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The Pied Piper of Hamelin - with Introduction and Notes by S E Winbolt
Robert Browning's famous verse retelling of the medieval legend of the Pied Piper is renowned for its humor and vivid wordplay. When the selfish townspeople of Hamelin refuse to pay the piper for spiriting away the hordes of rats that had plagued them, he exacts his revenge by luring away their greatest treasure, the children of the town.Excerpt from The Pied Piper of Hamelin The Pied Piper of Hamelin. I. Hamelin Town's in Brunswick, By famous Hanover city;The river Weser, deep and wide, Washes its wall on the southern side;A pleasanter spot you never spied;But, when begins my ditty, Almost five hundred years ago, To see the townsfolk suffer soFrom vermin, was a pity.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1842
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About the author
Robert Browning
2,704 books445 followersRobert Browning (1812-1889) was a British poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.
Browning began writing poetry at age 13. These poems were eventually collected, but were later destroyed by Browning himself. In 1833, Browning's "Pauline" was published and received a cool reception. Harold Bloom believes that John Stuart Mill's review of the poem pointed Browning in the direction of the dramatic monologue.
In 1845, Browning wrote a letter to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, professing that he loved her poetry and her. In 1846, the couple eloped to Europe, eventually settling in Florence in 1847. They had a son Pen.
Upon Elizabeth Barrett Browning's death in 1861, Browning returned to London with his son. While in London, he published Dramatis Personae (1864) and The Ring and the Book (1869), both of which gained him critical priase and respect. His last book Asolando was published in 1889 when the poet was 77.
In 1889, Browning traveled to Italy to visit friends. He died in Venice on December 12 while visiting his sister.
Browning began writing poetry at age 13. These poems were eventually collected, but were later destroyed by Browning himself. In 1833, Browning's "Pauline" was published and received a cool reception. Harold Bloom believes that John Stuart Mill's review of the poem pointed Browning in the direction of the dramatic monologue.
In 1845, Browning wrote a letter to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, professing that he loved her poetry and her. In 1846, the couple eloped to Europe, eventually settling in Florence in 1847. They had a son Pen.
Upon Elizabeth Barrett Browning's death in 1861, Browning returned to London with his son. While in London, he published Dramatis Personae (1864) and The Ring and the Book (1869), both of which gained him critical priase and respect. His last book Asolando was published in 1889 when the poet was 77.
In 1889, Browning traveled to Italy to visit friends. He died in Venice on December 12 while visiting his sister.
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December 12, 2024
Many people know the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin. It is a staple of children’s books and innumerable adaptations, telling how a stranger wearing multi-coloured (“pied”) clothes comes to the town of Hamelin. He says he is a rat catcher, and offers to drive away the plague of rats infesting their town, by playing his pipe. They accept gladly, but afterwards the selfish townspeople refuse to pay the piper for spiriting away the hordes of rats. His revenge is to lure away their greatest treasure; all the children of the town. On July 26th of that same year, the piper returns and leads the children away, never to be seen again, just as he did with the rats.
It depends which version is being told, but a few solitary children were left behind. One of these children was lame, and could not keep up, another was deaf and could not hear the music, while the third one was blind and could not see where the other children were going. I remember once being cast as the lame child in a church production, which was a little odd since it is only in recent years that I broke my leg ... but perhaps I looked thin and weedy. What stays with me about that experience was that I was told to swap my crutch to the other leg on the way back across the stage, so that it was more obvious to the audience. But of course they were wise to this, and as I glanced down from the stage I could sense the nudges and suppressed giggles. Still, at least I had a speaking part!
The Brother Grimm had recorded the tale in 1816, but this version was by Robert Browning, in a verse poem. The Pied Piper of Hamelin might be the only poem some may read by him. Parts of it are instantly recognisable, and stay with us. Again, it is often children who are first introduced to it, as they enjoy the repetition, jingling rhymes and humour. Here’s the memorable second stanza:
“Rats!
They fought the dogs, and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And eat the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cooks’ own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men’s Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women’s chats
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats.“
What is perhaps surprising is that the story is based on real events, told as a folk tale to scare children. The earliest known record of this story is from the town of Hamelin itself. It is depicted in a stained glass window created for the church of Hamelin, which dates to around 1300 AD. Sadly it was destroyed in 1660, but several written accounts between the 14th and 17th centuries have survived. The oldest comes from the Lueneburg manuscript (c.1440 – 50), which stated:
“In the year of 1284, on the day of Saints John and Paul on June 26, by a piper, clothed in many kinds of colours, 130 children born in Hamelin were seduced, and lost at the place of execution near the koppen.”
A 1384 entry in Hamelin’s town records also grimly states: “It is 100 years since our children left.”
Nowadays the window is generally considered to have been created in memory of a tragic historical event for the town, although there is no explanation which is universally accepted as true. The street where the children were supposedly last seen still exists, and is called “Bungelosenstrasse” (street without drums), because no one is allowed to play music or dance there. However - and apologies if this shatters your illusions - but the rats themselves were first added to the story in a version from c. 1559 and are absent from earlier accounts.
There have been numerous theories trying to explain what happened to the children of Hamelin. One theory suggests that the children died of some natural causes, and that the Pied Piper was actually a personification of Death. Perhaps by associating the rats with the Black Death, the children were victims of that plague. However, the Black Death was at its peak in Europe between 1348 and 1350, which is more than half a century after the event in Hamelin.
