TO

LIONEL S. MARKS

Anno 1284 Am Dage Johannis et Pauli War der 26 Junii Dorch einen piper mit allerlei farve bekledet Gewesen CXXX kinder verledet binnen Hamelen geboren To Calvarii bi den koppen verloren

[THE HAMELIN INSCRIPTION]

CHARACTERS

THE PIPER ) MICHAEL-THE-SWORD-EATER ) Strolling Players CHEAT-THE-DEVIL )

JACOBUS the Burgomeister ) KURT the Syndic ) PETER the Cobbler ) HANS the Butcher ) AXEL the Smith ) Men of Hamelin MARTIN the Watch ) PETER the Sacristan ) ANSELM, a young priest ) OLD CLAUS, a miser ) TOWN CRIER )

JAN ) HANSEL ) ILSE ) Children TRUDE ) RUDI )

VERONIKA, the wife of Kurt BARBARA, daughter of Jacobus WIFE of HANS the Butcher WIFE of AXEL the Smith WIFE of MARTIN the Watch OLD URSULA

Burghers, nuns, priests, and children

SCENE: HAMELIN ON THE WESER, 1284 A.D.

SCENES

ACT I. The market-place in Hamelin

ACT II. SCENE I. Inside the 'Hollow-Hill' SCENE II. The Cross-ways

ACT III. The Cross-ways

ACT IV. The market-place in Hamelin

One week is supposed to elapse between Acts I and II.

Acts II and III occupy one day.

Act IV concerns the following morning.

The Piper

ACT I

SCENE: The market-place of Hamelin. Right, the Minster, with an open shrine (right centre) containing a large sculptured figure of the Christ. Right, farther front, the house of KURT; and other narrow house-fronts. Left, the Rathaus, and (down) the home of JACOBUS. Front, to left and right, are corner-houses with projecting stories and casement windows. At the centre rear, a narrow street leads away between houses whose gables all but meet overhead.

It is late summer afternoon, with a holiday crowd. In the open casements, front (right and left, opposite each other), sit OLD URSULA and OLD CLAUS, looking on at men and things. —In the centre of the place now stands a rude wooden Ark with a tented top: and out of the openings (right and left) appear the artificial heads of animals, worn by the players inside. One is a Bear (inhabited by MICHAEL-THE-SWORD-EATER); one is a large Reynard-the-Fox, later apparent as the PIPER. Close by is the medieval piece of stage-property known as 'Hell-Mouth,' i.e. a red painted cave with a jaw-like opening into which a mountebank dressed in scarlet (CHEAT-THE-DEVIL) is poking 'Lost Souls' with a pitchfork.

BARBARA loiters by the tent. VERONIKA, the sad young wife of KURT, watches from the house steps, left, keeping her little lame boy, Jan, close beside her.

Shouts of delight greet the end of the show, a Noah's Ark miracle-play of the rudest; and the Children continue to scream with joy whenever an Animal looks out of the Ark.

Men and women pay scant attention either to JACOBUS, when he speaks (himself none too sober)—from his doorstep, prompted by the frowning KURT,—or yet to ANSELM, the priest, who stands forth with lifted hands, at the close of the miracle-play.

ANSELM And you, who heed the colors of this show, Look to your laughter!—It doth body forth A Judgment that may take you unaware,— Sun-struck with mirth, like unto chattering leaves Some wind of wrath shall scourge to nothingness.

HANS, AXEL, AND OTHERS Hurrah, Hurrah!

JACOBUS And now, good townsmen all, Seeing we stand delivered and secure As once yon chosen creatures of the Ark, For a similitude,—our famine gone, Our plague of rats and mice,—

CROWD Hurrah—hurrah!

JACOBUS 'Tis meet we render thanks more soberly—

HANS the Butcher Soberly, soberly, ay!—

JACOBUS For our deliverance. And now, ye wit, it will be full three days Since we beheld—our late departed pest.—

OLD URSULA [putting out an ear-trumpet] What does he say?

REYNARD [from the Ark] —Oh, how felicitous!

HANS' WIFE He's only saying there be no more rats.

JACOBUS [with oratorical endeavor] Three days it is; and not one mouse,—one mouse, One mouse, I say!—No-o-o! Quiet. . . as a mouse.

[Resuming] And now. . .

