-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 , with 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 . He was dressed in a green jacket with a leather belt and red breeches , and on his feet were sandals fastened by thongs passed round his legs in the gipsy fashion . That is how he may be seen to this day , painted on a window of the cathedral of Hamel . He stopped on the great market-place before the town hall , turned his back on the church and went on with his music , singing : ` Who lives shall see : This is he , The ratcatcher . ' The town council had just assembled to consider once more this plague of Egypt , from which no one could save the town . The stranger sent word to the counsellors that , if they would make it worth his while , he would rid them of all their rats before night , down to the very last . ` Then he is a sorcerer ! ' cried the citizens with one voice ; ` we must beware of him . ' The Town Counsellor , who was considered clever , reassured them .
He said : ` Sorcerer or no , if this bagpiper speaks the truth , it was he who sent us this horrible vermin that he wants XXXXX rid us of to-day for money .
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