Read The Pied Piper of Hamelin Online
Once upon a time, there was a town called Hamelin. It was a lovely place, with colorful houses, narrow streets, and a square where people gathered every day. Its people worked, talked, and lived peacefully, until a big problem suddenly appeared.
One day, rats began to arrive. At first there were only a few, but very soon there were far too many. There were rats in the streets, in the houses, in the shops, and in the barns. They ran everywhere, climbed onto tables, chewed the food, and frightened both adults and children.
The people of the town no longer knew what to do. The bakers could not protect their bread, the shopkeepers were losing their food, and families could not sleep peacefully at night. The children were frightened to see so many rats running in and out of every corner.
In the square, everyone spoke at the same time.
—We cannot go on like this! —said a woman.
—The rats are everywhere! —shouted a shopkeeper.
—We must find a solution! —said another neighbor.
Then the mayor of the town decided to gather everyone together.
—Listen to me carefully —he said in a serious voice—. We will offer a good reward to whoever can free us from these rats.
The news spread all over Hamelin. Many people heard the announcement, but no one knew how to end that terrible plague. One day passed, then another, and the problem kept growing.
Until one morning, a very strange man arrived in the town. He wore a long, colorful coat, a bright hat, and in his hands he carried a flute. He walked calmly and looked around with great attention.
When he reached the square, he came up to the mayor.
—I have heard that you need help —said the man—. I can take all the rats away from Hamelin.
The mayor looked at him in surprise.
—You? —he asked—. And how will you do that?
The man lifted his flute a little and replied:
—Leave that to me. But if I keep my word, you must give me the reward you promised.
The mayor, who was already desperate, agreed at once.
—Very well —he said—. If you manage to drive away all the rats, you will receive your payment.
The piper nodded and walked to one of the streets of the town. There he raised his flute, closed his eyes for a moment, and began to play a soft and strange melody. The sound was so special that it seemed to fill the air completely.
Little by little, something incredible began to happen.
Rats came out of the houses.
Rats came out of the barns.
From the shops, from the roofs, from the corners, and from the holes came more and more rats.
All of them moved forward, following the piper’s music.
The people of Hamelin watched with wide eyes.
—It is working! —said a woman.
—Look at how many rats are following him! —cried a child.
The piper kept walking without stopping his music. The rats followed him in a long line that seemed never to end. He crossed the streets, passed through the square, and left the town until he reached a river.
Then he kept playing beside the water, and the rats, still following the music, went into the river one after another, until not a single one was left.
The piper returned quietly to Hamelin. For the first time in a long while, the town was silent. There were no more rats in the houses or in the streets. Everything was clean and calm again.
The man went to the mayor.
—I have done my part —he said—. Now I expect my reward.
But the mayor, seeing that the problem had already been solved, changed his attitude. He thought that he no longer needed the piper and that he could keep the money.
—We will give you less than what was promised —he said—. After all, you only played a flute.
The piper looked at him seriously.
—That is not what we agreed —he replied—. You must keep your word.
But the mayor crossed his arms.
—That is all you will get —he said—. And you should be satisfied with it.
The piper did not shout or argue any further. He stayed silent for a few seconds, looked around, and then spoke in a firm voice.
—If the town does not keep its promise, it will regret it.
After saying this, he turned around and left.
The next day, when the sun was just beginning to light the streets, the piper returned to Hamelin. This time, his melody was different. It sounded sweet, cheerful, and light, like a song that made the heart want to dance.
The children of the town heard it from their homes.
—What beautiful music! —said a little girl.
—I want to see where it is coming from! —said a little boy.
One by one, they began to leave their houses. They left their games, their breakfasts, and their conversations, and walked after the piper, following the music. They smiled, skipped, and moved along enchanted by that melody.
Soon, many children were walking behind him through the streets of Hamelin.
When the parents noticed, they ran outside in a hurry.
—Wait! —they shouted.
—Come back! —the mothers called.
But the children kept walking, listening only to the music.
The mayor ran into the square when he heard the noise.
—What is happening? —he asked in fear.
Then he saw the piper walking away with the children following behind him.
—Stop! —shouted the mayor—. Please, stop!
But it was too late. The piper kept moving, and the children followed him out of the town. As the story tells, they disappeared beyond a hill or into a distant cave, and Hamelin was left full of sadness and silence.
The people cried with deep sorrow. Then they understood that they had made a terrible mistake. They had not been fair to the man who helped them. They had not kept their promise, and because of that, they suffered a great loss.
The mayor lowered his head, full of shame.
—I should have kept my promise —he said sadly—. Now it is too late.
From that day on, no one in Hamelin ever forgot that story. Everyone remembered that making a promise is something serious and that we must not deceive someone who has acted honestly.
And so, the town learned that keeping your word is very important, because when a promise is broken, the consequences can be very painful.
The end