There are other theories: Perhaps the children were actually sent away by their parents, due to the extreme poverty in which they were living. Or perhaps it was a more official plan, similar to the Ostsiedlung, ('East settlement') in which a number of Germans left their homes to colonise Eastern Europe.
Wibke Reimer, who works at the Hamelin Museum, reflects:
“In this scenario the Pied Piper played the role of a so-called locator or recruiter. They were responsible for organising migrations to the east and were said to have worn colourful garments and played an instrument to attract the attention of possible settlers.”
Or perhaps the children were victims of “St. Vitus’ Dance” (a sort of dance mania), which gripped mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. The condition is described as individuals:
“dancing hysterically through the streets for hours, days, and apparently even months, until they collapsed due to exhaustion or died from heart attack or stroke.”
If we accept the historical records, the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin was a real event that took place. But the story itself evolved and changed over the centuries, and the mystery of what really happened to the children has never been solved. Just as many other folk tales and nursery rhymes are metaphors, based on true events, so The Pied Piper of Hamelin also seems to be.
This review is of a particular edition of Robert Browning’s poem.
It is illustrated by the master of golden age children’s illustration Arthur Rackham, in watercolours, line and wash and ink drawings, including his characteristic silhouettes. They are very apt.
However, the edition is a modern reprint published by Pook Press. Their promotional material says:
“Pook Press celebrates the great Golden Age of Illustration in children’s literature. Many of the earliest children’s books, particularly those dating back to the 1850s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive.”
All very laudable, and at a first look this is a nicely produced hardback book with a laminated cover, but there are several oddities.
It has no title or author on the spine; it is blank. There are no illustrated endpapers as in the original; the inside cover and facing page (recto) are blank. This first page is made of a very strong card: a heavy enough weight for a paperback cover. (The corresponding endpapers at the end of the book are the same.) From now on, the pages are made of fine paper, so the illustrations and colours show well, but the weight is too flimsy - more like photocopy paper - and not suited to a book.
The first sheet of this has a silhouette and the title. It could serve as the title-page, but is not. Overleaf, we have … the end papers! Of course they cannot technically be called this, but clearly the illustration on the double page was originally intended to be glued to the cover and spread across. It is a stylised pattern of rats in brown and cream: one landscape design reversed and repeated so there is a chequerboard of six silhouettes.
The reverse of this page is the first main watercolour illustration, with the main title page opposite, recto, including the title, author and illustrator plus an ink line drawing and emblem of the pied piper. Verso is blank, recto is a third “title page”, this time just of the title, in a small font. Verso is blank, and recto is the title repeated larger, with a line drawing of the pied piper and the first stanza of the poem.
From now on it is fine, with good size print and good page design for the interspersed illustrations. There are odd blank pages, usually on the reverse of a full page line drawing. Since none of these has a page number I assume they were originally printed on a different type of paper - probably glossy art paper. It does not account for the occasional blank pages verso of the text however, where the text has a page number and the blank page does not. Nor does it account for the unenumerated double page spread of a landscape line drawing.
The book continues in the way until the extra flyleaves as described before.
I’m afraid that all in all this book is not a success, the main drawback being the exceptionally flimsy pages inside a double (cardboard, then an extra laminated) cover. Pook Press will not get my custom again. Thus although the poem itself and the illustrations are both worthy of 5 stars, this edition has to stay at my default of 3.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin - Arthur Rackham 1934
It depends which version is being told, but a few solitary children were left behind. One of these children was lame, and could not keep up, another was deaf and could not hear the music, while the third one was blind and could not see where the other children were going. I remember once being cast as the lame child in a church production, which was a little odd since it is only in recent years that I broke my leg ... but perhaps I looked thin and weedy. What stays with me about that experience was that I was told to swap my crutch to the other leg on the way back across the stage, so that it was more obvious to the audience. But of course they were wise to this, and as I glanced down from the stage I could sense the nudges and suppressed giggles. Still, at least I had a speaking part!
The Brother Grimm had recorded the tale in 1816, but this version was by Robert Browning, in a verse poem. The Pied Piper of Hamelin might be the only poem some may read by him. Parts of it are instantly recognisable, and stay with us. Again, it is often children who are first introduced to it, as they enjoy the repetition, jingling rhymes and humour. Here’s the memorable second stanza:
“Rats!
They fought the dogs, and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And eat the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cooks’ own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men’s Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women’s chats
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats.“
What is perhaps surprising is that the story is based on real events, told as a folk tale to scare children. The earliest known record of this story is from the town of Hamelin itself. It is depicted in a stained glass window created for the church of Hamelin, which dates to around 1300 AD. Sadly it was destroyed in 1660, but several written accounts between the 14th and 17th centuries have survived. The oldest comes from the Lueneburg manuscript (c.1440 – 50), which stated:
“In the year of 1284, on the day of Saints John and Paul on June 26, by a piper, clothed in many kinds of colours, 130 children born in Hamelin were seduced, and lost at the place of execution near the koppen.”
A 1384 entry in Hamelin’s town records also grimly states: “It is 100 years since our children left.”
Nowadays the window is generally considered to have been created in memory of a tragic historical event for the town, although there is no explanation which is universally accepted as true. The street where the children were supposedly last seen still exists, and is called “Bungelosenstrasse” (street without drums), because no one is allowed to play music or dance there. However - and apologies if this shatters your illusions - but the rats themselves were first added to the story in a version from c. 1559 and are absent from earlier accounts.
