The Pied Piper of Hamelin" is a German legend popularized by the Brothers Grimm and poet Robert Browning. It tells the tale of a mysterious piper, dressed in colorful clothes, who is hired by the town of Hamelin to rid it of a rat infestation. When the town refuses to pay him for his services, he takes revenge in a dramatic and haunting way. The story carries strong moral lessons about keeping promises, honesty, and the consequences of betrayal.

The town of Hamelin is overrun by rats. A stranger, known as the Pied Piper, arrives and offers to remove the rats in exchange for payment. The townspeople agree, and the Piper plays a magical tune on his pipe, luring all the rats into a river where they drown. However, once the rats are gone, the townspeople break their promise and refuse to pay him. In retaliation, the Piper returns and plays another tune—this time enchanting the town’s children, who follow him out of Hamelin. He leads them into a mountain, and they are never seen again (in some versions, one child is left behind to tell the tale). The story ends with the town mourning its loss, having learned a harsh lesson about honoring commitments.

7-8 year old children.