but this will cost us a deal of money ! ' ` Leave it to the Town Counsellor , ' said the town council with a malicious air . And the good people of Hamel repeated with their counsellors , ` Leave it to the Town Counsellor . ' Towards nine at night the bagpiper re-appeared on the market place . He turned , as at first , his back to the church , and the moment the moon rose on the horizon , ` Trarira , trari ! ' the bagpipes resounded . It was first a slow , caressing sound , then more and more lively and urgent , and so sonorous and piercing that it penetrated as far as the farthest alleys and retreats of the town . Soon from the bottom of the cellars , the top of the garrets , from under all the furniture , from all the nooks and corners of the houses , out come the rats , search for the door , fling themselves into the street , and trip , trip , trip , begin to run in file towards the front of the town hall , so squeezed together that they covered the pavement like the waves of flooded torrent . When the square was quite full the bagpiper faced about , and , still playing briskly , turned towards the river that runs at the foot of the walls of Hamel . Arrived there he turned round ; the rats were following . ` Hop ! hop ! ' he cried , pointing with his finger to the middle of the stream , where the water whirled and was drawn down as if through a funnel . And hop ! hop ! without hesitating , the rats took the leap , swam straight to the funnel , plunged in head foremost and disappeared . The plunging continued thus without ceasing till midnight . At last , dragging himself with difficulty , came a big rat , white with age , and stopped on the bank . It was the king of the band . ` Are they all there , friend Blanchet ? '
asked the XXXXX .
Blanchet Hamel bagpiper bagpipes counsellors first garrets midnight night trari