There have been numerous theories trying to explain what happened to the children of Hamelin. One theory suggests that the children died of some natural causes, and that the Pied Piper was actually a personification of Death. Perhaps by associating the rats with the Black Death, the children were victims of that plague. However, the Black Death was at its peak in Europe between 1348 and 1350, which is more than half a century after the event in Hamelin.
There are other theories: Perhaps the children were actually sent away by their parents, due to the extreme poverty in which they were living. Or perhaps it was a more official plan, similar to the Ostsiedlung, ('East settlement') in which a number of Germans left their homes to colonise Eastern Europe.
Wibke Reimer, who works at the Hamelin Museum, reflects:
“In this scenario the Pied Piper played the role of a so-called locator or recruiter. They were responsible for organising migrations to the east and were said to have worn colourful garments and played an instrument to attract the attention of possible settlers.”
Or perhaps the children were victims of “St. Vitus’ Dance” (a sort of dance mania), which gripped mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. The condition is described as individuals:
“dancing hysterically through the streets for hours, days, and apparently even months, until they collapsed due to exhaustion or died from heart attack or stroke.”
If we accept the historical records, the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin was a real event that took place. But the story itself evolved and changed over the centuries, and the mystery of what really happened to the children has never been solved. Just as many other folk tales and nursery rhymes are metaphors, based on true events, so The Pied Piper of Hamelin also seems to be.
This review is of a particular edition of Robert Browning’s poem.
It is illustrated by the master of golden age children’s illustration Arthur Rackham, in watercolours, line and wash and ink drawings, including his characteristic silhouettes. They are very apt.
However, the edition is a modern reprint published by Pook Press. Their promotional material says:
“Pook Press celebrates the great Golden Age of Illustration in children’s literature. Many of the earliest children’s books, particularly those dating back to the 1850s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive.”
All very laudable, and at a first look this is a nicely produced hardback book with a laminated cover, but there are several oddities.
It has no title or author on the spine; it is blank. There are no illustrated endpapers as in the original; the inside cover and facing page (recto) are blank. This first page is made of a very strong card: a heavy enough weight for a paperback cover. (The corresponding endpapers at the end of the book are the same.) From now on, the pages are made of fine paper, so the illustrations and colours show well, but the weight is too flimsy - more like photocopy paper - and not suited to a book.
The first sheet of this has a silhouette and the title. It could serve as the title-page, but is not. Overleaf, we have … the end papers! Of course they cannot technically be called this, but clearly the illustration on the double page was originally intended to be glued to the cover and spread across. It is a stylised pattern of rats in brown and cream: one landscape design reversed and repeated so there is a chequerboard of six silhouettes.
The reverse of this page is the first main watercolour illustration, with the main title page opposite, recto, including the title, author and illustrator plus an ink line drawing and emblem of the pied piper. Verso is blank, recto is a third “title page”, this time just of the title, in a small font. Verso is blank, and recto is the title repeated larger, with a line drawing of the pied piper and the first stanza of the poem.
From now on it is fine, with good size print and good page design for the interspersed illustrations. There are odd blank pages, usually on the reverse of a full page line drawing. Since none of these has a page number I assume they were originally printed on a different type of paper - probably glossy art paper. It does not account for the occasional blank pages verso of the text however, where the text has a page number and the blank page does not. Nor does it account for the unenumerated double page spread of a landscape line drawing.
The book continues in the way until the extra flyleaves as described before.
I’m afraid that all in all this book is not a success, the main drawback being the exceptionally flimsy pages inside a double (cardboard, then an extra laminated) cover. Pook Press will not get my custom again. Thus although the poem itself and the illustrations are both worthy of 5 stars, this edition has to stay at my default of 3.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin - Arthur Rackham 1934
July 30, 2018
Wow, this has a harsh ending. Maybe I don't remember the story, but I thought the kids came back. Not in this one. If you have kids who are terrified of losing their parents, I would suggest skipping this story. I hope the townsfolk fire the mayor after his greed lost the town their kids.
At least the kids went to a heaven like place. The Pied Piper is pretty cold. This is a dark story. The nephew did like this story anyway. He gave it 4 stars. He thought the rats following the piper was cool.
At least the kids went to a heaven like place. The Pied Piper is pretty cold. This is a dark story. The nephew did like this story anyway. He gave it 4 stars. He thought the rats following the piper was cool.
