'The Pied Piper Of Hamelin' by Robert Browning
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A Child's Story
Hamelin Town's in Brunswick,
By famous Hanover city;
The river Weser, deep and wide,
Washes its wall on the southern side;
A pleasanter spot you never spied;
But, when begins my ditty,
Almost five hundred years ago,
To see the townsfolk suffer so
From vermin, was a pity.
Rats!
They fought the dogs, and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cook's own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women's chats,
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats.
At last the people in a body
To the Town Hall came flocking:
"'Tis clear," cried they, "our Mayor's a noddy;
And as for our Corporation—shocking
To think we buy gowns lined with ermine
For dolts that can't or won't determine
What's best to rid us of our vermin!
You hope, because you're old and obese,
To find in the furry civic robe ease?
Rouse up, Sirs! Give your brains a racking
To find the remedy we're lacking,
Or, sure as fate, we'll send you packing!"
At this the Mayor and Corporation
Quaked with a mighty consternation.
An hour they sate in council,
At length the Mayor broke silence:
"For a guilder I'd my ermine gown sell;
I wish I were a mile hence!
It's easy to bid one rack one's brain—
I'm sure my poor head aches again
I've scratched it so, and all in vain.
Oh for a trap, a trap, a trap!"
Just as he said this, what should hap
At the chamber door but a gentle tap?
"Bless us," cried the Mayor, "what's that?"
(With the Corporation as he sat,
Looking little though wondrous fat;
Nor brighter was his eye, nor moister
Than a too-long-opened oyster,
Save when at noon his paunch grew mutinous
For a plate of turtle green and glutinous)
"Only a scraping of shoes on the mat?
Anything like the sound of a rat
Makes my heart go pit-a-pat!"
"Come in!"—the Mayor cried, looking bigger:
And in did come the strangest figure!
His queer long coat from heel to head
Was half of yellow and half of red;
And he himself was tall and thin,
With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin,
And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin,
No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin,
But lips where smiles went out and in—
There was no guessing his kith and kin!
And nobody could enough admire
The tall man and his quaint attire:
Quoth one: "It's as my great-grandsire,
Starting up at the Trump of Doom's tone,
Had walked this way from his painted tombstone!"
He advanced to the council-table:
And, "Please your honours," said he, "I'm able,
By means of a secret charm, to draw
All creatures living beneath the sun,
That creep or swim or fly or run,
After me so as you never saw!
And I chiefly use my charm
On creatures that do people harm,
The mole and toad and newt and viper;
And people call me the Pied Piper."
(And here they noticed round his neck
A scarf of red and yellow stripe,
To match with his coat of the selfsame cheque;
And at the scarf's end hung a pipe;
And his fingers, they noticed, were ever straying
As if impatient to be playing
Upon this pipe, as low it dangled
Over his vesture so old-fangled.)
"Yet," said he, "poor piper as I am,
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 exclamation
Of the astonished Mayor and Corporation.
Into the street the Piper stepped,
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 rumbling;
And out of the houses the rats came tumbling.
Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,
Brown rats, black rats, grey rats, tawny rats,
Grave old plodders, gay young friskers,
Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,
Cocking tails and pricking whiskers,
Families by tens and dozens,
Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives—
Followed the Piper for their lives.
From street to street he piped advancing,
And step for step they followed dancing,
Until they came to the river Weser,
Wherein all plunged and perished!
- Save one who, stout a Julius Caesar,
Swam across and lived to carry
(As he, the manuscript he cherished)
To Rat-land home his commentary:
Which was, "At the first shrill notes of the pipe
I heard a sound as of scraping tripe,
And putting apples, wondrous ripe,
Into a cider-press's gripe:
And a moving away of pickle-tub-boards,
And a leaving ajar of conserve-cupboards,
And a drawing the corks of train-oil-flasks,
And a breaking the hoops of butter-casks;
And it seemed as if a voice
(Sweeter far than by harp or by psaltery
Is breathed) called out 'Oh, rats, rejoice!
The world is grown to one vast drysaltery!
So munch on, crunch on, take your nuncheon,
Breakfast, supper, dinner, luncheon!'
