Hamelyn -

The Tragic Tale

I
In the last grey of morning, the stars were dimming in the west. The nightingale fell silent
against the calls of the cricket and the early birds. On the way to the fields rose two
shapes out of the darkness, one walking slowly with hunched back and cane, the other,
much smaller, dancing and listening to nature's orchestra. "Be careful, child, it's still very
dark. If you fall, you're mother will never forgive me."
"Oh, Grandpa," answered the squeaky child voice, "I can see just fine. Look, the
sun is rising over the mountain!"
Bright red and bloated it appeared. The physical movement was, unlike the day,
extraordinarily fast, the sun seemed to be eager to spread it's light over the fields of
northern Germany. "Grandpa," spoke the small voice renewed, "tell me the story of the
mountain again."
"Strange that you're so fascinated by that story," said Grandfather, and began...
"It was every year in summer. The young people were full of happiness and love.
The thrill of spring brought cheer to their hearts and they were anxious that the "High
Time" would soon arrive.
The longest day of the year, when the sun reaches the highest point in the heavens - the
Midsummernight, was approaching and with it the celebration of the High Time. The
young lovers would meet in the center of the town to wander, dancing and singing, to the
holy mountain east of the city.
Led by musicians, they spent the evening celebrating their love and when they returned
the following day, they were married."
"When can I dance the High Time, Grandpa?"
"Lieschen, you're much too young. Even worse, no one dances the High Time
anymore. It's not allowed. Young people get married in the church these days."
"That's not half as nice," she responded with honest disappointment.
"You're right," said Grandfather with the sadness of lost youth in his voice, "but we
can't do a thing about it. The High Time is gone forever..."

II
The dawn smiled gently down over the town of Hamelyn in the last days of spring. Over
ten years had passed since the morning in the meadow and Lieschen had grown into a
budding young beauty. She was on her way through the streets of the town with her
friends, Annchen, Gretchen, and the other young girls of Hamelyn.
The city was teeming with life. 3000 people were living inside the high walls. 5 gates and
22 watchtowers spiked the defensive ring. Because of the strategic situation of the city
with the only bridge over the wide Weser for miles around, the town was always full of
travelers. They passed through Hamelyn on the "Hellweg"- the first major road through
Germany between the Kaiser's towns of Aachen and Koenigsberg. The East-West
connection kept the businesses in Hamelyn booming, and no one wanted the situation to
change.
It was around 1200 when the walls were erected and the church of St. Nicklaus was built
by the citizens of the town. A Cathedral was part of the cloister which had been the center
of the older town. The townsfolk wanted to have a house of worship for themselves, and
autonomy for those who were not directly connected to the cloister.

Lieschen and her friends moved through the streets of the town. The horses and oxen left
their distinctive note in the air to mix with the smells of cooking over open fire. Although
they were all interested in jewelry, material, and dresses, as young women should be,
Lieschen was less interested in toys or marionette players who toured the town. She was
also further along than the other girls in forming the rounded contours which are a
pleasure to a man's eye.
"Look there!" she said, as she pointed to the fruit stand, "Karl's father isn't at the stand! If
I make a big fuss about him, I'll bet he'll let us steal some apples."
"Never, his father will beat his behind, or maybe ours if he catches us," Annchen
said. She was typically the anchor of the group and just as unwilling to cause trouble as
she was famous for lying to get out of it.
Lieschen started toward the stand, "Come on, don't be chicken!"
Karl's eyes lit up at the sight of the girls approaching. Perhaps a year or two older, it was
well known in Hamelyn that he wasn't too bright.
"Kaaarl...," Lieschen stretched his name like molasses, "Karl, come on, tell the girls
how much you like me."
The blood rushed to his face like it only can by red-haired boys with freckles. The
girls giggled.
"Don't you like me?" she formed a pout.
"No, he likes me and wants to marry ME!" Gretchen tried to get his attention. The
others shouted,
"No, Karl wants to marry me"
"No, Me!"
"I saw him first!"
Another young man might have just leaned back to enjoy the show, but Karl was
confused and thrilled by his new popularity. As he looked this way and that, the girls each
grabbed an apple or pear, some cherries or strawberries and stashed them away before
he could look back.
The Merchant heard the noise and came back just in time to rush out after the girls. He
was a man of great proportions but still able to move surprisingly quickly for his size.
Chickens flew, a hand cart tipped as the Merchant persued the girls. Fortunately, the big
man winded almost immediately (Or was it the laughter of his fellows on the roadside?)
and he returned to "Speak" to his son.

