European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Actors dressed As rats children and Hamlin s famous pied Piper re enact the legend in a free performance each sunday during the summer. The pied Piper still walks the streets of Hamelin by Rob Staggenborg staff writer bae k in the i 1th Century it is the Story goes the German town of i Tamelin was being overrun by rats and we re not talking politics Here. One Clay a mysterious fellow dressed in multicoloured clothes and known Only As the pied Piper walked into town a flute under his Arm. I be vowed to get rid of the rats in Exchange for an a negotiable fee. The town c ounce Milors were1 so eager to be free of the1 varmints they agreed. The Piper Man bed through town playing his flute and gathering rodents. The rats followed him to the Hanks of the River Weser where lie rats jumped into the River and perished. But when it c ame time to c Complete the bargain the c Ornu Milors talk about rats refused to pay the Piper. Angered the Slinger stomped out no town but promised to return. I be did when the townspeople were at e Hurt hand this time when lie began to play it was the e Hildren who followed him out of town. All but two disappeared with him never to be seen again. I be two it Hildren fwu it were left behind were a Blind it i id w to e Ould not see when the Piper had gone and a mute e , who c Ould not Tell. I he legend has been immortalized Lor generations of it Hildren and adults by German writers Ioele and the Brothers Grimm and by English author Robert Browning. It May not be True the historical version of the disappearance of the town s children it Cairns overpopulation in the Saxony Region of Germany was so great that .1 battalion of e Hildren was ree Ruiter to help colonize faraway lands to the East. True or not the Story is very nun h an economic reality in modern Day i Larne Lin. souvenir stand Sells rats made from lie Eue red Salt dough. Pore a Iain and wooden it copies of the pied i Iper line most store shelves. The glockenspiel the huge c flurries in the Center of town features 7he Ratten Kruyf Hamlin s oldest restaurant has three hungry rats on its sign. Incr hair Al figures of the Piper the doomed rats and the it Hildren and retell the Story three times a Day. And a dramatic version of the legend presented every sunday during the summer brings hundreds of tourists to town Eye h weekend. Not surprising some of the town s most interesting sights Are linked to the legend. He marriage i Louse or Holt Hosoi Tunis is near the it enter of town and House s the pied Piper e Loc k plus the tourist information ofic e. It was built be twee a 1 f>10 and i b i 7, and was a re a Eption Hall for burghers weddings and oth a special of c asians. I Ike other Struc Tures in town it is built in an arc Hiles Lural style e filled Weser Renaissance which features Fane y so Roll work decorated Gables and horizontal Stone band enc ire Ling the building. N tin main pedestrian shopping or Triet w Hie h starts at the / of , is the or rate ale her s House. I he building Wiliie h me Ludes a restaurant and traditional German Lavern Dales irom Biol. I he Gable bears these Rolls and Pinna Les of the Weser Kenai Sanc e. I he a Fen anger Iaus has an Mac option on the Side of the building re Ferring to the pied Piper legend. Partway Between the two a life size Mitinus d on a age i May 21, i i stripes Magazine 3