And just as a bulky sugar-puncheon,
All ready staved, like a great sun shone
Glorious scarce and inch before me,
Just as methought it said 'Come, bore me!'
- I found the Weser rolling o'er me."
You should have heard the Hamelin people
Ringing the bells till they rocked the steeple.
"Go," cried the Mayor, "and get long poles!
Poke out the nests and block up the holes!
Consult with carpenters and builders,
And leave in our town not even a trace
Of the rats!"—when suddenly, up the face
Of the Piper perked in the market-place,
With a, "First, if you please, my thousand guilders!"
A thousand guilders! The Mayor looked blue;
So did the Corporation too.
For council dinners made rare havoc
With Claret, Moselle, Vin-de-Grave, Hock;
And half the money would replenish
Their cellar's biggest butt with Rhenish.
To pay this sum to a wandering fellow
With a gypsy coat of red and yellow!
"Beside," quoth the Mayor with a knowing wink,
"Our business was done at the river's brink;
We saw with our eyes the vermin sink,
And what's dead can't come to life, I think.
So, friend, we're not the folks to shrink
From the duty of giving you something for drink,
And a matter of money to put in your poke;
But, as for the guilders, what we spoke
Of them, as you very well know, was in joke.
Beside, our losses have made us thrifty.
A thousand guilders! Come, take fifty!"
The Piper's face fell, and he cried
"No trifling! I can't wait, beside!
I've promised to visit by dinner-time
Bagdat, and accept the prime
Of the Head Cook's pottage, all he's rich in,
For having left, in the Calip's kitchen,
Of a nest of scorpions no survivor—
With him I proved no bargain-driver,
With you, don't think I'll bate a stiver!
And folks who put me in a passion
May find me pipe to another fashion."
"How?" cried the Mayor, "d'ye think I'll brook
Being worse treated than a Cook?
Insulted by a lazy ribald
With idle pipe and vesture piebald?
You threaten us, fellow? Do your worst,
Blow your pipe there till you burst!"
Once more he stepped into the street;
And to his lips again
Laid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;
And ere he blew three notes (such sweet
Soft notes as yet musician's cunning
Never gave the enraptured air)
There was a rustling, that seemed like a bustling
Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling,
Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,
Little hands clapping and little tongues chattering,
And, like fowls in a farmyard when barley is scattering,
Out came the children running.
All the little boys and girls,
With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
The wonderful music with shouting and laughter.
The Mayor was dumb, and the Council stood
As if they were changed into blocks of wood,
Unable to move a step, or cry
To the children merrily skipping by—
And could only follow with the eye
That joyous crowd at the Piper's back.
But how the Mayor was on the rack,
And the wretched Council's bosoms beat,
As the Piper turned from the High Street
To where the Weser rolled its waters
Right in the way of their sons and daughters!
However he turned from South to West,
And to Koppelberg Hill his steps addressed,
And after him the children pressed;
Great was the joy in every breast.
"He never can cross that mighty top!
He's forced to let the piping drop,
And we shall see our children stop!"
When, lo, as they reached the mountain's side,
A wondrous portal opened wide,
As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed;
And the Piper advanced and the children followed,
And when all were in to the very last,
The door in the mountain-side shut fast.
Did I say, all? No! One was lame,
And could not dance the whole of the way;
And in after years, if you would blame
His sadness, he was used to say,—
"It's dull in our town since my playmates left!
I can't forget that I'm bereft
Of all the pleasant sights they see,
Which the Piper also promised me:
For he led us, he said, to a joyous land,
Joining the town and just at hand,
Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew,
And flowers put forth a fairer hue,
And everything was strange and new;
The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here,
And their dogs outran our fallow deer,
And honey-bees had lost their stings,
And horses were born with eagles' wings:
And just as I became assured
My lame foot would be speedily cured,
The music stopped and I stood still,
And found myself outside the Hill,
Left alone against my will,
To go now limping as before,
And never hear of that country more!"
Alas, alas for Hamelin!
There came into many a burgher's pate
A text which says, that Heaven's Gate
Opes to the Rich at as easy rate
As the needle's eye takes a camel in!