III
In a cross-street, the Mayor was walking with the Abbot and his companion, discussing
the days activities and enjoying the late spring weather.
"As I was saying, J acob," noted the Abbot, "you may be proud of the work you've
done for the town."
"I must admit that I am very pleased. There were never so many people in the
church, the town is quiet and safe, business prospers. Who would have thought that we
would be doing so well after the tragic loss at Sedemuender?" J acob was equally happy
not to have been involved in that escapade. It had directly influenced his rising to the post
of the mayor, though.
The Abby of Fulda had sold their interest in the far-flung cloister of Hamelyn to the Abby
of Minden to which it was over 200 miles nearer. They planned to sell the town as well,
but were met by the protest of J acob's predecessor and the council. So it came to pass
that the townsfolk of Hamelyn left the safety of the walls of the city to meet the Minden
troops at Sedemuender, north of the town. It was a mistake that would cost the lives of
many of the young men of the town and wipe out entire blood lines in Hamelyn. Luck
prevailed, though, and the Gulph Count at Braunschweig, who was looking to expand his
influence anyway, took the side of the town and gave it individual rights within his realm
of influence. That was all 24 years past, but the city was doing well today.
J acob's family was not originally from Hamelyn. His roots were in Muender over the
mountain to the north. His father Rudolf had moved his business to Hamelyn after the
struggles at Sedemuender as there were new opportunities for men in the town.
One of these opportunities came in the form of Gertrud. She was the reasonably attractive
second daughter of one of the knighted families of Hamelyn. Her father and only brother
had been lost in the battle, leaving her without inheritance. The combination of the
competent J acob and the talented Gertrud was more than the sum of the parts. Her
influence had been integral to his taking the office of the mayor.
Lieschen was looking back to see if they were still being followed as she rounded a corner
and ran directly into the mayor.
"Father! Oh excuse me. Uh, I'll see you at dinner..." She moved off between the
two men much more carefully but still rather quickly with the other girls.
"Don't play so wild! You might get hurt." remarked J acob admonishingly over his
shoulder.
As the girls moved on the Abbot spoke, "Lieschen must certainly come to Firming next
year."
"But she's only, uh, just 14." stammered the Mayor who was once again caught in
this line of conversation that he hated.
"J acob..." spoke the Abbot in his best fatherly voice and looked back toward
Lieschen who's skirt waved in a very womanly manner as she receded, "She certainly
seems to be of a marrying age."
"Yes, but with whom?" J acob lamented. This was the crux of his problem. He had
gotten help from the Abbot in changing Lieschen's birth records, making her officially
younger. Still, he was not able to find a suitable suitor for his Lieschen, who's name
was actually Eloisa, but he continued to refer to her as his baby.
The Abbot was still admiring the girls as he answered, "Duke Moritz is looking for a wife."
He gave a nod back down the long wide street. J acob turned to see Lieschen and the
other girls angle into a side street just as three riders who were approaching craned their
necks to follow the view. The first rider's jet-black horse walked into an old man who was
absent-mindedly crossing the street.
"Out of the way, you old fool! Can't you see that you're blocking the street?" stormed the
young man dressed in riding leather as black as his stallion. The menace that he exuded
was palpable. He had been stirred at his hobby, studying the contours of female anatomy.
The oiled hair falling about his face had nearly the same dark color as his eyes which now
focused under their bushy dark brows on the source of his agitation. The old timer
muttered something which caused the rider to draw his riding crop out of the highly
decorated saddle and bring it down upon the old man again and again. The two others,
Nickolas and Hermann, younger brothers of Duke Moritz, were laughing contemptuously
at the plight of the cringing grandfather.
"That should teach him." noted Moritz to his brothers as he spied the city's leading
citizens in his path. "Be greeted, Mayor, Abbot!"
"Well met." responded the Mayor, although in no way did he feel pleased about the
meeting.
"How is your father doing, Moritz?" queried the Abbot. He had heard that the old
Duke of Steinberg was very ill but strangely ignored the pain of the equally aged citizen
before him.
"No better, he sits very still and shivers although it is almost summer. It probably
won't last much longer." reported Moritz.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'll be sure to include him in my prayers... And thank you
for your help in dealing with the unfaithful farmers from the outlying regions. They all
arrived in the church on Sunday, even though some of them were still limping." A wide
grin formed on the wrinkled features of the Abbot which set you to wondering how he
could smile that way without parts of his parched face falling off.
Moritz was enjoying the joke as well. "Yea, we were able to drive in our "taxes" at
the same time."
J acob knew that the two of them had forced the farmers who lived outside the city walls,
in Duke Moritz' territory, to bleed off part of their crops to the church and "state."
"Don't be too bold here in the town." J acob gestured toward the old man who was
just now rising out of the gutter after his beating, "What you do outside the walls is your
business, but I have the say in the town of Hamelyn."
Moritz leaned down from his saddle a bit and fixed his snake-like stare on J acob,
"For now." He regained his riding position "Abbot! Mayor!" and rode further along the
way, his ever-present brothers in tow.

IV
The girls were sitting on a wagonload of hay and eating their apples high above the
street. Annchen saw the Duke's Sons first, "There he is again, Moritz! He's so strong!"
"Show off" muttered Lieschen who was corrected by another,
"He has a castle and inherits a lot of land"
"But he's repulsive and mean." Lieschen changed to a conspiratorial tone, "He even
tried to kiss me once."
"No!" "Really?" The girls were equally repulsed by the thought of being kissed by
the man with the long wavy black hair and finely trimmed beard. "Iiiii!" They were so
involved in the joke that no one noticed Annchen who was staring dreamily in the
distance after Moritz. She looked like she might enjoy being kissed...
Lieschen began once more, "No thank you. My dream man doesn't come from here but
from far away. Tall, blond, and good looking, he will tell me tales of the wide, wide world
and take me with him out of these grey city walls..."
Annchen stopped her reverie by taking the last piece of apple out of her hand,
"Then you won't need your apple, you can pick some when you get there!" and ran off,
Lieschen and the others following.

