Fairy Tales, Now First Collected/Tale 6
TALE VI.
THE PIED PIPER.
There came into the town of Hamel, in the countrey of Brunswye [in Saxony], an od kynd of compagnion, who, for the fantastical cote which hee wore, beeing wrought with sundry colours, was called the pyed pyper; for a pyper hee was, besydes his other qualities. This fellow forsooth, offred the townsmen, for a certain somme of mony, to rid the town of all the rattes that were in it (for, at that time, the burgers were with that vermin greatly annoyed). The accord, in fyne, beeing made, the pyed pyper, with a shril pype, went pyping through the streets, and foorthwith the rattes came all running out of the howses in great numbers after him; all which hee led unto the river of Weaser, and therein drowned them. This donne, and no one rat more perceaved to bee left in the town, he afterward came to demaund his reward, according to his bargain: but beeing told that the bargain was not made with him in good earnest, to wit, with an opinion that ever hee could bee able to do such a feat, they cared not what they accorded unto, when they imagyned it could never be deserved, and so never to bee demaunded: but, neverthelesse, seeing hee had donne such an unlykely thing in deed, they were content to give him a good reward, and so offred him far lesse than hee lookt for; but hee, therewith discontented, said he would have his ful recompence, according to his bargain; but they utterly denying to give it him, hee threatened them with revenge; they bad him do his wurst: whereupon he betakes him again to his pype, and, going through the streets as before, was followed of a number of boyes out at one of the gates of the citie; and, coming to a litle hil, there opened in the syde thereof a wyde hole, into the which himself and all the children, beeing in number one hundredth and thirty, did enter; and beeing entred, the hil closed up again, and became as before. A boy, that, beeing lame, and came somwhat lagging behynd the rest, seeing this that hapned, returned presently back, and told what hee had seen. Foorthwith began great lamentation among the parents for their children, and men were sent out with all dilligence, both by land and by water, to enquyre yf ought could bee heard of them: but with all the enquyrie they could possibly use, nothing more then is aforesaid could of them bee understood. In memorie whereof it was then ordayned, That from thence-foorth no drum, pype, or other instrument should bee sounded in the street leading to the gate through which they had passed; nor no osterie to bee there holden: and it was also established, that, from that tyme forward, in all publyke wrytings that should bee made in that town, after the date therein set down of the yeare of our lord, the date of the yeare of the going foorth of their children should bee added; the which they have accordingly ever since continued: and this great wonder hapned on the 22. day of July, in the yeare of our lord one thowsand three hundreth, seaventie and six.[1]
- ↑ Verstegans Restitution of decayed intelligence: Antwerp, 1605, 4to. p. 85.