January 19, 2019
دوستانِ گرانقدر، این داستان در موردِ مردمِ شهرِ <هاملن> در آلمان میباشد، که آزمند بودند و بر سرِ قرار و پیمانی که بسته بودند، نماندند
---------------------------------------------
داستان از جایی آغاز شد که هزاران هزار موشِ گنده به شهر حمله کردند و زندگیِ مردمِ شهر نابود شده بود و موش ها روز به روز بزرگتر و زیادتر میشدند و حتی سگ و گربه ها و حیواناتِ اهلی و نوزادهای اهالی را هم میخوردند و دیگر چیزی برایِ مردم باقی نمانده بود
تا آنکه از دور دست مردی عجیب با صدایِ " فلوت" زیبا و جادو کننده ای به شهر آنها وارد شد و داستانِ موش ها را شنید
مردِ فلوت زن به مردم و حاکم شهر گفت: من میتوانم با آوایِ دلنشینِ فلوتم هر موجودی را به دنبالِ خودم بکشانم... و اینکار را برایِ حاکمِ بغداد نیز انجام دادم و عقرب ها را از قصرش بیرون آوردم... اکنون حاضرم برایتان اینکار را انجام دهم، اما در ازایِ آن هزار سکه از شما دریافت میکنم... حاکم و اهالی گفتند: هزار سکه سهل است، پنج هزار سکه به تو میدهیم.. تو فقط ما و شهرمان را نجات بده
خلاصه مردِ فلوت زن شروع به نواختن آهنگی عجیب و جادویی کرد و ناگهان لشگرِ وحشتناکِ موشها با تعدادِ بسیار زیاد به دنبالِ او حرکت کردند و مرد آنها را به همراهِ خودش تا رودخانه بُرد و ناگهان تمامیِ موشهایی که جادو شده بودند، به درونِ آب افتادند و آب آنها را با خودش بُرد
مردمِ شهر جشن گرفتند و شادمان بودند... مردِ فلوت زن، به دربارِ حاکم رفت و از او هزار سکه اش را درخواست نمود... حاکم گفت: هزار سکه!!!؟ ما با تو شوخی کردیم.. فقط میتوانیم به سلامتیِ تو مشروب بنوشیم.. مردِ فلوت زن شاکی شد و با عصبانیت گفت: شما عهد و پیمانی داشتید با من... حاکم نیز با گستاخیِ تمام، ناسزا به او گفت و دستور داد او را بیرون کنند
مردِ فلوت زن به مرکزِ شهر رفت و شروع به نواختنِ فلوتش کرد و ناگهان تمامیِ بچه هایِ شهر با سن و سال هایِ مختلف به دورِ او جمع شدند و مردِ فلوت زن تمامیِ بچه ها را همراهِ خویش به درونِ غاری بُرد و ناگهان دهانهٔ غار بسته شد و تمامیِ بچه هایِ شهر به جز یکی از آنها نیست و نابود شدند
بعدها همان بچه که نجات پیدا کرده بود این داستانِ انتقامی را که فلوت زن از شهرِ آنها گرفته بود را برای همگان تعریف کرد... ولی چه فایده که او پیر شد، بدون آنکه حتی یک همبازی و یا دوست در مدرسه و یا کوچه و خیابان داشته باشد
---------------------------------------------
امیدوارم شما دوستانِ گرامی و خردگرا، همیشه بر عهد و پیمانِ خودتان پایبند باشید
<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>
---------------------------------------------
داستان از جایی آغاز شد که هزاران هزار موشِ گنده به شهر حمله کردند و زندگیِ مردمِ شهر نابود شده بود و موش ها روز به روز بزرگتر و زیادتر میشدند و حتی سگ و گربه ها و حیواناتِ اهلی و نوزادهای اهالی را هم میخوردند و دیگر چیزی برایِ مردم باقی نمانده بود
تا آنکه از دور دست مردی عجیب با صدایِ " فلوت" زیبا و جادو کننده ای به شهر آنها وارد شد و داستانِ موش ها را شنید
مردِ فلوت زن به مردم و حاکم شهر گفت: من میتوانم با آوایِ دلنشینِ فلوتم هر موجودی را به دنبالِ خودم بکشانم... و اینکار را برایِ حاکمِ بغداد نیز انجام دادم و عقرب ها را از قصرش بیرون آوردم... اکنون حاضرم برایتان اینکار را انجام دهم، اما در ازایِ آن هزار سکه از شما دریافت میکنم... حاکم و اهالی گفتند: هزار سکه سهل است، پنج هزار سکه به تو میدهیم.. تو فقط ما و شهرمان را نجات بده
خلاصه مردِ فلوت زن شروع به نواختن آهنگی عجیب و جادویی کرد و ناگهان لشگرِ وحشتناکِ موشها با تعدادِ بسیار زیاد به دنبالِ او حرکت کردند و مرد آنها را به همراهِ خودش تا رودخانه بُرد و ناگهان تمامیِ موشهایی که جادو شده بودند، به درونِ آب افتادند و آب آنها را با خودش بُرد
مردمِ شهر جشن گرفتند و شادمان بودند... مردِ فلوت زن، به دربارِ حاکم رفت و از او هزار سکه اش را درخواست نمود... حاکم گفت: هزار سکه!!!؟ ما با تو شوخی کردیم.. فقط میتوانیم به سلامتیِ تو مشروب بنوشیم.. مردِ فلوت زن شاکی شد و با عصبانیت گفت: شما عهد و پیمانی داشتید با من... حاکم نیز با گستاخیِ تمام، ناسزا به او گفت و دستور داد او را بیرون کنند
مردِ فلوت زن به مرکزِ شهر رفت و شروع به نواختنِ فلوتش کرد و ناگهان تمامیِ بچه هایِ شهر با سن و سال هایِ مختلف به دورِ او جمع شدند و مردِ فلوت زن تمامیِ بچه ها را همراهِ خویش به درونِ غاری بُرد و ناگهان دهانهٔ غار بسته شد و تمامیِ بچه هایِ شهر به جز یکی از آنها نیست و نابود شدند
بعدها همان بچه که نجات پیدا کرده بود این داستانِ انتقامی را که فلوت زن از شهرِ آنها گرفته بود را برای همگان تعریف کرد... ولی چه فایده که او پیر شد، بدون آنکه حتی یک همبازی و یا دوست در مدرسه و یا کوچه و خیابان داشته باشد
---------------------------------------------
امیدوارم شما دوستانِ گرامی و خردگرا، همیشه بر عهد و پیمانِ خودتان پایبند باشید
<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>
August 26, 2022
I remembered this story from my childhood. We read it as Prose reformat in our School curriculum. It was my fav. among all ever since.