V
The Hellweg was nothing more than a dirt path. It was dusty in the late spring sunshine
and the drawn wagons stirred the dust up so that anyone traveling on the road was
covered with a fine film. It led out of Detmold and the Teutoberger Forest where the
Roman Legion was stopped by Armenius and his German troops. That was the first defeat
of the Roman Empire and the first resistance to new leadership and religion. It kept the
Romans in the Rhine valley for a number of years but could not stop the growth of the
Christian religion which spread through the small chapels and cloisters and was supported
by royalty such as Karl the Great who received the crown of the Holy Roman Empire from
the Pope.
It was very important for royalty to place their daughters, who were not suitable to carry
on the family name and cost a dowry if they married, into the service of the church, in
monasteries or cloisters where they could gain political/religious influence to secure the
continued family prosperity. The sons were also active in seeing that the church gained
influence and many second sons became bishops and cardinals.
The leading citizens used the new religion as a method to gain power and influence in a
way that the old religion never could. The Druids did not need large churches to dominate
the city skyline and serve as a reminder of the power of the Holy Spirit, they saw the
mountains as their place of worship and the followers of their religion went to the
mountain for important ceremonies. Where monolithic stones were found, they were
carved and sculpted into intricate pictures. Caverns were converted into labyrinths and
were part of joyous celebrations. There was no need to give 10% of your crops and
earnings to the church, God was everywhere around you and could be consulted without
having to visit his special building.
A young man was on his way along the Hellweg. He came through the Teuotoberg Forest
and past the leper colonies that had sprung up along the way. The ill lined the side of the
road and hoped for sympathy and, of course, money from the travelers. Should they not
receive enough, there was always the possibility of marching toward the town. This
method was very successful in the past but the times were rather good and the travelers
were happy to support the lepers in their life of cloister, so long as they stayed there.
The stranger pulled a small wagon behind him. It had two wheels and a leg to stand and
park. There were various compartments and a strange cage-like arrangement on the rear
that was not used for storage or transport. From within the wooden cage a small rounded
door led into the wagon. The wagon was not at all like the others seen on the Hellweg,
they were hollow arrangements to transport goods or flat, rolling tables to present wares.
It was not clear just what the good looking blond youth had in mind with his strange
construction as he crossed the river and entered the town of Hamelyn through the
Fisherman's Gate.
His clothing was of a cut that immediately revealed he was not at home here. Perhaps it
was only a difference in the use of leather and linen, sleeves a little bit longer or pant legs
too short to match the other men who went about their business in Hamelyn.
He stopped a moment and listened to a man speaking to a throng of folks about the
coming of the J udgment Day and that only Christ, the Church and confession could save
you from the tortures of hell. A very old man moved hobblingly out of the mass of
listeners and as he passed the stranger he was muttering, "Wodon will punish these liars
yet!" The young man had to stifle a grin as he continued on his way.
His way through town began to attract some attention, but as always, only with the local
women. Something about his long blond hair or the muscular legs trained by years of
wandering drew the looks of the Hamelyn ladies. Sometimes they whispered excitedly to
one another, others fixed him with a stare that could only mean one thing. One man
noticed his wife staring and slapped her face without warning, causing her to reel back a
step and cradle the reddening cheek. The youth cringed at the blow and moved away,
obviously sorry for having caused the woman pain.
He finally reached his goal, the marketplace at the center of town. Here, he found a bit of
space between the other marketenders and parked his wagon facing away from the flow
of passers-by. He threw lids and doors open and drew a painted box forth which he
placed behind the wagon.
The townsfolk began to linger, eagerly awaiting something new to buy or see. The
stranger produced a small wooden flute which he placed in the box. A bag and some
painted stones were added to the collection, and finally, a mandolin which he tuned
quickly before setting it down.
He reached under a tarp and pulled forth a long cloak which the public greeted with
"Ooohs" and "Aaahs." It was divided in color in the center, purple being on the right side
and yellow on the left. The sleeves were long and very wide at the cuff, like the Druid's,
and they were the opposite color of the side to which they were sewn. He now stood out
