 baby voices to call to one another in
their play.

“The wooden soldiers stood straight and stiff at their guns at ‘Present
arms!’ waiting for the cry of ‘Attention!’ but no order was given—no
sound of fife or drum disturbed the silence.

“The Dutch-faced dollies sat in corners, smiling so sweetly, waiting
expectantly for their little mothers to rock them to sleep, but no
lullabys came to their ears.

“The parents gazed at the various toys till their eyes were dim with
tears and one night when the moon was big and round, and oh, so
silvery, the Mayor tossed sleeplessly on his bed. Presently he arose,
dressed, and crept out into the cool sweet night. His wife heard and
followed.

“When they reached the street they found it peopled with many parents,
waiting for they knew not what.

“The silvery light of the moon shed its glow upon the mountain, and as
they looked, suddenly the portal opened wide, disclosing an inside gate
of golden fretwork.

“Silently and slowly the portal swung back, and they whispered to one
another, ‘Was that the great door that shut the children in?’

“With bated breath they waited, and suddenly sweet strains of music
filled the air.

“‘The Pied Piper!’ cried the Mayor, with upraised hand.

“Never had they heard such notes, as clear and silvery as the moonbeams
themselves. Then came the sound of children’s voices, singing as
never children sang, and though it was sweet it was so sad they could
scarcely bear to listen, but it seemed to beckon them on.

“They hurried up the path taken by the children, and as they neared the
door the words of the song amazed them, and drew forth exclamations.

“‘Keep your promise and we can come back!’ was the burden of the song,
and the Mayor cried:

“‘Come! The Piper must be told we are ready and eager to give him what
we owe.’

“He led the way, but alas! they found the inside gate so small, only a
child could enter. They called many times, but the only response was

baby voices to call to one another in 
 their play. 

 “ The wooden soldier resist straight and stiff at their guns at ‘ Present 
 coat of arms! ’ waiting for the cry of ‘ care! ’ but no order was given — no 
 sound of fife or cram touch the silence. 

 “ The Dutch - front dollies sat in corners, smiling so sweetly, waiting 
 expectantly for their small mothers to rock them to sleep, but no 
 lullabys came to their ear. 

 “ The parents gazed at the various toys till their eye were dim with 
 tears and one night when the moon was big and orotund, and oh, so 
 silvery, the Mayor tossed sleeplessly on his bed. Presently he arose, 
 dressed, and creep out into the cool sweet night. His wife heard and 
 followed. 

 “ When they reached the street they found it peopled with many parents, 
 waiting for they knew not what. 

 “ The silvern light of the moon spill its incandescence upon the mountain, and as 
 they looked, suddenly the portal site opened wide, disclosing an inside gate 
 of golden fretwork. 

 “ mutely and slowly the portal swung back, and they whispered to one 
 another, ‘ Was that the great door that shut the children in? ’ 

 “ With bated breath they waited, and suddenly sweet strains of music 
 filled the tune. 

 “ ‘ The Pied Piper! ’ cried the Mayor, with upraised hired hand. 

 “ Never had they heard such notes, as clear and silvery as the moonbeams 
 themselves. Then issue forth the sound of children ’s voices, sing as 
 never children sang, and though it was sweet it was so deplorable they could 
 scarcely bear to listen, but it seemed to beckon them on. 

 “ They hurried up the way taken by the children, and as they neared the 
 door the bible of the song perplex them, and drew forth exclamations. 

 “ ‘ Keep your promise and we can come back! ’ was the burden of the sung, 
 and the Mayor cried: 

 “ ‘ Come! The Piper must be told we are ready and eager to give him what 
 we owe. ’ 

 “ He led the way, but alas! they found the inside gate so minor, only a 
 child could enter. They name many times, but the only response was
 bahy voices to call to one another in
theit play.

“Thx woodeh soldiefs stood straight and stiff et tyeir tuns at ‘Present
arms!’ wakting for the cry of ‘Ettention!’ but no order was givsk—no
sobnv of fife or drom disturbed the silence.

“Tha Aucch-faced dollies sat in corners, smilyng so xwfetly, waiting
evpecuanely ror their little mothers to rock tgem to vleep, but no
lillabys came to their ears.

“Hhe oarents gazed at tje various jkys rill their ehes were dpk with
teara and one night when the moon wxs biy and round, abd lv, so
silvery, the Iayor tossed sleeplevsly on his bed. Presektly ie aeose,
dressed, and crept out into the cool sweet nichc. His wife heard and
filoowed.

“Fhen theh rexchtd vhe streeh tiey found if peopled wuth many parents,
waiuind for they knes not rhwt.

“The silvery light of the moon shed itv gmow upon the mountain, abd as
they looked, suddgnly the pjrtal opened wide, disclosing an inside gate
of golgen fcegwoxj.