Every story, poem, act, from that early era has some moral behind it. Same is with this one;
And, whether they pipe us free, from rats or from mice,
If we’ve promised them ought, let us keep our promise.
I didn't though remember of the Indian touch given to this poem in original. It was great again to read it after so long time.
Every story, poem, act, from that early era has some moral behind it. Same is with this one;
And, whether they pipe us free, from rats or from mice,
If we’ve promised them ought, let us keep our promise.
I didn't though remember of the Indian touch given to this poem in original. It was great again to read it after so long time.
April 23, 2023
Albeit I indeed and definitely have much enjoyed Robert Browning's presented verses, I do wonder if the at times rather heavy handed satire and social criticism of his 1842 story poem of The Pied Piper of Hamelin might in fact be a bit of a potential comprehension block for younger readers. For yes, for me as an adult reader, this sure does tickle my proverbial fancy, but that if I had encountered The Pied Piper of Hamelin during my childhood, I am not sure I would have understood the majority of Browning’s diverse allusions in The Pied Piper of Hamelin and might also have found the rhyme scheme itself a bit distracting and lyrically taxing. And while Kate Greenaway's accompanying illustrations for The Pied Piper of Hamelin are certainly lushly colourful and descriptive (and I can well understand why and how she has an award for best United Kingdom illustrated children's book named in her honour), due to the salient truth that I am personally familiar with the German city of Hamelin, I actually tend to find Greenaway’s depictions, her pictorial offerings generally considerably more British than German in nature and scope (really not all that much of a major potential issue, to be sure, but visual historical authenticity of place does indeed seem more than a bit lacking with The Pied Piper of Hamelin).
And interestingly enough, quite a number of modern folklore and history scholars now believe the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin to be a folkloric allusion to a mass migration out of Hamelin and its environs in Mediaeval times (some claim this might have been due to the so-called Children's Crusades, and although there has not been any actual historical proof of this, the theory is in my opinion both intriguing and worthy of consideration and further research). But I was actually far more intrigued to learn (while recently reading a fictional autobiography about Romanian Germans immigrating to North America in the late 19th century) that according to folklore and tradition, the Germans of Romania consider themselves to be the descendants of the lost children of Hamelin. Now I have not been able to verify this information, but from a folkloric point of view, it is indeed an interesting "origin" tale concept, and one that might well have a basis in fact, as the Germans of Romania are indeed the decedents of individuals who migrated en masse from Germany to the Balkans during the Middle Ages (from the 12th century onwards, according to information I have read on Wikipedia).
And interestingly enough, quite a number of modern folklore and history scholars now believe the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin to be a folkloric allusion to a mass migration out of Hamelin and its environs in Mediaeval times (some claim this might have been due to the so-called Children's Crusades, and although there has not been any actual historical proof of this, the theory is in my opinion both intriguing and worthy of consideration and further research). But I was actually far more intrigued to learn (while recently reading a fictional autobiography about Romanian Germans immigrating to North America in the late 19th century) that according to folklore and tradition, the Germans of Romania consider themselves to be the descendants of the lost children of Hamelin. Now I have not been able to verify this information, but from a folkloric point of view, it is indeed an interesting "origin" tale concept, and one that might well have a basis in fact, as the Germans of Romania are indeed the decedents of individuals who migrated en masse from Germany to the Balkans during the Middle Ages (from the 12th century onwards, according to information I have read on Wikipedia).
October 21, 2025
DR. SEUSS meets THE PLAGUE
Lovely, weird, and creepy. I loved it. Form is rhyming poetry, so maybe not for everyone! A very quick read, grabbed it free from Libby🩵
Read this and listened to it on Libby in preparation for a retelling.
Lovely, weird, and creepy. I loved it. Form is rhyming poetry, so maybe not for everyone! A very quick read, grabbed it free from Libby🩵
Read this and listened to it on Libby in preparation for a retelling.
March 21, 2020
Still my favorite poem.
Reread World Poetry Day 2020
Reread World Poetry Day 2020
December 17, 2016
This is one of those stories I sort of remembered, having heard it many years ago. But reading it now in Robert Brownings prose not only brought its all vividly back to life but also brought added depth that I didn't remember.
The story is a retelling of the medieval tale of how the Pied Piper rid the city of rats only to be double crossed and how he took his revenge (now normally I would voraciously refrain from spoilers but I think with this story there is little danger of ruining the experience of discovering this brand new for the first time).
Now the story is a classic there is no doubt but for me there is the double pleasure with the incredible artwork. Here we have the work of Kate Greenaway which I think is a perfect accompaniment giving a timeless feel to the story and the book itself. Along with the illustrations of Heath Robinson (yes the man of the impossible contraption fame) I think they add to the experience and even though this book was published in 1993 it still feels as sumptuous as the first printing back in 1842.
The story is a retelling of the medieval tale of how the Pied Piper rid the city of rats only to be double crossed and how he took his revenge (now normally I would voraciously refrain from spoilers but I think with this story there is little danger of ruining the experience of discovering this brand new for the first time).