in vivid contrast to the spectators in their red, green, and brown working colors.
Lieschen, Annchen and the other girls arrived at the marketplace and spotted the
gathering crowd. Lieschen noticed the action first, "Hey, look! Something's going on over
there. Let's see!" They arrived just in time to see the traveler reach for his mandolin and
begin to sing a song about his travels, the songs and the magic that he learned through
years of life in the forests. As his melancholy song ended, he began to juggle the colored
stones. They crossed paths in the air, clicked together in his hand and mixed in color
again and again. He ended this show with all of the stones crashing loudly into the box,
one after another. He then addressed his public,
"And now, dear friends, I will present to you the most fascinating display of my
magical skills..."
With this he drew his flute to his lips and created the most horrible screech. The public
recoiled a step in fear and surprise. Ladies held their ears and screwed their faces into the
strangest grimaces. Only Lieschen drew nearer in order to see the spectacle better...
The Piper turned away from his public and pointed his screeching weapon at the wagon.
Movement could be just made out in the darkness of the rounded crevice at the rear of
the caged area. The discord slowly changed into a tangle of random notes, not really
music, but at least more pleasant to the ear. The crowd awed at the first sight of a
wriggling, hairy nose as it peeked out of the hole. Attached to the nose was a large rat,
practically the size of a housecat and of a brown and grey color. It came forward as if
lured on by the music and was followed by another slightly smaller and more brown in
color. Each of the rats had a typical long black tail which was longer than a man could
hold in both fists.
The animals had the prescribed effect on the women present, one passed out at the feet
of the Piper, others drew back in repulsion, Annchen started away while still holding her
ears against the music, closing her eyes and muttering "Deviltry, Deviltry!" Lieschen's
eyes were wide open, though, round as could be and she took in all of the fascinating
display that she could.
The Rats were standing at the bars of the cage now and following every movement of the
Piper. And move he did, taking the bag in one hand and continuing to play with the other,
his music took on a gleeful note, as first one, then many members of the crowd reached
into their purses to drop a coin in his bag. Others were so fascinated by the show that
they were quite astounded to discover the Piper standing before them and drew back as if
he were the Devil himself. The Piper shrugged and looked confused as he ended his song.
The two rats disappeared into the darkness of their cage as their master laid his robe
aside.
The girls were moving on, but Lieschen said, "I'll be right along." The last of the audience
moved off to return to their usual activities. The Piper was loading the box as he suddenly
noticed Lieschen standing a few feet away and staring silently at him.
He stopped in the middle of the movement, transfixed by the stare of the blond-haired
girl. Half a second passed like eternity as the youth recovered from this tableau and put
on his best smile.
"Be greeted, young lady. How may I be of service to you?"
"I've never seen anything like that before." spoke Lieschen slowly, still very much
in awe of what she had witnessed. "No one from here can do that. Where do you come
from?" Her presence of mind was clearly returning with each spoken word.
"From a place so far away that you've never heard of it." He responded, as he put
the box in the correct position and began to tie it in place, he too had overcome the
strange moment of the first stare.
"What's your name?" she asked as she moved nearer.
He leaned on the wagon, stared a moment long at the blue sky, "It's been quite a
while since anyone asked..." He returned her look and gazed honestly into the light blue
eyes, "Of late, people have been calling me Piper."
"Piper, all right, my name is Lies- Uh, Eloisa." He had turned to continue with his
packing in the hope that this strange and unsettling girl would be satisfied and leave, as
she went on,
"How do you do that? Can you teach me to call rats?"
The Piper was now VERY interested and turned to face her innocent stare again.
"You, with rats? Aren't you afraid?"
"Not me, I'm older than I look." This time her eyes offered him a challenge that he
was very used to seeing, the one that is unmistakable between women and men.
He decided instantly, though, that she was not as bold as she claimed and he leaned close
in order to crowed her, "If you wish to learn that from me, you will have to take some
risks." He was now much nearer than was necessary for common conversation and he
continued in a conspiratory tone, "I will be on the great mountain East of the town this
evening. Perhaps you can visit me there if you are willing to meet me alone..." His hopes
of getting rid of the girl with an evil leer were undaunted, although she solemnly vowed to
keep the meeting. Young women simply did not leave the safety of the walled town alone.

