
288. ۲۸۸Thirteen hundred and seventy-six;"
289. ۲۸۹And the better in memory to fix
290. ۲۹۰The place of the children's last retreat,
291. ۲۹۱They called it the Pied Piper's Street--
292. ۲۹۲Where any one playing on pipe or tabor
293. ۲۹۳Was sure for the future to lose his labour.
294. ۲۹۴Nor suffered they hostelry or tavern
295. ۲۹۵ To shock with mirth a street so solemn;
296. ۲۹۶But opposite the place of the cavern
297. ۲۹۷ They wrote the story on a column,
298. ۲۹۸And on the great church window painted
299. ۲۹۹The same, to make the world acquainted
300. ۳۰۰How their children were stolen away.
301. ۳۰۱And there it stands to this very day.
302. ۳۰۲And I must not omit to say
303. ۳۰۳That in Transylvania there's a tribe
304. ۳۰۴Of alien people who ascribe
305. ۳۰۵The outlandish ways and dress
306. ۳۰۶On which their neighbours lay such stress,
307. ۳۰۷To their fathers and mothers having risen
308. ۳۰۸Out of some subterraneous prison
309. ۳۰۹Into which they were trepanned
310. ۳۱۰Long time ago in a mighty band
311. ۳۱۱Out of Hamelin town in Brunswick land,
312. ۳۱۲But how or why, they don't understand.
313. ۳۱۳
314. ۳۱۴So, Willy, let me and you be wipers
315. ۳۱۵Of scores out with all men--especially pipers!
316. ۳۱۶And, whether they pipe us free from rats or from mice,
317. ۳۱۷If we've promised them aught, let us keep our promise!