CROWD Long live Jacobus!—

JACOBUS You have seen Noah and the Ark, most aptly happening by With these same play-folk. You have marked the Judgment. You all have seen the lost souls sent to—Hell— And, nothing more to do.—

[KURT prompts him] Yes, yes.—And now. . .

[HANS the Butcher steps out of his group.]

HANS the Butcher Hath no man seen the Piper?—Please your worships.

OTHERS Ay, ay, so! —Ay, where is he? —Ho, the Piper!

JACOBUS Piper, my good man?

HANS the Butcher —He that charmed the rats!

OTHERS Yes, yes,—that charmed the rats!

JACOBUS [piously] Why, no man knows.— Which proves him such a random instrument As Heaven doth sometimes send us, to our use; Or, as I do conceive, no man at all,— A man of air; or, I would say—delusion. He'll come no more.

REYNARD [from the Ark] Eh?—Oh, indeed, Meaow!

JACOBUS 'Tis clearest providence. The rats are gone. The man is gone. And there is nought to pay, Save peaceful worship. [Pointing to the Minster.]

REYNARD [sarcastically] Oh, indeed,—Meaow! [Sudden chorus of derisive animal noises from the Ark, delighting PEOPLE and CHILDREN.]

KURT Silence,—you strollers there! Or I will have you Gaoled, one and all.

PEOPLE No, Kurt the Syndic, no!

BARBARA [to Jacobus] No; no! Ah, father, bid them stay awhile And play it all again.—Or, if not all, Do let us see that same good youth again, Who swallowed swords—between the Ark Preserved And the Last Judgment!

REYNARD Michael-the-Sword-Eater, Laurels for thee!

[The BEAR disappears: MICHAEL puts out his own head, and gazes fixedly at BARBARA.

CHILDREN Oh, can't we see the animals in the Ark? Again? Oh, can't we see it all again?

ILSE Oh, leave out Noah! And let's have only Bears And Dromedaries, and the other ones!—

[General confusion.]

KURT Silence!

JACOBUS Good people—you have had your shows; And it is meet, that having held due feast, Both with our market and this Miracle, We bring our holiday to close with prayer And public thanks unto Saint Willibald,— Upon whose day the rats departed thence.

REYNARD [loudly] Saint Willibald!

BEAR —Saint Willibald!

OTHER ANIMALS [looking out] ( Saint Willibald! ( Saint! Oh!

CROWD Saint Willibald!—And what had he to do With ridding us o' rats?

HANS the Butcher 'T was the Piping Man Who came and stood here in the market-place, And swore to do it for one thousand guilders!

PETER the Cobbler Ay, and he did it, too!—Saint Willibald!

[Renewed uproar round the tent.]

KURT [to Jacobus] Drive out those mountebanks! 'T is ever so. Admit them to the town and you must pay Their single show with riotings a week.— Look yonder at your daughter.

[BARBARA lingers by the Ark-Tent, gazing with girlish interest at MICHAEL, who gazes at her, his bear-head in his band for the moment.]

JACOBUS Barbara!

[She turns back, with an angry glance at KURT.]

AXEL the Smith [doggedly to them] By your leave. Masters! I would like to know, How did Saint Willibald prevail with the rats?— That would I like to know. I, who ha' made Of strong wrought traps, two hundred, thirty-nine, Two hundred, thirty-nine.

REYNARD [calling] And so would I!

HANS the Butcher So please your worships, may it please the Crier, Now we be here,—to cry the Piping Man—

PETER the Cobbler A stranger-man, gay-clad,—in divers colors! Because he, with said piping—

HANS the Butcher —Drave away The horde of rats!

PETER the Cobbler [sagely] To our great benefit; And we be all just men.

OTHERS Ay, ay!—Amen!

WOMEN Amen, Our Lady and the blessed Saints!

JACOBUS Why, faith, good souls, if ye will have him cried, So be it.—But the ways of Heaven are strange! Mark how our angel of deliverance came,— Or it may be. Saint Willibald himself,— Most piedly clothed, even as the vilest player!— And straight ascended from us, to the clouds! But cry him, if you will.—Peace to your lungs!— He will not come.

[KURT wrathfully consults with JACOBUS, then signals to Crier.