He took the yoke of the wagon and started off through the town. Lieschen stared after
him from where she stood in the marketplace, daydreaming. She was forced to draw a
sudden breath as a hand grabbed her left shoulder and spun her around into the wild
eyes of Karl.
"Are you mad!?! You can't be seen talking to strangers!" he spoke intensely but at
a whisper. "What do you think you're doing?"
Irritation filled her answer, "Leave me alone. You're worse than my father!"
He grabbed her arm. "Hey, I PAID for your apple. Do you want to see how red my
seat is?" pointing aggressively to the rear with his thumb.
She pulled away, "That just shows how DUMB you are!" and danced off, smiling
viciously.
Karl grumbled as she chased off in the direction of her friends.

VI
The Piper continued through the town. On various corners he juggled, sang, or played the
flute. His luck was good here. Last week in Paderborn he was nearly run out of the town
under the suspicion of witchcraft, but the people of Hamelyn seemed to be rather
sympathetic to his work and were willing to fill his bag quite nicely.
Talk of his calling the rats seemed to have gotten around as later in the day a man
approached him and asked to see this phenomenon. The Piper was always careful not to
play his trump card too often, besides, the rats were unwilling to be fooled more than
once or twice a day. The gentleman, dressed as a riverboat captain, was certainly a
stranger in Hamelyn based upon his accent. His argument was reinforced greatly as he
held up a gold piece in front of the youth's face. Although his instincts told him better, he
agreed to the captain's wish and played the strange banshee notes again. Afterward, the
captain asked if he was available for other magical causes, the grain storage in Bremen,
for example. The Piper agreed, just to rid himself of the troublesome sailor.
Thinking that he may have pushed his luck too far today, the Youth left the town heading
East again on the Hellweg. The afternoon sun allowed his shadow to lead him down the
road. There was still plenty of daylight left, though, the shadows were not very long as
sunset came very late in the summer months.
He walked a few miles until he was out of sight of the town's watchtowers which
commanded the wide valley. The Hellweg rounded the large mountain on the left side, so
he drifted into the woods to the right and began the uphill climb.
Lieschen's shadow was much longer as she walked along the Hellweg. It was toward
dinnertime, but she had told her mother that she would be eating something with the
other girls that evening. It was nothing new that she fibbed to her mother, she often
needed an excuse to get out of the binds of "royalty" that her mother imposed on her. It
was the only thing that she could leave her daughter as an inheritance, since being
married off to a commoner because of lack of family fortune. Lieschen was unimpressed
with all of the finer nuances of being in the aristocracy. She was treated with enough
deference in the town because her father was the mayor, not because her mother was old
Hamelyn blood.
She knew where to look for the Piper, that is, she knew where the mountain was. But
now that she started up the hill, her hopes of finding one man on a whole mountain were
dwindling. Thanks to a bit of good luck, she spotted wagon tracks on a path that she
crossed and began to move in the correct direction. Presently, she began to smell the
smoke from a fire and cooking.
She discovered the Piper bent over the fire and tending to his dinner with his back to her.
Before she could call out, she absent-mindedly stepped on a twig which cracked with
surprising loudness.
The young man turned with a vengeance at the sound and for just a second she
witnessed the passionate animal defiance in his eyes, a strangely different look than the
friendly one he wore in the town. Before she could react at all the look was gone and
replaced with startled recognition.
"What are YOU doing here !?!" was the first thing he said.
Still shocked by his first glance, she cautiously approached, and responded, "You
invited me to come."
"But," now it was the Piper who was taken aback.
Lieschen's confidence returned quickly and she spoke again with the judicial tone of
aristocracy, "I took your invitation to be serious."
"So I see." He turned to the fire again to gather his composure, "Sit down. I was
able to catch a rabbit."
"With your flute?"
The seriousness of her tone caused him to bark out a short laugh, but he caught
himself immediately, "No, no. With my slingshot. The flute only works on Wodon and
Thor."
"On who?" she queried.
"My rats."
"I don't understand."
With this, he stood and drew the flute from under the tarp of his wagon. "You must
promise not to tell anyone about this."
"You can trust me!" and this time she meant it.
"So, watch!" The Piper sat and played the crazy sounds again that she had heard
that midday. She thought that squirrels were moving over the dried leaves of the forest,
but suddenly the two rats charged forth and leapt past her onto the Piper. Lieschen
covered her face and turned away in surprise.
The young man ceased with the strange sounds and teased her, "I thought you
weren't afraid... Auch!" He jerked his hand away at the outburst, "Ok-Ok, you'll get
something, here." tearing a small piece of meat off of the spit, he tossed it to the rats
who chased off together in the direction of the wagon.
Lieschen looked after them in utter disbelief.
"It was really very simple, at the beginning, I only fed them when I played the
strange music. Since then, they always come to eat when I play."
"No witchcraft?"
"That's right, no witchcraft."
"So you're not one of those wandering witches that everyone talks about." She
seemed relieved. After all, it could have been a spell that caused her to follow him to the
mountain.
"No, I'm not"
"But, what about Wodon and Thor?"
"What?" now he was confused.
"Those are forbidden names."
"That, which in the city is known as witchcraft, is also nothing evil."
"What is it then?" she asked.
"J ust the old religion. The Christians have taken over in all of the towns, but out in
the country there are still people who pray to the old gods. There's a place for the old
ceremonies not far from here."
"Really? My grandfather told me about it. He was very sad that the old dances and
ceremonies no longer exist." She stared away into the woods as if hearing the voice of
her grandfather again and slowly continued, "He said that the young people marched out
of the town in the summer and were married in a grand dancing ceremony." Looking back
at the Piper, "But today, you can marry at any time of the year in the church."
"That's right," he added, "the young people were happy and filled with love for
each other, and the babies came in the spring which was the best time of the year for
them."
She answered softly, but her meaning was clear, "I'd like to do that, too."
He stared at her for a moment, not at all sure that he had understood, "I don't think you
know what you just said."
She was sure. "I'd told you that I'm older than you think. I should already be
married off, but my father has good ties to the church and he's been able to put it off,
because he hasn't found the right husband for me yet." She slid closer, "I, on the
other hand, may have found him..." closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his.
The young man was taken aback. She is just full of surprises. On the other hand,
the kiss was wonderful and he let himself be drawn into her arms. The intensity of the
moment was equal to that of their first glance in the town today. He forgot himself
completely in the soft lips that were quivering upon his own.
Their caresses heated up, but he suddenly broke off the kiss. "If you really mean it, then
you should wait for the High-Time."
"When is that?"
"The day that the sun is highest in the sky, the first day of Summer. That is the day
of the ceremonial dance."
"That's only five days from now." The girl was not stupid.
"That's right."
"And you know the old music and the dances?"
Once again, she had lost him. Would he ever get used to the way her mind worked? Then
again, he was willing to spend a lifetime trying. "Well, yes," he nodded, "I learned them
from a very old Druid who had renounced his religion. He probably would have gone to
the gallows if he had not."
"Wonderful! Can you show me where the ceremonies were held?"

