June 26 Pied Piper1) Day

One summer day in the Middle Ages，a strange man in multicolored2)（that is，pied）clothing strode into the German town of Hamelin．Learning that the town was infested3) with rats，the stranger offered to dispose of the rodents4) －－for a fee．When the burg hers5) gratefully agreed，the stranger whipped out a flute and played a mysterious tune that proved an irresistible rat lure．Rats swarmed out6) of every house in Hamelin and followed the Pied Piper to the banks of the Weser River7).Then they followed him into the swirling8) waters and were drowned．

 

When the burghers refused to pay the piper，he devised a plan of revenge．Once again putting his pipe to his lips，he played yet another air－－one that seduced not rodents but children．Parents watched helplessly as the Pied Piper，playing merrily，led all of Hamelin's youngsters out of town，after which they were never seen again．

 

Although opinions vary on the exact d ate of the piper's revenge，the German government holds with June26，1284．The town of Hamelin stages Pied Piper plays every Sunday from June to September．Children form the bulk9) of the cast，but as130was the alleged10) number who went with the piper on that fateful day in 1284，the cast of today' s productions11) is ritually limited to130．