The Mayor sent East, West, North, and South,
To offer the Piper, by word of mouth,
Wherever it was men's lot to find him,
Silver and gold to his heart's content,
If he'd only return the way he went,
And bring the children behind him.
But when they saw 'twas a lost endeavour,
And Piper and dancers were gone for ever,
They made a decree that lawyers never
Should think their records dated duly
If, after the day of the month and year,
These words did not as well appear,
"And so long after what happened here
On the Twenty-second of July,
Thirteen hundred and seventy-six":
And the better in memory to fix
The place of the children's last retreat,
They called it, the Pied Piper's Street—
Where any one playing on pipe or tabor
Was sure for the future to lose his labour.
Nor suffered they hostelry or tavern
To shock with mirth a street so solemn;
But opposite the place of the cavern
They wrote the story on a column,
And on the great Church-Window painted
The same, to make the world acquainted
How their children were stolen away;
And there it stands to this very day.
And I must not omit to say
That in Transylvania there's a tribe
Of alien people that ascribe
The outlandish ways and dress
On which their neighbours lay such stress,
To their fathers and mothers having risen
Out of some subterraneous prison
Into which they were trepanned
Long time ago in a mighty band
Out of Hamelin town in Brunswick land,
But how or why, they don't understand.
So, Willy, let you and me be wipers
Of scores out with all men—especially pipers:
And, whether they pipe us free, from rats or from mice,
If we've promised them aught, let us keep our promise.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Pied Piper of Hamelin: A Mysterious Tale of Greed and Deception
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a classic poem written by Robert Browning that has captivated readers for generations. This mysterious tale of greed and deception has remained relevant for over 150 years, captivating readers with its haunting message and vivid imagery.
The Narrative of the Poem
The narrative of the poem tells the story of a small town, Hamelin, that is overrun by rats. The townspeople are desperate for a solution to their problem, and a mysterious stranger, the Pied Piper, offers to help. The Pied Piper promises to rid the town of the rats in exchange for a substantial sum of money.
The townspeople agree to pay the Pied Piper, and he uses his magical powers to lure the rats out of Hamelin and into the river where they drown. However, when the Pied Piper returns to the town to collect his payment, the townspeople refuse to pay him. The Pied Piper is outraged and decides to take revenge. He uses his magical powers to lure the children of Hamelin away, leaving the town empty and silent.
The poem ends with the haunting image of the Pied Piper leading the children away, leaving the town of Hamelin to suffer the consequences of their greed and deception.
The Pied Piper as a Metaphor for Power
The Pied Piper is a powerful metaphor for the corrupting influence of power. The Pied Piper starts out as a mysterious stranger, offering to help the town of Hamelin with their rat problem. The townspeople are desperate for a solution, and they are willing to pay whatever it takes to get rid of the rats.
When the Pied Piper successfully rids the town of the rats, he gains a tremendous amount of power over the townspeople. They are indebted to him, and they owe him a great deal of money. The Pied Piper demands payment, but the townspeople refuse to pay him. They believe that they can get away with cheating the Pied Piper because they hold the power in the situation.
However, the Pied Piper has his own form of power. He uses his magical abilities to take revenge on the townspeople by luring their children away. In doing so, he exposes the corrupting influence of power and the dangers of greed and deception.
The Pied Piper as a Symbol for Death
The Pied Piper is also a powerful symbol for death. The rats in the poem are a metaphor for disease and decay, and the Pied Piper is the one who brings them to their demise. He lures them out of the town and into the river where they drown.
This image of death is further reinforced by the Pied Piper's actions towards the children of Hamelin. In taking the children away, he is symbolically leading them to their deaths. The empty town that is left behind is a haunting reminder of the consequences of greed and deception.
The Role of the Townspeople in the Poem
The townspeople in the poem play a significant role in the narrative. They are desperate for a solution to their rat problem, and they are willing to pay whatever it takes to get rid of the rats. However, their greed and deception ultimately lead to their downfall.
The townspeople refuse to pay the Pied Piper his fee after he successfully rids the town of rats. They believe that they can get away with cheating him because they hold the power in the situation. However, this decision leads to the loss of their children and the destruction of their town.