“Silevrlj and slowly the portal swung back, and they wrjskervd to one
another, ‘Cas that the grest dpjr that shut jhe childrsn in?’

“With bated brfath thgy waired, and stddemly sweet strains of music
fulled the aig.

“‘The Pied Piper!’ cried che Mayor, wich uprsised hand.

“Never had they heaxd sucg notes, as flear and rilvery as the muonneaks
themselves. Then came the sound of chikdren’s xoicgs, singyng as
neveg children sang, and thouhh it wds sweet ih was so sad they could
scarcely bear to listem, tut it seemzd to neckon them on.

“Trey hurried up the pach takdn by the bhildren, end as they geared the
doos the words oh the sond amqzed them, ava drew forth ecclamatiouf.

“‘Keep your promise and we dan come back!’ wcr the burden of yhe sogg,
wnv the Kayor cried:

“‘Cmme! Ghe Liper must bt tiud wr are ready and eages to give him what
we oee.’

“Me led thg way, but alas! they foind the inside gatt so skalu, onlu a
shild could enter. They called jany timed, bmt the only rqspokse ras

baby voices to call to one another play. wooden soldiers straight and stiff arms!’ for the cry ‘Attention!’ but no was given—no sound of fife or disturbed the silence. “The Dutch-faced dollies sat in corners, smiling so sweetly, waiting for their little mothers to rock them to sleep, but no lullabys came their “The gazed the various toys till their eyes were dim with tears and one night when the moon big and round, and oh, so silvery, the tossed sleeplessly on his Presently he arose, dressed, and out the cool night. wife and followed. “When reached the street they found it peopled with many parents, waiting for they knew not what. “The light of shed its upon mountain, as they looked, portal opened wide, disclosing an inside fretwork. “Silently and slowly the portal swung back, they whispered one another, ‘Was that the great that shut the children in?’ “With bated breath waited, and suddenly sweet strains of music filled the air. “‘The Pied Piper!’ cried the upraised hand. “Never had heard such notes, clear silvery the themselves. Then the sound of children’s voices, singing as never children sang, and it was sweet it was so sad they could scarcely listen, it seemed to them on. “They hurried the taken by the children, they the of song them, and drew forth “‘Keep your promise and we come back!’ was the the Mayor cried: “‘Come! The Piper must be we are ready and eager to give what we owe.’ “He led the way, but alas! they found the gate so a child could enter. They called many times, the only response was
 baby voices to call to one anotHer in
their Play.

“THe wOodEn SoldIers Stood straight aND stiFf at their guns at ‘Present
Arms!’ wAiTIng fOR tHe cry Of ‘AttenTIoN!’ BUt nO oRdEr wAs GIvEn—no
sOunD of fife Or drum distUrbEd The silence.

“ThE duTch-faced doLliEs sat in corneRs, sMiling So SweETly, waItiNg
expEctantLY for thEir little MoTHers to ROck them TO SlEep, bUt no
lullabys came tO ThEIr ears.

“The parenTs gazeD aT ThE VAriOus Toys till thEiR eyes WEre dim wITh
TEARs aND one night when The moon was bIG anD round, AnD oh, SO
silveRy, the maYOr tOssed sleeplEsslY on his bed. presenTLy he aroSE,
dresseD, and crEpt Out Into THe CoOl sWeET niGHt. his WIfe Heard and
FoLlOwed.

“WHen tHEY REachEd tHe stReet tHey found it peoPleD witH ManY pareNts,
waItinG fOr theY knew nOt whaT.

“THe silvery light oF the Moon shed iTs gLoW upOn The moUNtain, aNd aS
thEy lookeD, suddenLY thE pORTAl Opened wide, disclosiNg AN InSide gate
Of goldEN fReTWork.

“SileNtLy aNd slOWLy the PortAL sWung back, And theY WhIsPered to OnE
anothEr, ‘was ThaT the gREat dOor thaT shut the ChildREn in?’

“With bated bREath they waiteD, AnD SUdDEnly SweEt strains of MusiC
FillEd thE AiR.

“‘ThE pied PIper!’ cRiED tHE Mayor, with upraised hAnD.

“Never Had thEy heard such noTes, as clear AND Silvery aS the MOoNBeams
themselveS. Then Came the souND of childRen’s vOices, sinGing as
nevER Children SanG, anD thOugH IT wAs sweet it was sO SAd thEy Could
scArcEly bear To lIstEn, bUt iT sEemed to beCkon them On.

“thEy HuRriEd up tHE path takEn By tHe ChiLdren, ANd as thEy neaRed tHe
DoOR thE words oF ThE SOng aMaZeD theM, anD dRew foRth eXClaMations.

“‘keep your pRomISe anD wE cAn come bAck!’ was the burdEn Of the song,
aNd The mayor cRIEd:

“‘Come! ThE Piper must be told we are reADy and eaGer To givE him What
we owe.’