Now the story is a classic there is no doubt but for me there is the double pleasure with the incredible artwork. Here we have the work of Kate Greenaway which I think is a perfect accompaniment giving a timeless feel to the story and the book itself. Along with the illustrations of Heath Robinson (yes the man of the impossible contraption fame) I think they add to the experience and even though this book was published in 1993 it still feels as sumptuous as the first printing back in 1842.
March 15, 2021
I think I read this a long time ago. If a book becomes part of the cultural language does that make it good.? Most of the time. I think this qualifies.
January 8, 2016
Excellent, vivid, brilliant! One of the earliest works I read, first as Grimms tales and then as this poem, I was something in class V or VI, I guess, it left the strongest impression on me. While the Grimms tales version inspired me to write my very first work of fiction at age 7 yrs, a poem about a princess with 7 pet rats or some such thing, can't recall much of it now but I was in love with my own very first work for a long time, just because these kinda horror fairy tales had made me fall in love with the art of story-telling itself.
August 5, 2023
I'm not sure I've read Browning's poem of the pied piper before. Nor did I know it had been illustrated by Kate Greenaway! So this was a lucky find for me at my local used bookstore. Greenaway sets the adult male characters and the piper in pre-industrial Germany, but the women and most of the children look like everything else she illustrates (they lack the wooden shoes, alas!). I quite enjoyed Browning's rhyming felicities and Greenaway's poignant illustrations. Browning's poem is rather long, and it is unevenly spread between the illustrations, but it is good fun to read. Glad to have this version of the tale in my library. Pay your contractors!
December 26, 2023
The message is obviously 'Don't mess with the Pied Piper'.
The burghers offer a large sum of money for the Pied Piper to rid the town of rats. When he does so, they renege on the deal and offer him far less.
They think there is nothing that he can do about it. How wrong they were as he got out his flute and enticed the children of the village away. One managed to miss being led into the cavern in the mountain as he was lame and he was later to lament, 'It's dull in our town since my playmates left!'
This large format edition is beautifully illustrated by Van Dyck.
The burghers offer a large sum of money for the Pied Piper to rid the town of rats. When he does so, they renege on the deal and offer him far less.
They think there is nothing that he can do about it. How wrong they were as he got out his flute and enticed the children of the village away. One managed to miss being led into the cavern in the mountain as he was lame and he was later to lament, 'It's dull in our town since my playmates left!'
This large format edition is beautifully illustrated by Van Dyck.
July 4, 2019
The legend of the lost children of Hamelin (Hameln) has been retold many times, from Goethe's 1803 poem (
Der Rattenfänger
), to the legend of Die Kinder zu Hameln, to be found in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. English speakers however, are probably most familiar with Robert Browning's poem, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, which was first published in 1842, and which has given its name to most subsequent retellings of the tale, whether in prose or poetry.
In this edition, Browning's work is presented in picture-book format, with illustrations by Anatoly Ivanov. It's interesting to note that although the cover artwork is painted to look like a stain-glass window, the interior illustrations are in a different style altogether - colorful, and much more realistic than those to be found in Kate Greenaway's classic edition.
Prompted by a question in the Children's Book group I moderate on another site, I have been rereading the various editions of this tale currently in my collection, and have come to the realization that it is really the story I appreciate, rather than the poem. There are certainly specific passages that appeal to me, but taken all together, I find that I prefer prose retellings, particularly that done by Sara and Stephen Corrin.
In this edition, Browning's work is presented in picture-book format, with illustrations by Anatoly Ivanov. It's interesting to note that although the cover artwork is painted to look like a stain-glass window, the interior illustrations are in a different style altogether - colorful, and much more realistic than those to be found in Kate Greenaway's classic edition.
Prompted by a question in the Children's Book group I moderate on another site, I have been rereading the various editions of this tale currently in my collection, and have come to the realization that it is really the story I appreciate, rather than the poem. There are certainly specific passages that appeal to me, but taken all together, I find that I prefer prose retellings, particularly that done by Sara and Stephen Corrin.
May 29, 2009
I recently finished a prose version of this tale that was by Sara and Stephen Corrin and was illustrated by Errol Le Cain, and I really loved it. I’m about to read another prose edition that’s by Robert Holden and illustrated by Drahos Zak.
This book is the famous poem by Robert Browning and it’s illustrated by Kate Greenaway. I’d thought I’d grown up with the poem but now I know that I was mistaken. I did grow up with a song (that record is in a box that’s not readily accessible) and the lyrics and tune were very catchy. I did grow up with the story too; I now am assuming that it was the Grimm Brothers version.
I’ve always been fascinated by this story but I was not favorably impressed with this poem. I do not think I’d have at all enjoyed it as a child and even now I prefer this tale told in story form.
The Kate Greenaway illustrations were colorful but the paintings seemed to encompass different styles, some of which I loved and some of which I thought were just okay.
This book is the famous poem by Robert Browning and it’s illustrated by Kate Greenaway. I’d thought I’d grown up with the poem but now I know that I was mistaken. I did grow up with a song (that record is in a box that’s not readily accessible) and the lyrics and tune were very catchy. I did grow up with the story too; I now am assuming that it was the Grimm Brothers version.
I’ve always been fascinated by this story but I was not favorably impressed with this poem. I do not think I’d have at all enjoyed it as a child and even now I prefer this tale told in story form.
The Kate Greenaway illustrations were colorful but the paintings seemed to encompass different styles, some of which I loved and some of which I thought were just okay.
