“Very well,” said the Piper, and he smiled a quiet smile.  With that he laid his pipe to his lips afresh, but now there came forth no shrill notes, as it were, of scraping and gnawing, and squeaking and scurrying, but the tune was joyous and resonant, full of happy laughter and merry play.  And as he paced down the streets the elders mocked, but from school-room and play-room, from nursery and workshop, not a child but ran out with eager glee and shout following gaily at the Piper’s call.  Dancing, laughing, joining hands and tripping feet, the bright throng moved along up Gold Street and down Silver Street, and beyond Silver Street lay the cool green forest full of old oaks and wide-spreading beeches.  In and out among the oak-trees you might catch glimpses of the Piper’s many-coloured coat.  You might hear the laughter of the children break and fade and die away as deeper and deeper into the lone green wood the stranger went and the children followed.

All the while, the elders watched and waited.  They mocked no longer now.  And watch and wait as they might, never did they set their eyes again upon the Piper in his parti-coloured coat.  Never were their hearts gladdened by the song and dance of the children issuing forth from amongst the ancient oaks of the forest.

Hereafterthis

Once upon a time there was a farmer called Jan, and he lived all alone by himself in a little farmhouse.

By-and-by he thought that he would like to have a wife to keep it all vitty for him.

So he went a-courting a fine maid, and he said to her:  “Will you marry me?”

“That I will, to be sure,” said she.

So they went to church, and were wed.  After the wedding was over, she got up on his horse behind him, and he brought her home.  And they lived as happy as the day was long.

One day, Jan said to his wife, “Wife can you milk-y?”

“Oh, yes, Jan, I can milk-y.  Mother used to milk-y, when I lived home.”

So he went to market and bought her ten red cows.  All went well till one day when she had driven them to the pond to drink, she thought they did not drink fast enough.  So she drove them right into the pond to make them drink faster, and they were all drowned.

When Jan came home, she up and told him what she had done, and he said,
“Oh, well, there, never mind, my dear, better luck next time.”

So they went on for a bit, and then, one day, Jan said to his wife, “Wife can you serve pigs?”

“Oh, yes, Jan, I can serve pigs.  Mother used to serve pigs when I lived home.”

So Jan went to market and bought her some pigs.  All went well till one day, when she had put their food into the trough she thought they did not eat fast enough, and she pushed their heads into the trough to make them eat faster, and they were all choked.

When Jan came home, she up and told him what she had done, and he said, “Oh, well, there, never mind, my dear, better luck next time.”