He could not get over it . Nevertheless , he remembered shortly what he had come for to the palace , and improving the occasion , he set to work to hunt for his dear money . But in vain he rummaged in all the drawers ; he found nothing ; all had been spent . And ferreting thus from room to room he came at last to the one with the throne in it , and feeling fatigued , he sat himself down on it to think over his adventure . 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 , XXXXX a deaf man could not have rested for one hour together .
In ago as down into like off than that through