March 5, 2017
Чудесна билингва, илюстрирана от Томас и Уенди Крейк за малкия им син, която той издава години по-късно в тяхна памет.
Преводът на Евгения Панчева е доста добър и забавен.
Поемата на Браунинг, естествено класика, успява да бъде едновременно развличаща, поучителна и леко плашеща.
Приказката сигурно всички сте я чували.
Преводът на Евгения Панчева е доста добър и забавен.
Поемата на Браунинг, естествено класика, успява да бъде едновременно развличаща, поучителна и леко плашеща.
Приказката сигурно всички сте я чували.
September 8, 2015
I looked around on the FreeBooks app I bought and wandered across Browning's shorter poems. The rhyme schemes entertain with exquisite grace. I want more of this classic poet!
April 13, 2019
3.5 stars
The poem, on its own, is an interesting and rhythmic piece of folklore. As a children’s book, however, I don’t really think it works. It certainly isn’t a fun poem and I believe there are many other wonderful ways to introduce children to the world of poetry. I feel that the language in the poem would be incredibly difficult for a child to keep up with and although the story within it offers an important lesson, it is also rather dark. I think it could be terrifying for a child.
I did enjoy seeing the illustrations in the book. Personally, I would recommend this solely for teens and adults who like poetry.
The poem, on its own, is an interesting and rhythmic piece of folklore. As a children’s book, however, I don’t really think it works. It certainly isn’t a fun poem and I believe there are many other wonderful ways to introduce children to the world of poetry. I feel that the language in the poem would be incredibly difficult for a child to keep up with and although the story within it offers an important lesson, it is also rather dark. I think it could be terrifying for a child.
I did enjoy seeing the illustrations in the book. Personally, I would recommend this solely for teens and adults who like poetry.
October 14, 2022
Iconic
August 22, 2011
There are a few versions of Browning's THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN available, so if you like the text you might want to pick and choose your edition based on the illustrations.
I think traditionally this text gets taught at secondary school, however, I can't see any reason why a year five or six class shouldn't be introduced to it.
The plot of the poem is of a stranger who comes to the town of Hamelin in Germany to rid the place of rats. He completes his mission by luring them out of town and into the river with his pipe music. However, when the time comes for the town council to pay him for his work, they will not, and so, as a truly macabre act of revenge, he lures the town's children away in the same way that he did with the rodents.
It's a dark poem, and yet strangely hypnotic. Based on a time when the town's children really were lost, purportedly to the plague or some other medical epidemic or perhaps to a landslide- there are various suggestions- Browning's interpretation may be a considered one of a number of secondary sources of art and literature depicting these events.
This poem is great to get discussion going, a literary detective case to piece together what actually might have happened when read in conjunction with other representations of the events in Hamelin. It also offers the children the chance to write in their verse, what happened in Hamelin, based on Browning's poem, or perhaps turn their hands to journalism and write a newspaper story based on the events depicted in the poem. As a writer, Browning can also be used on projects on the Victorians, with the added bonus (if it can be termed that) of having his tomb in Poets' Corner in Westmister Abbey and available to be visited.
Certainly not a light read, but definitely one to ge a lot out of.
I think traditionally this text gets taught at secondary school, however, I can't see any reason why a year five or six class shouldn't be introduced to it.
The plot of the poem is of a stranger who comes to the town of Hamelin in Germany to rid the place of rats. He completes his mission by luring them out of town and into the river with his pipe music. However, when the time comes for the town council to pay him for his work, they will not, and so, as a truly macabre act of revenge, he lures the town's children away in the same way that he did with the rodents.
It's a dark poem, and yet strangely hypnotic. Based on a time when the town's children really were lost, purportedly to the plague or some other medical epidemic or perhaps to a landslide- there are various suggestions- Browning's interpretation may be a considered one of a number of secondary sources of art and literature depicting these events.
This poem is great to get discussion going, a literary detective case to piece together what actually might have happened when read in conjunction with other representations of the events in Hamelin. It also offers the children the chance to write in their verse, what happened in Hamelin, based on Browning's poem, or perhaps turn their hands to journalism and write a newspaper story based on the events depicted in the poem. As a writer, Browning can also be used on projects on the Victorians, with the added bonus (if it can be termed that) of having his tomb in Poets' Corner in Westmister Abbey and available to be visited.
Certainly not a light read, but definitely one to ge a lot out of.
October 19, 2012
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is "the first in a series of miniature books that focus on original folklore classics" and the latest edition from Lorin Morgan-Richards' A Raven Above Press. The wonderful thing about Morgan-Richards' books is that they are all handmade originals. He creates each book individually, so each is unique in its own way. Quite frankly, as far as I'm concerned, his books are miniature works of art.
Lorin Morgan-Richards art reminds me of a modern day Charles Addams or Edward Gorey. He dabbles in the unusual and strange, yet there's just enough of the familiar in his artwork to keep it grounded. His artwork is perfectly matched to the tone of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, the familiar folklore tale of the strange Piper who comes to Hamelin to rid them of the rats that are infesting their town, and who then takes the children of Hamelin away with his magical, musical pipe after the townsfolk deny paying for his service.
The book itself is rather tiny, measuring at just 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide, which really adds to its charm. I so thoroughly enjoy the books from A Raven Above Press, and I'm looking forward to future editions in the Folklore Mini-Series.
