A long time ago, the town of Hamelin was plagued by a terrible plague of rats.
The rats were everywhere. In the houses and cellars, in pantries,
barrels and boxes. They ate everything. Everyone was desperate because there was almost nothing left to eat. One day a young boy came to town. He was dressed in bright colors. He went to the mayor and said:
"I can rid you of the rats if you give me 300 guilders."
"You shall have 300 guilders," said the mayor, "when all the rats have disappeared." Then the rat catcher went to the market square, took his little silver whistle and blew it. It wasn't long before the rats came running from all sides. They came out of the houses and from the roofs. The whole crowd of rats gathered around the rat catcher. He slowly walked down the street to the river. All the rats
followed him. The boy went into the river up to his knees, the rats
followed him and all drowned. The citizens could hardly believe what they had seen. All the rats had disappeared. The mayor and the town councilors were very happy. But they also thought of the large amount of money they had promised the rat catcher. They did not want to give it to him. "Who knows whether the rats will come back," said the treasurer. "We will only give him half his wages," said the mayor. Everyone agreed to that. When the rat catcher came to collect his wages, the mayor only gave him 150 guilders. The rat catcher became angry. A few weeks later the rat catcher came again.
He again stood in the market square and blew. But this time no rats came. The children heard the piper and came out of the houses and gathered around the rat catcher. Soon they began to sing and dance and followed the Pied Piper out of the city in a long procession. The children were never heard from again.