Chapter 14

_Mayor 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!

_Fifth Citizen._ They are so bold they are always fighting with the dogs and cats!

_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 guilder! It is no easy thing to be mayor and I wish I was a plowboy in the country! Try to think of something to do.

_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.

_Mayor._ He looks like the picture of my grandsire. What is your name, and your business, my man?

_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!