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! Of all the pleasant sights they see, The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here, 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, To go now limping as before, And never hear of that country more! The Mayor sent east, west, north, and south To offer the Piper by word of mouth, Wherever it was man'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 't was a lost endeavor, 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 StreetWhere any one playing on pipe or tabor, Was sure for the future to lose his labor. 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 The outlandish ways and dress On which their neighbors lay such stress, To their fathers and mothers having risen Out of some subterraneous prison Into which they were trepanned Long ago in a mighty band, K Out of Hamelin town in Brunswick land, So Willy, let you and me be wipers Of scores out with all men, especially pipers; If we've promised them aught, let us keep our promise. GREEDINESS PUNISHED. It was the cloister Grabow, in the land of Usedom, Along the shore came swimming, to give the folks good cheer, Who dwelt within the cloister, two fishes every year : They might have been contented! Two sturgeons- two great fat,ones; and then this law was set, That one of them should yearly be taken in a net : They might have been contented! The other swam away, then, until next year came round, So then again, they caught one, and served him in the dish, The year, the time appointed two such noble fishes brought, The question was a hard one, which of them should be caught : They might have been contented! They caught them both together-but every greedy wight This was the least of sorrows hear how the cup ran o'er ! Henceforward, to the cloister no fish came swimming more: They might have been contented! So long had God supplied them of his free grace alone, THE TOY OF THE GIANT'S CHILD. BURG NIEDECK is a mountain in Alsace, high and strong, The Giant's daughter once came forth the castle-gate before, With few and easy steps she passed the mountain and the wood, stood; And many a town and village fair, and many a field so green, And as she gazed, in wonder lost, on all the scene around, "Oh, pretty plaything!" cried the child, "I'll take thee home with me," Then with her infant hands she spread her kerchief on her knee, And cradling horse, and man, and plough, all gently on her arm, She bore them home, with cautious steps, afraid to do them harm! She hastes with joyous steps and quick :- (we know what children are), And spying soon her father out, she shouted from afar, Her father sat at table then, and drank his wine so mild, She opes her kerchief carefully, and gladly, you may deem, But her father looked quite seriously, and shaking slow his head, "What hast thou brought me home, my child? This is no toy," he said; "Go, take it quickly back again, and put it down below; The Peasant is no plaything, girl, how could 'st thou think him so? "Go, go, without a sigh or sob, and do my will," he said, "For know, without the Peasant, girl, we none of us had bread; 'Tis from the Peasant's hardy stock the race of Giants are; The Peasant is no plaything, child, — no, God forbid he were !" - From the German of Chamisso. |