VII
Although it was still light, he took a piece of wood from the fire as a torch and started up
the steep part of the hill.
"I've never been this far up the mountain before." she softly spoke with a strange
distance in her voice, "The people in the town tell tales of ghosts and witches who live at
the top."
"They would like the old traditions to die out." He paused, without further
explanation as the conversation turned to the town, "What will your parents say when you
suddenly follow me and are gone?"
She stammered only slightly, "Um- Oh, they won't miss me at all!"
Her awkwardness on the subject was forgotten as they arrived at the opening of a cave.
It was only a meter and a half high and just wide enough for a thin person to fit through
easily. Then again, how many fat people would venture up the magical mountain to go
inside? The opening was between two monoliths which supported the roof of the tunnel.
After just a few feet the tunnel widened so that you could stand inside.
The necessity of the torch was now clear to Lieschen, because of a curve in the
tunnel, the cave was pitch. "This is bigger than I imagined!"
He explained, "The cave was certainly not dug out of the mountain in one day.
There is a maze of tunnels and small rooms. If it's like the ones I've seen before, there's
even a chance of getting lost in the labyrinth!"
She drew closer, which was the desired effect, and he put his arm around her.
"Come," he gently spoke to her, "let's go back outside. It's probably too cool for
you in here."
He took her to the top of the mountain to see the Head of Odin where other gods
are born out of his forehead or "thoughts". The two stone statues of man and woman
caught her fancy, especially the woman who was undoubtedly expecting.
The sun had begun to lose it's might and the woods became cooler as the two walked
arm in arm back to the now fading fire. One long kiss followed and then it was time for
Lieschen to make her way back to the gates of Hamelyn if she was not to be locked out
for the night.

VIII
Her father turned aggressively and pointed a finger at her, "Where were you!?!"
"I took a walk."
"Where? And with whom!?! The gate guards said that you were out of the city! Have you
gone out of your mind?" J acob was certainly relieved to see that she had returned. On the
other hand, he had had painful hours of worry, waiting for her. Think of the scandal! The
daughter of the mayor running about with no one to protect her virtues! Thank goodness
that, to the citizenry, she was just a child.
Luckily she had expected his outburst. Little girls seem to learn automatically how
to deal with their fathers. "No, I came right back in through the other gate. I picked some
flowers." She lamely held up the wildflowers from the Koppen. But it was her large
innocent eyes that finally placated her father.
In a much softer tone he said, "Go to bed."
Lieschen was all too happy to disappear up the stairs to her loft. As she held the
flowers to her nose and breathed in the fragrances of the Koppen, her thoughts drifted to
the man she had kissed while the wildflowers worked their subtle magic...

Lieschen was unable to see her father pacing nervously about in the big room downstairs.
"See, I told you you wouldn't be able to stop it." commented her mother without
looking up from her knitting.
"What?"
"She's in love," was the dryly delivered answer.
J acob turned to look up the steps after his daughter and uttered a disbelieving,
"No."
Mother made no more pretext of being casual as she dropped her needles, "Certainly! And
you are so busy with city politics that you can't even see it."
"That's not possible, she's too young!"
"Don't be silly! You know as well as I do that she's been of marrying age for almost
two years now. Why do you continue to keep up the farce that she's a little girl? She's
bigger than all of her playmates and-"
"Be silent woman! I'll not hear this song again! J ust this morning I promised the
Abbot that she would go to firming in the spring and we would look for a husband in the
meantime."
Now it was mother's turn to look up the steps, "It may be too late for that already..." She
returned to fix her husband, "Why didn't you arrange for her to marry Moritz?"
The MAYOR appeared again immediately, "I'll hear none of it! That sneak is only
out to make a name for himself in the church to expand his influence!"
"And you?"
She may have pushed him too far, his face reddened and for a moment she
thought he might strike her for the first time in their relationship. But old traditions held,
years of training in his youth kept him from being able to use brutality on a member of an
aristocratic family and all that he could do was sputter forth an indignant, "What!?!"
Gertrud was unimpressed. She knew J acob long before he was able to gain the post of
the Mayor through the influence of HER family...
"Be still, J acob. You know very well that your father thought nothing of
Christianity."
"Leave the old man out of this! He didn't understand the times. So long as the
Christians have power, we will have to abide by their rules. Look, I've organized a
procession through the town for the Festival of J ohn and Paul. That should keep any
rebellious farmers from thinking of staging a fertility dance or a midsummer binge.
Everyone has a party, and everyone is happy!"
"Your father would not have understood."
J acob sounded very tired as he noted, "He would never have been the mayor."