Lorin Morgan-Richards art reminds me of a modern day Charles Addams or Edward Gorey. He dabbles in the unusual and strange, yet there's just enough of the familiar in his artwork to keep it grounded. His artwork is perfectly matched to the tone of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, the familiar folklore tale of the strange Piper who comes to Hamelin to rid them of the rats that are infesting their town, and who then takes the children of Hamelin away with his magical, musical pipe after the townsfolk deny paying for his service.
The book itself is rather tiny, measuring at just 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide, which really adds to its charm. I so thoroughly enjoy the books from A Raven Above Press, and I'm looking forward to future editions in the Folklore Mini-Series.
April 21, 2025
The Pied Piper..... What a wonderful poem. I close my eyes and am back snuggled up in bed with mum reciting this poem from memory in a way that kept me hanging on her every word. I have no idea how many evenings I begged for this poem but I know it was a lot. Yet sadly I do not have my mum's memory and cannot revise for than a few stanzas and odd lines. This is what makes Illustrated versions such a pleasure such as this glorious Kate Greenaway version.
The tragedy of the story did not matter at all. That happened somewhere else to some other children. I was quite safe. I did not fear a pied piper turning up to our town... We had no rats I could see.... And anyway the piper was, in my mind at least benevolently intentioned towards the children.... They were not drowned...
Sometimes mum, wearying of this poem would try to offer me an alternative... Robert of Sicily... Another Browning epic I recall was often invoked... But really it did not cut the mustard.
Listening to the rhythm and sound of the words is the key. The poem has a massive momentum once begun. It is just not the same reading it.
The tragedy of the story did not matter at all. That happened somewhere else to some other children. I was quite safe. I did not fear a pied piper turning up to our town... We had no rats I could see.... And anyway the piper was, in my mind at least benevolently intentioned towards the children.... They were not drowned...
Sometimes mum, wearying of this poem would try to offer me an alternative... Robert of Sicily... Another Browning epic I recall was often invoked... But really it did not cut the mustard.
Listening to the rhythm and sound of the words is the key. The poem has a massive momentum once begun. It is just not the same reading it.
November 29, 2018
I'd never read the poem before. It was written in 1888, so older English in word and prose. It's pretty long so would not recommend for younger children unless they have some stamina and can understand the writing of this era.
The illustrations are quite whimsical.
Ages: 9+
Cleanliness: Eludes to the children which were lead away being aliens in Transylvania, and "having risen out of some subterraneous prison into which they were trepanned."
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
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The illustrations are quite whimsical.
Ages: 9+
Cleanliness: Eludes to the children which were lead away being aliens in Transylvania, and "having risen out of some subterraneous prison into which they were trepanned."
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
May 24, 2012
Robert Browning's tale of a man who saved the little town of Hamelin from the gruesome deaths of the plague caused by rats is a story I still remember today as one of my favourites. The Pied piper was promised money in return for his heroic act but was later denied by the people he saves. He promised to return with revenge and when he died he played his flute which drove all the children of Hamelin away to never return. A story I feel more suited for KS2 due to the fact that the children never return to their mothers and this may be quite terrifying for younger children however, a great tale which portrays the dreadful consequences of lying and not keeping promises.
February 23, 2019
The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin may be a little dark, it may have a slightest tinge of mafia due to a strict behavioral code but there's a valuable lesson to learn while enjoying beautiful illustrations and Browning's magnificent verses.
Feb 23, 19
* Maybe later on my blog.
And, whether they pipe us free, from rats or from mice,
If we’ve promised them ought, let us keep our promise.
Feb 23, 19
* Maybe later on my blog.
September 21, 2021
I find the ending ruthless, although, kind of predictable as they’ve promised the Pied Piper an ample amount to get rid of their problem. I’ve read some articles with various interpretations of this book and I just like how ambiguous this book is, but I sure hope so that 1376 children didn’t actually disappeared back then.
November 29, 2024
A lovely edition. Discussed this with my oldest child as part of our homeschool literature curriculum. Gave me opportunity to discuss Intertextuality, characterization, paratextuality, allegory, and themes of morality.
November 1, 2019
A dark, joyous word-snake and an absolute classic.
February 8, 2012
This was a very good book. The story took place in a little town far far away. There were the towns people, the Mayor of the town, and the Pied Piper as characters in this poem. The town was having a rodent problem. The Piper got rid of all the rodents for the town. Thats about all I can say with out giving away the whole entire book. This book rhymes very well. The rhymes are direct and the author doesnt try to use words that are close to rhyming. There are exact rhymes. This poem has images on just about every other page of the book. You can draw an image in your mind from reading the text and the images that you can draw from the text appear very close to the images that are given. This poem gives good insight. Just as you would think the Piper couldnt do anything to get the Mayor back he finds a way to do so. This poem how ever doesn't give an approprateness for occasion. There is no celebration in this poem besides that of the one that the rodents are gone. Overall this poem follows very closely to the criteria of poems. I thought this poem was very good. The poem was very funny. You would never think that rodents could overtake a town like in this book. There definatly was a fantastical appearence of the poem with the Piper being able to get rid of the rodents using his pipe. The pictures were a good visual aid to the text and were very exact to the text. I can relate this poem to my life because the moral is that you always got to stand up for yourself and never let anyone take advantage of you. There were many times that i had to use this moral in my life. Once you let someone walk over you they just keep doing so. The Pied Piper did not let that happen with the Mayor.
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