The townspeople in the poem represent a larger societal issue of greed and deception. The desire for power and wealth often leads individuals and societies down a dangerous path, ultimately resulting in their destruction.
The Haunting Imagery of the Poem
One of the most striking aspects of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is its haunting imagery. The image of the Pied Piper leading the rats out of the town and into the river where they drown is particularly vivid. The image of the empty town at the end of the poem is also haunting, leaving the reader with a sense of emptiness and loss.
The use of repetition in the poem, particularly the repetition of the word "and," adds to this haunting imagery. The repetition creates a sense of foreboding, building towards the devastating ending of the poem.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin as a Moral Lesson
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a powerful example of a moral lesson. The poem warns against the dangers of greed and deception, and the corrupting influence of power. It shows the consequences of these traits and the destruction that they can bring to individuals and societies.
The poem also warns against the dangers of failing to honor one's commitments. The townspeople in the poem refused to pay the Pied Piper, despite owing him a great deal of money. This decision ultimately led to their downfall.
In conclusion, the Pied Piper of Hamelin is a powerful and mysterious tale of greed and deception. It serves as a warning against the corrupting influence of power and the dangers of failing to honor one's commitments. The haunting imagery and vivid metaphors used in the poem make it a classic that will continue to captivate readers for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Pied Piper of Hamelin: A Timeless Tale of Revenge and Betrayal
Have you ever heard the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin? If you haven't, then you're in for a treat! This classic poem, written by Robert Browning, has been captivating readers for generations. It tells the tale of a small town plagued by rats and the mysterious stranger who comes to their rescue. But as the story unfolds, we discover that there is much more to this tale than meets the eye.
The poem begins with a description of the town of Hamelin, which is overrun by rats. The townspeople are at their wits' end, and they don't know what to do. That's when a stranger appears, dressed in colorful clothing and playing a magical pipe. He offers to rid the town of its rat problem, and the townspeople eagerly agree.
The Pied Piper begins to play his pipe, and the rats are drawn to him like moths to a flame. They follow him out of the town and into the river, where they drown. The townspeople are overjoyed at the sight of the rats disappearing, but their joy is short-lived.
When the Pied Piper returns to collect his payment, the townspeople refuse to pay him. They claim that he hasn't done enough to earn his reward. The Pied Piper is furious, and he vows to take revenge on the town. He begins to play his pipe once again, but this time, it's not rats that follow him. It's the town's children.
The children follow the Pied Piper out of the town and into a mountain, where they disappear forever. The townspeople are left to mourn their loss, and they realize too late that they should have paid the Pied Piper his due.
So, what does this poem mean? On the surface, it's a cautionary tale about the dangers of not keeping your promises. The townspeople made a deal with the Pied Piper, but when it came time to pay up, they reneged on their agreement. This led to the loss of their children, and they were left to suffer the consequences of their actions.
But there's more to this poem than just a simple moral lesson. Some scholars believe that the Pied Piper represents death itself. The rats, which are often associated with disease and decay, could be seen as a metaphor for the inevitability of death. The Pied Piper's ability to lure the rats away could be seen as a representation of death's power to take life.
Furthermore, the fact that the Pied Piper takes the children away to a mountain could be seen as a representation of the afterlife. The mountain could be seen as a metaphor for heaven or some other kind of spiritual realm. This interpretation would suggest that the Pied Piper is not just seeking revenge on the town, but is actually fulfilling some kind of divine purpose.
Another interpretation of the poem is that it's a commentary on the power of music. The Pied Piper's magical pipe is able to control both rats and children, suggesting that music has the power to influence and manipulate. This interpretation would suggest that the poem is a warning about the dangers of blindly following charismatic leaders or ideologies.
Regardless of how you interpret the poem, there's no denying that it's a powerful and haunting tale. The imagery is vivid and evocative, and the story is both tragic and cautionary. It's no wonder that this poem has endured for so long and continues to captivate readers of all ages.
In conclusion, The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a timeless tale of revenge and betrayal. It's a cautionary tale about the dangers of not keeping your promises, but it's also much more than that. It's a commentary on the power of death, music, and the human psyche. Whether you're reading it for the first time or the hundredth time, this poem is sure to leave a lasting impression.
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