# 25 The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Some say this event took place in the town of Hamelin. This town is in Germany. (It is now spelled Hamelin.) The town was infested by rats. The rats ate the grain in the fields. They ate the grain in the storehouses. They ate the food in people's homes. Some rats were so large that cats were afraid of them. People feared the spread of disease. They were desperate.

One day a man appeared in town. He was dressed in a suit of many colors. He listened to the problem. He offered to rid the town of the rats. "All of them," he said. The people gasped at the promise. How happy they would be if it could be done. The mayor wanted to know the price. The man stated a sum of money. The mayor agreed. The people cheered. Could he really carry out his promise? The mayor asked when he could start. The man said, "Right now."

Here is what he did. He drew out his pipe. He tested it with a few notes. Then he walked along the streets. He played a haunting tune. The people lined the sidewalks. Everyone was watching. What they saw amazed them. With the first note, noises from the cellars and gutters were heard. Then hordes of rats came scrambling into the street. The road was just solid with rats. Gray ones, black ones, young ones, and old ones. They followed the piper. The tune was magical. It was like an unseen magnet. The air was filled with squeals and the swish of little feet.

The Piper never looked back. He headed for the Weser River. He kept piping, and the rats followed him. He stepped into a small rowboat and gently pushed off. The rats plunged after him into the water. They tried to swim but went under. The slow current floated them down stream.

# 25 哈梅林的彩衣笛手

有人說這個事件發生在哈梅林鎮。這個鎮在德國。（現在拼寫為Hamelin。）這個鎮鼠患成災。老鼠吃田裡的穀物。牠們吃倉庫裡的穀物。牠們吃人們家中的食物。有些老鼠大到連貓都害怕牠們。人們擔心疾病傳播。他們絕望了。

一天，一個男人出現在鎮上。他穿著一件色彩繽紛的衣服。他聽取了問題。他提議為鎮子清除老鼠。「所有老鼠，」他說。人們對這個承諾感到震驚。如果這能實現，他們會多麼高興啊。鎮長想知道價格。那人說了一個金額。鎮長同意了。人們歡呼起來。他真的能履行他的承諾嗎？鎮長問他什麼時候可以開始。那人說：「現在就行。」

以下是他所做的。他拿出他的笛子。他試吹了幾個音符。然後他沿著街道行走。他吹奏著一首縈繞心頭的曲調。人們排列在人行道上。每個人都在觀看。他們所看到的令他們驚嘆。隨著第一個音符，從地窖和排水溝傳來了噪音。然後成群的老鼠爭先恐後地湧上街道。路上擠滿了老鼠。灰色的、黑色的、年輕的和年老的。牠們跟隨著笛手。那曲調具有魔力。就像一塊看不見的磁鐵。空氣中充滿了吱吱聲和小腳丫的嗖嗖聲。

笛手從不回頭。他朝著威悉河走去。他不停地吹奏，老鼠跟隨著他。他踏上一艘小划艇，輕輕推離岸邊。老鼠跟在他後面跳進水裡。牠們試圖游泳但沉了下去。緩慢的水流載著牠們順流而下。