The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

For older kids, it’s a thoughtful story about trust and consequences. Read it calmly, pause for feelings, and end with reassurance about safe choices and honest promises.

Story Synopsis

Hamelin is a prosperous town with a huge problem: rats everywhere—gnawing food, spoiling homes, and turning daily life into constant stress. Desperate, the mayor and council announce a reward for anyone who can rid the town of the rats. A stranger arrives: a tall, colorful piper with a confident plan. He asks for a specific payment, and the leaders agree quickly—anything to make the rats disappear. The piper lifts his flute and plays a tune so strange and compelling that the rats stream out of buildings and follow him like a river of whiskers. He leads them to the water, and the town is finally quiet. But once the danger is gone, the leaders change. They call the piper’s fee too high and offer only a fraction of what they promised. The piper warns them, then leaves—silently, memorably. Soon, he returns and plays again, this time with a melody that draws the town’s children. Entranced, they follow him beyond the gates. What happens next depends on the version: some tellings keep the loss permanent; others allow one child to remain as a witness, or later restoration after repentance. Across versions, the core message remains: when you break a promise, you don’t only harm the person you cheated—you loosen trust for everyone. The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a cautionary tale about integrity, leadership, and the cost of dishonesty.

Story Excerpt

Hamelin was a pleasant town in Brunswick, not far from the great city of Hanover. The River Weser ran deep and wide along its southern wall, and on ordinary days you could hear water moving and people chatting in the streets. But in the days when this story begins — almost five hundred years ago — the townsfolk could hardly enjoy anything at all. Because of rats. They were everywhere. They scratched behind cupboards and under floors. They nibbled at stored food and made a dreadful squeaking chorus that drowned out conversations. They frightened the pets, spoiled the cook’s careful work, and made even the bravest people feel tired and cross. At last the people gathered at the Town Hall in one worried crowd. “ Our Mayor must be asleep in his fine robe, ” someone cried. “ And the Council sits and talks and talks, ” another said, “ but the rats stay right where they are! ” The voices rose higher. “ Find a remedy! ” the townsfolk demanded. “ Or we will send you all away and choose someone who will. ” Inside the hall, the Mayor and the Corporation — those important men who liked important dinners — turned pale and uneasy. They shut the doors and held a council of their own. For an hour they…

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