IX
The following morning, Lieschen was underway early. She dashed about the town and
spoke with many of the young people. Although all of them were outwardly Christian,
many had heard the tales of the High-Time and were willing to try something rebellious,
as all teens will, in an attempt to break the molds of their families.
Presently, she arrived at the fruit merchant's. Karl was watching the shop again,
and she carefully approached, "Is your father here?"
"No, he just started off."
"Uh-huh." She moved nearer. "Karl, you're not really all that religious, are you?"
"My grandfather helped build the Nicolai Church!"
"But you don't really spend too much time there, do you?" Lieschen was a master
of conspiratorial probing.
"Well, no - not really." Whatever was she getting at? Is this another one of her
plans that will get him a further beating?
Karl still harbored a great infatuation in Lieschen and he was happy just to be able to
speak to her alone, but the next question was really more than he could have wished for.
"You've heard of the old dances for the High-Time?"
"Yeah."
"Could you imagine joining something like that?"
His wildest dreams come true! Lieschen wants to dance off and marry him. "Oh,
Yeah!"
"We'll be starting on Tuesday, after everyone's asleep in the afternoon." She was still
being very conspiratorial, very near, and speaking softly. He could smell her and he
always liked that smell. It reminded him of the times they fought and played as small
children.
Karl was ecstatic. "Great!"
"Do you know some other boys who might want to go along?"
"Sure."
"That's wonderful! The colorful Piper with the rats will lead us up to the mountain."
She was anxious to begin.
"Yeah." He watched her face flush with excitement as she thought of going up the
mountain with him. His face was almost as red as his hair...
"Which girl do you want to dance with?"
"Such a silly question..." He reached for her as passionately as he had always
wanted to and never dared until now.
That was not the answer that Lieschen had expected. She was pulled into his
embrace stammering, "What? Karl! I'M dancing with the Piper!" She tried to free herself,
but it was unnecessary.
Karl's face darkened as she had never seen before and he shoved her to the
ground, "You Bitch! Get out of my sight!" He turned as drastically away from her as he
had taken her in his arms.
Lieschen was still perplexed as she rose from the dusty ground rubbing her elbows.
She turned away very slowly, not as to have to stare long at the rejecting back of a man
she thought she knew...

X
The shrill music filled the small square where the Piper was playing. The women who had
come to fetch their water stood about with other passers-by and were astounded to see
the rats come out of the wagon. Although he had visited the small villages in the area and
played many times in Hamelyn, the people were still interested in seeing his work. Some
of the faces were familiar, others entirely new. His fame was spreading in the town, which
always means that it is nearly time to move on before the magic wears out.
He held his bag out and gathered a few coins from the decaying crowd. One of the
younger ladies gave him a conspiratorial look, which set him to wondering why. She did
not look familiar to him, nor was it the usual look of invitation. She moved away before he
could consider the situation further, taking their secret with her...
As he packed his things together, Lieschen arrived at his side. "Everything is ready
for Tuesday! As soon as the town has gone to sleep, we can begin."
"Wonderful." What a pleasure to see her face again! He was surprised at himself
that he could be so giddy over a woman. He had met enough on his tours, but none
affected him like this girl who seemed to be constantly full of energy.
"I love you, Piper."
She made a move toward him, but his sense of self-protection caused him to turn and
quickly place his box between them. "Not here, there are eyes everywhere."
"Oh." She cast a glance about. The few people in the little square seemed not to
have noticed her actions. Did the Piper know that she was the daughter of the mayor? Or
was he worried about HIS reputation? In either case, "Oh. Yes, you're right." She smiled
at him for being so smart.

XI
The tower clock showed two in the afternoon as the Piper pressed his flute to his lips and
began a haunting melody. It was not the music of celebration that he would play later,
but it would do to draw his followers out of their houses and still be quiet enough not to
wake those who wished to continue sleeping. His walk down the main street was met by a
few curious looks but he was already rather well known in Hamelyn and no one thought
to stop or question him. A few young people looked around the corner and then began to
follow him along the main street.
Lieschen was sneaking down the last stair to her loft as the step squeaked. Damn! She
froze to see if the noise had attracted any attention out of the back room and was soon
rewarded with the sound of her father rising out of his bed. As he reached the main room
she had already turned and was climbing the steps again - muttering something about a
drink of water. J acob absent-mindedly waved her up to her loft and looked for some
water himself. As the ladle reached his lips he heard the strange music coming from the
street. He was perhaps one of the few people in the town who would have recognized it
as a melody from the High-Time. His father had played it for him when he was a young
lad and he hadn't heard it since.
His curiosity took hold of him and led him to look out the door to see who could be
playing that tune. What he saw defied his comprehension. The colorful Piper was leading
a troop of young people out of the town. There must have been over forty and still more
and more were coming to join the procession. The situation seemed unreal in the misty
consciousness of being awakened out of a deep sleep...
"Halt!" Wait a minute! This is real. This can't be happening!
The group looked surprised for only a moment and began to sprint in all directions.
"Guards!"

The Piper was surprised to see that his followers were not as sure of themselves as they
thought. The youths dashed off in all directions and some strange man was screaming for
the city guards. This looks like serious trouble. His immobility only lasted a second. Eloisa
was not among those who had followed him so far, so he needen't worry about her at the
moment. Wodon and Thor! He had left them in a small alley after working the city this
morning. He turned and dashed off, not knowing that he was being followed by the half-
clothed Mayor and the city guards.

