Is the Pied Piper based on a real event?

Yes, the town of Hamelin has records from 1284 showing a loss of children, though the actual cause remains a historical mystery.

What does 'pied' mean?

It means multicolored or patched, referring to the piper's clothing made of different colored fabrics.

What happened to the children of Hamelin?

Historians have proposed theories including disease, a children's crusade, migration to Eastern Europe, and flooding. The stained glass window in Hamelin's church, dating from around 1300, is among the earliest depictions of the event.

What is the moral of the Pied Piper?

Keep your promises and honor your agreements. Those who cheat others of their due will face consequences far worse than the original debt.

What happened to the three children left behind?

The lame, deaf, and blind children who could not follow the piper serve as witnesses to the event in the story. Their disabilities each prevented them in a different way from being affected by the piper's magic, and they provide the narrative framework through which the townspeople learn what happened to their children.

Folklore

#ATU 570

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

#Broken Promises

#Revenge

#Mystery

What is The Pied Piper of Hamelin?

A piper who rids Hamelin of rats is cheated of his fee and retaliates by leading the town's children away with his magical music.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin - Folklore fairy tale

Available Variants

Germany, Europe

At a Glance

Europe / Germany

ATU 570

7 min read

Medium

Broken Promises

Revenge

Mystery

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Annotations Enabled

The town of Hamelin was overrun with rats. A piper dressed in multicolored clothing appeared and offered to rid the town of rats for a fee. The mayor agreed. The piper played a enchanting tune on his pipe, and all the rats followed him out of town and into the Weser River, where they drowned.

When the piper returned for his payment, the mayor and townspeople refused. Enraged, the piper returned at dawn and played a different tune. This time, all the children of Hamelin followed him out of the town gates and into a mountain, which closed behind them. Only three children remained: one who was lame and could not keep up, one who was deaf and could not hear the music, and one who was blind and could not see where to go.