“Now for my thousand coins,” said the Piper to the Mayor.
“Oh, come!” said the Mayor. “I did not really mean to pay you all that money. Here—take ten and be satisfied.”
But the Piper said he wanted his thousand coins and would take no less. So the Mayor puffed up, and grew red in the face and told the Piper to be gone.
The Piper then went into the streets and began to play another very strange tune. All the children pricked up their ears to listen. The Piper played on. The children began to run out of the houses and the stores and down the street, shouting and laughing and dancing after the Piper.
“Stop him! Stop him!” cried the people. But the Piper did not stop but marched on towards the mountains where a great door opened and all the children marched in after the Piper. The door then closed and the people never saw the Piper nor their children any more.
That is what happened because the Mayor would not do as he promised.
THE LAME PRINCE
In which we see how a wicked uncle is punished and the little lame prince comes into his own.
Many years ago the king and queen of a certain country were very sad because they had no little son who would become king after they were dead. But at last one day a little prince was born which rejoiced the hearts of his parents greatly.