INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TRUE STORY BEHIND ‘THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN’

The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is well known. This dark European folktale with unsettling themes of ingratitude and terrible vengeance has been told and retold for generations. The tale goes something like this:

In the year 1284, there was a serious rat problem in Hamelin, which was at that time a prosperous port on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. Barges full of corn and wheat arrived every day which was ground in the mills and made into bread and cakes in the bakeries. But the rats came and ate all the corn and the wheat, and the bread and the cakes, and there were fleas everywhere. The town mayor announced a prize of 1,000 gold guilders to anyone who could free Hamelin of rats.

The very next day a mysterious man in bright colourful clothing arrived in town. He claimed to be a rat-catcher, and he prom- ised to get rid of all the mice and rats in Hamelin for the promised sum. The ‘Pied Piper’ then took out a small fife from his pocket and began to play a tune. As the townsfolk watched in awe, thousands of rats came scurrying out of houses and gutters and warehouses and bakeries and began to follow the Pied Piper. Still playing his fife, the Piper led the mass of mesmerised rats out of town and into the Weser River where they jumped one by one into the water and drowned.

When the Pied Piper returned to the town square to collect his prize, the mayor laughed and gave him only 50 guilders. Enraged, the Piper stomped out of town but not before swearing revenge.

The piper returned dressed in green and began playing a different tune. The town’s children followed him into the mountain where they all disappeared.

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