In the meanwhile the people had found their King and his ministers with their feet in the air on the pavement , and they had gone into the palace to know how it had occurred . On entering the throne-room , when the crowd saw that there was already someone on the royal seat , they broke out in cries of surprise and joy : ` The King is dead , long live the King ! Heaven has sent us down this thing . ' Drakestail , who was no longer surprised at anything , received the acclamations of the people as if he had never done anything else all his life . A few of them certainly murmured that a Drakestail would make a fine King ; those who knew him replied that a knowing Drakestail was a more worthy King than a spendthrift like him who was lying on the pavement . In short , they ran and took the crown off the head of the deceased , and placed it on that of Drakestail , whom it fitted like wax . Thus he became King . ` And now , ' said he after the ceremony , ` ladies and gentlemen , let 's go to supper . I am so hungry ! ' -LRB- 15 -RRB- -LRB- 15 -RRB- Contes of Ch . Marelles . THE RATCATCHER A VERY long time ago the town of Hamel in Germany was invaded by bands of rats , the like of which had never been seen before nor will ever be again . They were great black creatures that ran boldly in broad daylight through the streets , and swarmed so , all over the houses , that people at last could not put their hand or foot down anywhere without touching one . When dressing in the morning they found them in their breeches and petticoats , in their pockets and in their boots ; and when they wanted a morsel to eat , the voracious horde had swept away everything from cellar to garret . The night was even worse . As soon as the lights were out , these untiring nibblers set to work . And everywhere , in the ceilings , in the floors , in the cupboards , at the doors , there was a chase and a rummage , and so furious a noise of gimlets , pincers , and saws , that a deaf man could not have rested for one hour together . Neither cats nor dogs , nor poison nor traps , nor prayers nor candles burnt to all the saints -- nothing would do anything . The more they killed the more came . And the inhabitants of Hamel began to go to the dogs -LRB- not that THEY were of much use -RRB- , when one Friday there arrived in the town a man with a queer face , who played the bagpipes and sang this refrain : ` Qui vivra verra : Le voila , Le preneur des rats . '
He was a great gawky fellow , dry and bronzed , XXXXX a crooked nose , a long rat-tail moustache , two great yellow piercing and mocking eyes , under a large felt hat set off by a scarlet cock 's feather .
In ago as into like of over than through with