animal-head at leisure,
showing a sparkling dark-eyed face.

ALL
The Man! the Man!

KURT AND JACOBUS
The Devil!--'T is--

ALL
--THE PIPER!

[The PIPER regards them all with debonair satisfaction; then
reverses his head-piece and holds it out upside-down, with a
confident smile.

PIPER
Three days of rest, your worships, you have had.
I see no signs of famine hereabout.
The rats are gone, even to the nethermost tail:
And I've fulfilled my bargain. Is it granted?

[Murmurs, then cheers of "Ay, Ay, PIPER!" from the crowd.

Thank 'ee.--My thousand guilders, an you please.

JACOBUS
One thou--Come, come! This was no sober bargain.--
No man in reason could--

PIPER
One thousand guilders.

KURT
One thousand rogueries!

JACOBUS
[to PIPER]
You jest too far.

AXEL
Lucky, if he get aught!--Two hundred traps,
And nine, and thirty! By Saint Willibald,
When was I paid?

AXEL'S WIFE
Say, now!

PIPER
. . . One thousand guilders.

PETER the Cobbler
Give him an hundred.

HANS the Butcher
Double!

HANS' WIFE
You were fools
To make agreement with him.--Ask old Claus.
He has the guilders; and his house was full
0' rats!

OLD CLAUS
[shaking his stick from the window]
You Jade! And I that hoard, and save,
And lay by all I have from year to year,
To build my monument when I am gone,
A fine new tomb there, in Saint Boniface!
And I to pay for all your city rats!

OLD URSULA
[leaning out, opposite]
Right, neighbor, right well said!--Piper, hark here.
Piper, how did ye charm the rats away?

PIPER
[coming down]
The rats were led--by Cu-ri-os-ity.
'Tis so with many rats; and all old women;--
Saving your health!

JACOBUS
No thought for public weal,
In this base grasping on--

PIPER
One thousand guilders.

KURT
[contemptuously]
For piping!

PIPER
Shall I pipe them back again?

WOMEN
( Good Saint Boniface!
Merciful heaven! ( Good Saint Willibald!
( Peter and Paul defend us!

HANS the Butcher
No, no; no fear o' that. The rats be drowned.
We saw them with our eyes.

PIPER
Now who shall say
There is no resurrection for a mouse?

KURT
--Do you but crop this fellow's ears!--

VERONIKA
[from the steps]
Ah, Kurt!

JACOBUS
[to him, blandly]
Deal patiently, good neighbor. All is well.
[To the PIPER]
Why do you name a price so laughable,
My man? Call you to mind; you have no claim,--
No scrip to show. You cling up