The people of Hamelin found their situation so dire that they employed a magician who was said to have a magic flute that he could play that might drive all the rats from the town. So the people of Hamelin decided to invite and hire this colorful, entertaining man to help them. When the man arrived many were uncomfortable with him because he was not a pretty man. He was almost ugly. But most disturbing and strange was his gaudy attire. He was almost a harlequin, a clown. But the people of Hamelin agreed, if he really could rid them of the rats, they would pay a certain amount of gold.

The piper then stood at one end of the little town, took a deep breath, and started to play. What a wonderful tune! Rats seemed to dig their ways from all their holes and hidey places and race as fast as their legs could carry them. They ran and ran ahead of the piper and his magic flute. They ran and died running into the nearby sea.

The people of Hamelin were SO happy to be rid of these tiny but nasty little beasts... but, the rats were so tiny. And someone said there had not been so many rats; 545 at most. So, after consulting their mayor, and the banker, and the sheriff, the people decided they'd not pay the piper.

The piper, though he was obviously disturbed by the misbehavior of the people of Hamelin, did not seem very surprised.

So, standing in the town square, the piper lifted his pipe and began to play. Soon, children large and small, young and not so very, these sweet, innocent and loved children, gathered around the piper. And the piper walked away from the little town of Hamelin followed by all the children, past the mayor, past the banker, past the sheriff, and from the arms of their parents. The piper was never seen again. Nor was his magic pipe; nor were the children.

Some say the ghosts of the rats remained in the town for all the years it took the town to die without leaving a trace.

Now, all we have is the name and the story of Hamelin and, perhaps, two warnings: "Pay the piper" And "You reap what you sow".