CRIER Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Whereas, now three days gone, our Plague of Rats Was wholly driven hence, our City cleansed, Our peace restored after sore threat of famine, By a Strange Man who came not back again, Now, therefore, if this Man have ears to hear, Let him stand forth.—Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

[Trumpet.—PEOPLE gaze up and down the little streets.—REYNARD steps out of the Ark and comes down slowly, with a modest air.—KURT points him out, threateningly, and the CROWD bursts into derisive laughter.—He doffs his animal-head at leisure, showing a sparkling dark-eyed face.

ALL The Man! the Man!

KURT AND JACOBUS The Devil!—'T is—

ALL —THE PIPER!

[The PIPER regards them all with debonair satisfaction; then reverses his head-piece and holds it out upside-down, with a confident smile.

PIPER Three days of rest, your worships, you have had. I see no signs of famine hereabout. The rats are gone, even to the nethermost tail: And I've fulfilled my bargain. Is it granted?

[Murmurs, then cheers of "Ay, Ay, PIPER!" from the crowd.

Thank 'ee.—My thousand guilders, an you please.

JACOBUS One thou—Come, come! This was no sober bargain.— No man in reason could—

PIPER One thousand guilders.

KURT One thousand rogueries!

JACOBUS [to PIPER] You jest too far.

AXEL Lucky, if he get aught!—Two hundred traps, And nine, and thirty! By Saint Willibald, When was I paid?

AXEL'S WIFE Say, now!

PIPER . . . One thousand guilders.

PETER the Cobbler Give him an hundred.

HANS the Butcher Double!

HANS' WIFE You were fools To make agreement with him.—Ask old Claus. He has the guilders; and his house was full 0' rats!

OLD CLAUS [shaking his stick from the window] You Jade! And I that hoard, and save, And lay by all I have from year to year, To build my monument when I am gone, A fine new tomb there, in Saint Boniface! And I to pay for all your city rats!

OLD URSULA [leaning out, opposite] Right, neighbor, right well said!—Piper, hark here. Piper, how did ye charm the rats away?

PIPER [coming down] The rats were led—by Cu-ri-os-ity. 'Tis so with many rats; and all old women;— Saving your health!

JACOBUS No thought for public weal, In this base grasping on—

PIPER One thousand guilders.

KURT [contemptuously] For piping!

PIPER Shall I pipe them back again?

WOMEN ( Good Saint Boniface! Merciful heaven! ( Good Saint Willibald! ( Peter and Paul defend us!

HANS the Butcher No, no; no fear o' that. The rats be drowned. We saw them with our eyes.

PIPER Now who shall say There is no resurrection for a mouse?

KURT —Do you but crop this fellow's ears!—

VERONIKA [from the steps] Ah, Kurt!

JACOBUS [to him, blandly] Deal patiently, good neighbor. All is well. [To the PIPER] Why do you name a price so laughable, My man? Call you to mind; you have no claim,— No scrip to show. You cling upon—

PIPER [sternly] Your word.

JACOBUS I, would say—just—

PIPER Your word.

JACOBUS Upon—

PIPER Your word. Sure, 't was a rotten parchment!

JACOBUS This is a base, Conniving miser!

PIPER [turning proudly] Stand forth, Cheat-the-Devil! [Up steps the DEVIL in red. PEOPLE shrink, and then come closer. Be not afeard. He pleased you all, of late. He hath no sting.—So, boy! Do off thy head.—

[CHEAT-THE-DEVIL doffs his red head-dress and stands forth, a pale and timorous youth, gentle and half-witted.

Michael, stand forth! [MICHAEL comes down, bear-head in hand.

BARBARA [regarding him sadly] That goodly sword-eater!

PIPER [defiantly] So, Michael, so.—These be two friends of mine. Pay now an even third to each of us. Or, to content your doubts, to each of these Do you pay here and now, five hundred guilders. Who gets it matters little, for us friends. But you will pay the sum, friend. You will pay!—

HANS, AXEL, AND CROWD Come, there's an honest fellow. Ay, now, pay! —There's a good friend.—And would I had the same. —One thousand guilders? —No, too much. —No, no.

KURT Pay jugglers?—With a rope apiece!

JACOBUS Why—so—

PIPER They are my friends; and they shall share with me. 'T is time that Hamelin reckoned us for men; —Hath ever dealt with us as we were vermin. Now have I rid you of the other sort— Right you that score!—

KURT These outcasts!

PIPER [hotly] Say you so? Michael, my man! Which of you here will try With glass or fire, with him?

