THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN. 15

“ Yet,” said he, “ poor piper as I ae

In Tartary I freed the Cham,

Last June, from his huge swarms of gnats;

I eased in Asia the Nizam

Of a monstrous brood of vampire-bats :

And as for what your brain bewilders,

If I can rid your town of rats

Will you give me a thousand guilders ?”

“One? fifty thousand!” — was the excla-
mation

Of the astonished Mayor and Corporation.

VII.

Into the street the Piper stept,
Smiling first a little smile,
As if he knew what magic slept
In his quiet pipe the while ;
Then, like a musical adept,
To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled,
And green and blue his sharp eyes twinkled,
Like a candle-flame where salt is sprinkled ;
And ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered,
You heard as if an army muttered ;
And the muttering grew to a grumbling;
And the grumbling grew to a mighty rum-
bling ;
And out of the houses the rats came tum-
- bling.