Scene I.—The Mayor's Office

Mayor and Councilmen, sitting around a table.—Citizens come in.

First Citizen. Our Mayor is a noddy!

Second Citizen. Look at our corporation sitting in the gowns we pay for, and doing nothing!

Third Citizen. See here, how the rats made a nest in my Sunday hat!

Fourth Citizen. When I was cooking dinner the bold rats licked the soup from my ladle!

Fifth Citizen. They are so bold they are always fighting with the dogs and cats!

Sixth Citizen. Yes, and they kill them, too!

Seventh Citizen. My baby cried in his sleep, and when I went to him there was a big rat in his cradle.

Eighth Citizen. What are you going to do about it, Mr. Mayor?

Ninth Citizen. You'd better wake up, sirs! Don't go to sleep over this!

Tenth Citizen. I tell you, you'll have to do something to save us from this army of rats!

First Councilman. What can we do?

Second Councilman. I'm sure we've tried everything, but every day the rats grow worse and worse.

Third Councilman. I'm sure it isn't very pleasant for us to have the city overrun with the creatures!

Mayor. I'd sell my ermine gown for a guilder! It is no easy thing to be mayor and I wish I was a plowboy in the country! Try to think of something to do.

First Councilman. It is easy to bid us rack our own brains!

Second Councilman. I'm sure my head aches trying to think.

Third Councilman. I've wondered and thought, till I've no thoughts left.

Mayor. Oh! if I only had a great big trap! Yes, a thousand big traps! Bless us, what noise is that? Is it a rat?—Come in!

[Enter Piper.]

First Councilman. Who is this who dares to come into the Mayor's office without an introduction?

Second Councilman. Hasn't he a funny coat?

Third Councilman. But what a pleasant face! He smiles all the time.

Mayor. He looks like the picture of my grandsire. What is your name, and your business, my man?

Pied Piper. Please your honors, my name is Pied Piper. My business is to play upon my pipe. I can charm with the magic of my notes all things to do my will. But I use my charm on creatures that do people harm, the toad, the mole, and the viper, and rats—rats!

Mayor. Rats! Well, then, you're the man we want. We'll pay you a thousand guilders if you'll free our town of rats.

Piper. A thousand guilders! Done! It's a bargain!