A pleasanter spot you never spied; Rats! They fought the dogs and killed the cats, And ate the cheese out of the vats, And licked the soup from the cooks' own Split open the kegs of salted sprats, At last the people in a body To the Town Hall came flocking: "'Tis clear," cried they, "our Mayor's a noddy; "And as for our Corporation-shocking "To think we buy gowns lined with ermine "For dolts that can't or won't determine "What's best to rid us of our vermin! "You hope, because you're old and obese, "To find in the furry civic robe ease? "Rouse up, sirs! Give your brains a racking "To find the remedy we're lacking, "Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!" At this the Mayor and Corporation Quaked with a mighty consternation. An hour they sat in council, At length the Mayor broke silence: "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- Just as he said this, what should hap Looking little though wondrous fat; Than a too-long-opened oyster, Save when at noon his paunch grew mutinous For a plate of turtle green and glutinous) Anything like the sound of a rat Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!" "Come in!"-the Mayor cried, looking bigger: He advanced to the council-table: And, "Please your honours," 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 "On creatures that do people harm, "The mole and toad and newt and viper; "And people call me the Pied Piper.' (And here they noticed round his neck A scarf of red and yellow stripe, To match with his coat of the self-same cheque; And at the scarf's end hung a pipe; And his fingers, they noticed, were ever straying As if impatient to be playing Upon this pipe, as low it dangled Over his vesture so old-fangled.) "Yet," said he, "poor piper as I am, "In Tartary I freed the Cham, "Last June, from his huge swarms of gnats; "I eased in Asia the Nizam "Of a monstrous brood of vampyre-bats: "And as for what your brain bewilders, "If I can rid your town of rats "Will you give me a thousand guilders?" Into the street the Piper stept, Then, like a musical adept, To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled, Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats, (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 666 "(Sweeter far than bý harp or bý 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, supper, dinner, luncheon!' "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." You should have heard the Hamelin people Ringing the bells till they rocked the steeple. |