Weser School

Weser School Version of the Legend

Every Sunday the Story of the Pied Piper is acted out on the stage infront of the Markt Kirche and the Hochzeithaus. It is acted out by local clubs and churches and the local British community take it in their turn. Our school version is based on British version of the play.

It is said to have happened a long long time ago, in the year 1284. After a hard days work a group of men were sitting enjoying a cool drink in the town of hameln , the butcher , the baker and the cheesemaker. They were talking about the new watch tower that had been built in the town. "I'll wager that no town is as safe as ours", declared the butcher. "You are quite right",replied the cheesemaker,"but I wonder where our friend the miller is today."
The three men had another drink and waited for their friend.

When he finally arrived the butcher jokingly said,"You've had a lot of trouble with your corn delivery."
"I've had a struggle but not with the corn sacks! All of a sudden my store has been over run by enormous rats! My lads and I have had our hands full trying to kill the beasts and I've worked up a real thirsts as a result."
All the men laughed at his joke and had another drink and the rats were soon forgotten.

However, next morning the little monsters were in every house. They were even in the school, running around between the children's desks and gnawing at their books. They nibbled and gnawed at everything and everyone.
"Oh!" cried the girls as they threw up their hands in horror.
"Oh!" cried Hans as he opened his school bag.
Nowhere was safe from the rats.

No matter how hard the people of Hameln tried they could not bring the plague under control. When ten were killed another hundred came crawling out of their holes. The town's people were at their wits end.

The Mayor sat in the council chambers with his councillors hoping for a solution. They did not dare go out because the town's folk were angry with them for not solving the problem. They eventually decided to give a reward of 200 guilders to anyone who could rid the town of the rats, even though they could not really afford it. When they had all but given up hope of finding someone who could help them there was a knock at the mayors door.

"Come in," the Mayor cried.
A strange man entered , dressed in unusual clothes and in his hands he held a musical pipe. He looked like a man who played music for folk dances and fairs and his eyes twinkled with merriment.
The man said that he had rid many towns of many different plagues of creatures.
The mayor said at once that if he could rid the town of the rats he would receive the declared reward.
"Agreed," said the stranger ,"for no more and no less."

The Story Continued