I had never actually read the poem about the Pied Piper of Hamlin. Terrifying stuff, that. Fairy Tale Theater did a really awesome take on the story back in the late 80's-early 90's, and stars Eric Idle as the narrator AND the Piper-it's one of the best roles he has ever played, honest. THe entire thing is performed in verse, say for the very beginning and end, and has some extra scenes that were deleted from the poem, so to speak.
This is a bit of an epic poem, probably only a few chaters in length, about how the legend of the Pied Piper continues into modern day. It is also strictly in verse, told through the perspective of today's wandering piper.
And, of course, I can never start a good story without a prologue, so...
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Prologue
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You'll recall the tale of the Piper, Pied,
And how the Mayor and Comp'ny lied;
so, in a rage, the Piper took
the children of Hamlin to a hillside nook,
and stole them away to another place,
and, here, all vanished without a trace.
His song promised them paradise, magic and wonder.
But, when they arrived, their hearts burst asunder:
There wasn't a magic, only a curse
From which no death on the Earth could be worse.
They were doom-ed to follow the Piper's own trail,
And wander the Earth, to roam without fail.
They wore his own colors, and learned of his trade,
And caused nothing but disquiet wherever they staid.
They picked up the pipe, and the tambor and lyre,
And their girls learned to dance through the night 'round the fire.
They traveled in wagons, without any home.
Their kind was called Gypsy, and left mostly alone.
And so years dragged on. But the Piper grew old,
And desired to find an apprentice, I'm told.
The charm of the pipe could not die in his hands,
And had to be taken to distant new lands.
So now it was time to train pipers anew.
And, since he'd no son, some Gypsy would do.
For, surely, no child of a race would play better
Than a child of the race that hadn't a fetter.
Who other could travel and wander alone,
And never be burdened by mem'ries of home?
So the age-ed Pied Piper, near the end of his days,
Set to finding the One who could take up his ways.
For reasons unclear, he chose a small boy
seen playing outside with a small wooden toy.
The child was young, having but seven years,
But surprisingly brave, having very few fears.
There, the Piper decided that this was the One,
And informed the child's parents, "I am taking your son."
"He shall be taken cared of," The Piper assured,
not caring a dime what the parents preferred.
"He could never be safer, plying my trade—
he need never fear danger with such charms at his aid.
He shall travel the world and see many great sights,
And correct many wrongs, and make many rights."
But the parents recalled him, from Hamlin, abroad,
And recalled he was not quite the trustworthy sort.
Mum and father refused, crying out with alarm,
"The things that you do bring us nothing but harm!
You dragged us form home, cursed to wander the wild.
Take whatever you want—but do not take our child!"
But he did not care, and grabbed the child fast,
And both vanished away in a strange cloud of dust.
It was like the old player never had died,
For in towns, a strange man with a pipe could be spied
Ridding the people of mole and of viper.
And so Sascha the boy became the Pied Piper.
And so, it continued 'till he reached his own age.
And stopped to find some other child for the stage.
This is the way that I understand it,
The way that the Pipers of old came to hand it
From person to person they trained in their way,
And, thus, is the tale in my mouth, here today.