  PERSONS IN THE PLAY—Mayor, First Councilman, Second Councilman, Third Councilman, Ten Citizens, Piper Scene I.—The Mayor's OfficeMayor and Councilmen, sitting around a table.—Citizens come in. First Citizen. Our Mayor is a noddy! Second Citizen. Look at our corporation sitting in the gowns we pay for, and doing nothing! Third Citizen. See here, how the rats made a nest in my Sunday hat! Fourth Citizen. When I was cooking dinner the bold rats licked the soup from my ladle! Sixth Citizen. Yes, and they kill them, too! Seventh Citizen. My baby cried in his sleep, and when I went to him there was a big rat in his cradle. Eighth Citizen. What are you going to do about it, Mr. Mayor? Ninth Citizen. You'd better wake up, sirs! Don't go to sleep over this! Tenth Citizen. I tell you, you'll have to do something to save us from this army of rats! First Councilman. What can we do? Second Councilman. I'm sure we've tried everything, but every day the rats grow worse and worse. Third Councilman. I'm sure it isn't very pleasant for us to have the city overrun with the creatures! Mayor. I'd sell my ermine gown for a First Councilman. It is easy to bid us rack our own brains! Second Councilman. I'm sure my head aches trying to think. Third Councilman. I've wondered and thought, till I've no thoughts left. Mayor. Oh! if I only had a great big trap! Yes, a thousand big traps! Bless us, what noise is that? Is it a rat?—Come in! [Enter Piper.] First Councilman. Who is this who dares to come into the Mayor's office without an introduction? Second Councilman. Hasn't he a funny coat? Third Councilman. But what a pleasant face! He smiles all the time. Pied Piper. Please your honors, my name is Pied Piper. My business is to play upon my pipe. I can charm with the magic of my notes all things to do my will. But I use my charm on creatures that do people harm, the toad, the mole, and the viper, and rats—rats! Mayor. Rats! Well, then, you're the man we want. We'll pay you a thousand guilders if you'll free our town of rats. Piper. A thousand guilders! Done! It's a bargain! Scene II.—Same as Scene I. The Mayor and Councilmen looking out of windowMayor. There he goes down the street. First Councilman. What a strange looking pipe he plays! Second Councilman. I believe it must be a magic one. Mayor. Look, look at the rats! Did you ever see such a sight! First Councilman. The streets are crowded with them! Big and little, brown, black, and gray, they are tumbling over each other in their hurry! Second Councilman. Sir! he is going toward the bridge. Third Councilman. They must think he is playing a tune of apples and cheese! Mayor. There they are at the river. They are plunging in! they will be drowned! First Councilman. Good for the piper! Mayor. Ring the bells for the people. Tell them to get long poles, poke out the nests and block up the holes! Second Councilman. Here comes the Piper. Third Councilman. That was well done, Mr. Piper. Mayor. Pay! why what have you done? Just played a tune on your pipe. You must be joking. Piper. You promised— First Councilman. You impudent fellow! You certainly don't think a tune on your pipe is worth one thousand guilders? There is no work in that. Second Councilman. The rats are dead and can't come to life again, I think! Mayor. My friend, we are much obliged, of course. We are much obliged and will gladly give you fifty guilders. You know your time is not worth more. Piper. No trifling, pray. I'll have what you promised, or you may find that I'll play a tune you do not like! Mayor. What! do you threaten us, fellow? Do what you please. Do you think we care? Play on your old pipe whatever tune you wish. [Goes out.] Mayor. What does the lazy fellow mean by his threats? First Councilman. Hear his wonderful music! Listen. Second Councilman. Oh! what is he doing! See the children! Third Councilman. They are following Mayor. Let me see! O woe! there are my own three lovely children. Run, some one, and stop them! Third Councilman. I'll go; I'll go. [Runs out.] Mayor. It is useless. Every child in our city is following the magic sound. Second Councilman. The music seems to say: "Come, children, to the wonderful land of play. There flowers and fruits will welcome you. The birds and beasts will play with you, and you will never be sad or sorry in the wonderful land of play." No wonder the children follow the Piper. Third Councilman (enters). The children and the Piper have all disappeared! A mountain opened and let them in! First Councilman. The children, the blessed children, have gone! What shall we do without the children? Mayor. Oh, wicked man that I am! Second Councilman. Yes, we are all wicked men, and we are punished for not keeping our word. Mayor. Let us write this sad story on a column so that all may read; and let us paint the picture of the Piper with our little ones following him, on a church window, so that all men may know how our children have been stolen away. First Councilman. And may this sad story teach us all to keep our word with every one. |
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