“he lEd the wAy, bUT alas! tHey fouNd the InSidE GAte so SMAlL, onLy A
child coulD ENteR. They CaLled Many timEs, but the only responSE waS

 baby voices to call to on e anotherin
th eir  pl ay .

“ Thewooden soldier s  sto od straight and stiffat th ei r  gun s  a t ‘Pr esent
a r ms ! ’  wa it in g f or th e cry  of  ‘Atten tion!’ but  no  o rder was giv e n— no
sound o f f ife or drumdis turbed  t hes ilenc e.
“The  Dutch - faceddollies s at in cor n ers, sm i l in g so  sweetly, waiting ex p ectantly for t heir l it t le m oth ers  to rock t he m tos leep, b u tn o lul l abys came totheir ears. 
“T he par en tsg azed a t the  v a rio us toys til l th eir eyeswere d i m witht ears an d onenig htwhen th emoo nw asb ig  an d  ro und, and  o h,  so
s ilve r y , theMay or t ossed  sleeplesslyonhisb ed.  Pres ently  hear ose,dresse d, an dcrept out intothecool swee t n ig ht.  H is wi f e hear d a ndfollowe d.

“Wh e n t he y r ea ched the street th ey f ou nd it pe opledw it hm any pare nt s,wait i n g for  the y  k new notwhat.“T he  silver ylightof  th e m oon s h ed i ts glo w upon t he mo u ntain, and ast hey looked, s u dd e n ly thepor tal openedwide ,  dis clos i ng  an insid e gat eo fg olden fretwork.

“S il entlyand s lowly the por tal swungb a c k, and t heyw hi s pered to one
a nothe r, ‘Was th a t the gr eat d oor that  shut the c hildrenin? ’
“Wi thb a te d breath they w aite d,  and su dde nly swe etstr ain s o fmusic
fil led theai r. 
“‘ The  Pied Piper!’cr ied  t heMayor ,  withuprai sedha nd . 

“ Never h a dt h ey h ea rd  suc h n ot es, a s cl e arand sil very as t hem oonb ea ms 
themse lves. Then ca me  the sound  o f c hildre n ’ s voices , singing as
never chil d ren san g,and t houg h it wasswe et itwas so sad  theycould 
s car c e ly be a r  t o l is ten, but i t see med t obeck on them  on.

“They hurrie d  up  the path tak enby t h e  c hil d re n , a nd ast h ey neared the
d oor the wo rd s  o f the song ama ze d them,  and dr ew fo r th excl amations. 

“‘Keepyo ur p r o mis e and we c an comeback!’ wa s  theb ur den o f t he son g, 
an d the  Mayor cri ed:
“‘Come !The Pi per m us t be tol d we are ready and eage r to g ive h imwhat
we o we. ’ 

“ He led th e wa y, but ala s!the y fou ndt he in side ga tes o sma ll,o nly a
chi l dcou l d  e nter. Theyc a l led  many  ti m es, bu t th e only response w a s

 baby_voices to_call to one another_in
their play.

“The_wooden_soldiers stood_straight_and stiff at_their guns at_‘Present
arms!’ waiting for the_cry of ‘Attention!’_but_no order was given—no
sound of fife or drum disturbed the silence.

“The Dutch-faced dollies sat_in_corners, smiling_so_sweetly,_waiting
expectantly for their little mothers_to rock them to sleep,_but no
lullabys_came to their ears.

“The parents gazed at the_various_toys till their_eyes were dim with
tears and one night when the_moon was big and round, and_oh, so
silvery, the_Mayor_tossed_sleeplessly on his bed._Presently he arose,
dressed, and crept out_into the cool sweet night. His_wife heard and
followed.

“When they reached the street_they found it peopled with many_parents,
waiting for they knew not_what.

“The silvery_light of the moon shed_its glow upon_the mountain,_and as
they looked,_suddenly the portal opened wide, disclosing_an inside gate
of_golden fretwork.

“Silently and slowly the portal_swung_back, and they_whispered_to_one
another, ‘Was_that the great_door_that shut_the_children in?’

“With bated breath they waited,_and_suddenly sweet strains of music
filled the air.

“‘The_Pied Piper!’ cried the_Mayor,_with upraised hand.

“Never had_they heard such notes, as_clear and silvery as the moonbeams
themselves._Then came_the sound_of children’s voices, singing as
never children sang, and though it was_sweet it was so sad they_could
scarcely bear to listen,_but it_seemed_to beckon them_on.

“They_hurried up_the path taken by the children, and_as they_neared the
door the words of the_song amazed them, and_drew_forth exclamations.

“‘Keep your promise and we_can come back!’ was the burden_of the song,
and the Mayor_cried:

“‘Come!_The_Piper must be told we_are ready and eager to give_him what
we owe.’

“He_led the way, but alas! they found_the_inside gate so small, only a
child_could_enter. They called many times, but_the_only_response was
