The Rat Catcher
This is an old story from Germany.
The story is also called The Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Hamelin is a city by a river.
It is a nice city, but the people are not happy.
Hamelin is a city with many rats.
Rats are eating the food!
Rats are eating clothes!
"We need help!" says the mayor.
A man with a pipe comes to the city.
His coat is orange and red.
"For 1000 gold coins, I can make the rats go away. For 1000 gold coins, I can make you happy!" he says.
"Can you?" says the mayor, "I will give you 50,000 gold coins, not 1,000!"
The man plays his pipe.
He walks in the city.
The rats hear the music.
They follow him.
Rats, rats, and more rats!
He walks to the river.
He walks into the river.
The rats walk into the river.
The river takes the rats away.
No more rats!
The people are happy.
The mayor is happy, too.
"Thank you! Thank you!" says the mayor.
"50,000 gold coins, please!" says the man.
"No, no!" says the mayor, "Here are 50 gold coins."
"What is this?" says the man.
He is not happy.
"I'll get you!" he says.
In the morning, the people are sleeping.
The children hear music.
They get out of their beds.
They follow the man.
They walk to a mountain.
A door opens.
They walk into the mountain.
The door closes.
There are no children in Hamelin!
They do not come home.
The people are sad.
The mayor is sad.
Gold coins are good.
But children are better!
