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 bagpiper . ` They are all there , ' replied friend Blanchet . ` And how many were they ? ' ` Nine hundred and ninety thousand , nine hundred and ninety-nine . ' ` Well reckoned ? ' ` Well reckoned . ' ` Then go and join them , old sire , and au revoir . '
Then the old white rat sprang in his turn into the river , swam XXXXX the whirlpool and disappeared .
Blanchet at from in of sire to towards with without