MICHAEL [sullenly] No, no more glass, to-day!

PIPER Then fire and sword! [They back away.] So!—And there's not one man In Hamelin, here, so honest of his word. Stroller! A pretty choice you leave us.—Quit This strolling life, or stroll into a cage! What do you offer him? A man eats fire— Swords, glass, young April frogs—

CHILDREN Do it again! Do it again!

PIPER You say to such a man,— 'Come be a monk! A weaver!' Pretty choice. Here's Cheat-the-Devil, now.

PETER the Cobbler But what's his name?

PIPER He doesn't know. What would you? Nor do I. But for the something he has seen of life, Making men merry, he 'd know something more! The gentlest devil ever spiked Lost Souls Into Hell-mouth,—for nothing-by-the-day!

OLD URSULA [with her ear-trumpet] Piper, why do you call him Cheat-the-Devil?

PIPER Because his deviltry is all a cheat:— He is no devil,—but a gentle heart! —Friend Michael here hath played the Devil, betimes, Because he can so bravely breathe out fire. He plied the pitchfork so we yelped for mercy,— He reckoned not the stoutness of his arm!— But Cheat-the-Devil here,—he would not hurt Why—Kurt the Syndic—thrusting him in hell. [Laughter.

CHEAT-THE-DEVIL [unhappily] No, no—I will not hurt him!

PIPER [soothingly to him] Merry, boy! [To the townsfolk] And,—if ye will have reasons, good,—ye see,— I want—one thousand guilders.

JACOBUS In all surety, Payment you'll have, my man, But—

HANS the Butcher As to 's friends,— An that yon Devil be as feat wi' his hands As he be slow o' tongue, why, I will take him For prentice. Wife,—now that would smack o' pride!

PETER the Cobbler I'll take this fellow that can swallow fire, He's somewhat old for me. But he can learn My trade.—A pretty fellow!

PIPER And your trade?

PETER the Cobbler Peter the cobbler.—

MICHAEL I? What, I? Make shoes? [Proudly] I swallow fire.

PIPER Enough.

BARBARA [aside, bitterly] I'll not believe it.

PIPER [to HANS] Your trade?

HANS the Butcher I'm Hans the Butcher.

MICHAEL Butcher?

CHEAT-THE-DEVIL [unhappily] Butcher! Oh, no! I couldn't hurt them.

[Loud laughter.

BUTCHER'S WIFE 'T is a fool!

[The PIPER motions to MICHAEL and CHEAT-THE-DEVIL, who during the following join the other player-folk, strike their tent, pack their bundles, and wheel off the bar rows that have served them for an Ark, leaving the space clear before the Shrine. Exeunt Strollers, all but MICHAEL, who hangs about, still gazing at BARBARA.

JACOBUS Good people, we have wasted time enow. You see this fellow, that he has no writ—

PIPER Why not, then? 'T was a bargain. If your word Hold only when 't is writ—

KURT We cannot spend Clerkship on them that neither write nor read. What good would parchment do thee?

JACOBUS My good man—

PIPER Who says I cannot read?—Who says I cannot?

OLD CLAUS Piper, don't tell me you can read in books!

PIPER [at bay] Books! Where's a book? Shew me a book, I say!

OLD URSULA The Holy Book! Bring that—or he'll bewitch you.

PIPER Oh, never fear. I charm but fools and children; Now that the rats are gone.—Bring me a Book: A big one!—

[Murmurs. The PIPER defiant. The crowd moves towards the Minster. Enter ANSELM the priest, with a little acolyte,—the two bearing a large illuminated Gospel-book. ANSELM, eyeing the PIPER gravely, opens the book, which the boy supports on his head and shoulders.

PIPER Ho, 't is too heavy! Come, you cherub-head, Here's too much laid upon one guardian angel! [Beckons another small boy, and sets the book on their two backs. Well?—well? What now? [He looks in frank bewilderment at the eager crowd.

CROWD Read, read!

KURT He cannot read.

PIPER [to ANSELM] Turn—turn—there's nothing there. [ANSELM turns pages. PIPER looks on blankly] . . . Ah, turn again! The red one!— [He takes his fife from his belt] No, the green! The green one. So. [Starts to pipe, looking on the book.]

CROWD ( Sure 't is a mad-man! ( But hear him piping! ( What is he doing?

PIPER [puzzled at their mirth] What the green one says.— [A burst of laughter from the crowd. JAN, the little lame boy on the steps, reaches his arms out suddenly and gives a cry of delight.

JAN Oh, I love the Man!

[He goes, with his crutch, to the PIPER, who turns and gathers him close.

JACOBUS [to the People] Leave off this argument.

KURT Go in to Mass.

JACOBUS Saint Willibald!

PIPER [in a rage] That Saint!—

KURT Hence, wandering dog!

PIPER Oho!—Well, every Saint may have his day. But there are dog-days coming.—Eh, your worship? [To ANSELM, suddenly] You, there! You—Brother—Father—Uncle—You! Speak! Will you let them in, to say their prayers And mock me through their fingers?—Tell these men To settle it, among their mouldy pockets, Whether they keep their oath. Then will I go.

KURT [savagely] Away with you!—

ANSELM The Piper should be heard; Ye know it well. Render to Caesar, therefore, That which is Caesar's.

PIPER —Give the Devil his due!

JACOBUS [warily] We must take counsel over such a sum.

[Beckoning others, he and KURT go into the Rathaus, followed by all the men. Exit ANSELM with the Holy Book into the Minster.—The children play Mouse, to and fro, round about the PIPER.—The women, some of them, spin on the doorsteps, with little hand distaff's, or stand about, gossiping.

[The PIPER wipes his forehead and goes up slowly (centre) to drink from the fountain at the foot of the Shrine.—MICHAEL, like one in a dream, comes down towards BARBARA, who gazes back at him, fascinated, through her laughter.

BARBARA Is it for pay you loiter, Master Player? Were you not paid enough?

MICHAEL No.—One more look.

BARBARA Here, then.—Still not enough?

MICHAEL

No! One more smile.

BARBARA [agitated ] Why would you have me smile?

MICHAEL [passionately] Oh, when you smiled, It was—it was like sunlight coming through Some window there, [Pointing to the Minster] —some vision of Our Lady. [She drops her flowers.—He picks them up and gives them back slowly.

BARBARA Who are you? You are some one in disguise.

MICHAEL [bitterly] A man—that passes for a mountebank.

BARBARA [eagerly] I knew!

MICHAEL What then?

BARBARA Thou art of noble birth. 'T is some disguise, this playing with the fire!

MICHAEL Yes.—For to-day, I lord it with the fire. But it hath burned me, here. [Touching his breast.] [Overcome for the moment, she draws away.— The PIPER, coming down, speaks stealthily to MICHAEL, who is still gazing.

PIPER For all our sakes! There is bad weather breeding.—Take to thy heels.

[BARBARA turns back to see MICHAEL withdrawing reluctantly, and throws a rose to him with sudden gayety.

BARBARA Farewell to you, Sword-Swallower!—farewell!

MICHAEL [looking back] Farewell to you, my Lady, in-the-Moon. [Exit. [JAN clings once more to the PIPER, while the other children hang about. VERONIKA calls to her boy, from the steps.

VERONIKA Darling.—

PIPER [drawing nearer] Is this your Boy?

VERONIKA Ay, he is mine; My only one. He loved thy piping so.

PIPER And I loved his.

HANS' WIFE [stridently] Poor little boy! He's lame!

PIPER 'T is all of us are lame! But he, he flies.

VERONIKA Jan, stay here if you will, and hear the pipe, At Church-time.

PIPER [to him] Wilt thou?

JAN [softly] Mother lets me stay Here with the Lonely Man.

PIPER The Lonely Man? [JAN points to the Christ in the Shrine. VERONIKA crosses herself. The PIPER looks long at the little boy.

VERONIKA He always calls Him so.

PIPER And so would I.

VERONIKA It grieves him that the Head is always bowed, And stricken. But he loves more to be here Than yonder in the church.

PIPER And so do I.

VERONIKA What would you, darling, with the Lonely Man? What do you wait to see?

JAN [shyly] To see Him smile.

[The women murmur. The PIPER comes down further to speak to VERONIKA.

PIPER You are some foreign woman. Are you not? Never from Hamelin!

VERONIKA No.

AXEL'S WIFE [to her child] Then run along. And ask the Piper if he'll play again The tune that charmed the rats.

ANOTHER They might come back!

OLD URSULA [calling from her window] Piper! I want the tune that charmed the rats! If they come back, I'll have my grandson play it.