As the rest of the town slept, Moritz was sleeping with fine young lady in one of the bath
houses on the lower side of the town. He was stirred in his rhythmic ministrations by the
shouting in the street below. Something was certainly going on, and whenever something
happened it was his custom to be involved...

The Piper had reached his wagon and pulled it a few meters when he realized too late
that he would have to cross the marketplace in order to leave the town. The noise of a
search was readily heard coming from the square. He doubled back and turned in the
direction of the Weser Gate.

Moritz was moving quickly through the town. He was not as impeccably dressed as you
would usually see him, but then again the others were also tossed out of their beds by the
confusion. His black mare led him quickly to the square where he ordered a guard to
report to him the cause of the trouble. A Piper. With rats. Witch-dance?
J ust then came a shout and someone pointed down the Fisherman's Street to the river.
Moritz spurred his horse and reached the fleeing Piper before the guards could. He
reached out with his foot and kicked the wagon over as he steered his horse in the way of
the fugitive. A maddening high-pitched squealing could be heard out of wagon. The
Piper's concerned expression was quickly covered by Moritz' boot as his head was
snapped to one side and the darkness overcame him...

XII
"How could this happen!" Moritz was in his glory. He now had the chance that he had
been waiting for and planned to enjoy every minute of bereaving the Mayor of his honor.
"I do everything I can to see that the farmers don't get any ideas about the old Tutonic
religion and you allow a Witch-Dance in your town!!"
"I had no idea. The Rat-Catching Piper never once made any kind of gesture like
this." J acob was floundering. "But I can assure you that he certainly won't come back
after that beating we gave him."
Lieschen had been listening intently upstairs but now she pressed her face into her
pillow so that her sobs wouldn't be heard.
"If anything like this happens again, you can be sure that there will be dire
consequences, and I will have the support of the Abbot and Church on MY side!" He
slammed the door on the way out to punctuate his threat without giving J acob a chance
to answer. The Mayor stood staring at the door, trying to control his rage.

XIII
The left side of his face was so terribly cold. It was the first sensation that reached him,
that and the strange fact that he couldn't hear anything out of his left ear. As he moved
his arm to sit up the pain crashed into his consciousness with a red, flaming brutality that
brought with it the broken memories of the beating he had received just moments before.
The Piper lifted his head out of the water and realized that he had been laying on the
bank of the river. Ironic. They threw him out of the town in the direction that he had
wanted to go.
Wodon! The image of his favorite companion flashed before his eyes. How the rat came
charging out of the overturned wagon to bite into the boot of a guard, only to be
immediately struck dead by his lance. He had some unclear memories of Thor running
away and of himself being held pinioned as another guard struck him again and again...
He was grateful that the human mind refuses to store memories of pain, but the feeling of
helplessness would certainly haunt him for some time. He saw that most of his property
was thrown over the river bank with him, and he began to gather up as much as he
could. There seemed to be no bones broken. Probably because he was unable to resist
and the guards had tired quickly of the sport. His money pouch was gone, too, but then
again, he hadn't really expected to find it.
He reached the street level to meet the taunting and laughter of the guards:
"There goes a good magician, but a lousy fighter!"
"Play us another song, Piper!"
"Hey, I thought you'd floated downstream like your dead rat!"
He circled the high stone walls of the town that he had been rudely ejected from. Four
meters of cold beige stone laughed down at his inferiority and depressed him in a way
that the jibes of the guardsmen never could. The way up the mountain seemed to take an
eternity. It was a supreme mental effort to take each step. After what seemed like days,
the Piper finally made it to his campground and started a fire to fight off the shivers of the
dousing and fatigue. The sun began to bloat in the evening sky as he heard someone
crunching through the forest.
He turned anxiously to see Lieschen as she ran to take him in her arms, "I knew I'd find
you here."
"Ouch, Don't squeeze too much."
"Are you badly hurt?"
"The guards did very good work. The worst part of it is Thor and Wodon are gone,
along with all of my possessions." He looked sadly at her, "I'm not worth marrying any
more..."
She pressed her fine fingers against his rather swollen lips and shook her head, only to
replace her fingers with lips of her own. Her touch and nearness helped force off the
dread that had taken hold of him and robbed him of all hope.
"I know how you can redeem yourself and get even with the townspeople."
"What?" The idea of taking revenge had not even occurred to him in his self-pity.
"There's a church festival on Sunday. It's supposed to replace the dance of the High-Time.
After the Mass, there will be a musical procession through the town."
"So?"
It was like an obsession with her, and she leaned closer, "If you were to start
earlier than they, and lead all of our friends up here to the mountain, no one would notice
at all!"
The aching in his limbs was still fresh in his mind. "Yah, maybe, but how do I get back
into the town? I've been banned forever!"
"It won't be a problem because one of the guards is with us. He wants to celebrate
with a girlfriend of mine and he will be glad to help us in. J ust after the church bells call to
mass he's always alone at the East Gate because the other is responsible for order in the
church square. I'll bring you Grandfather's hunting cape and hat so that no one will take
notice of you until you're in the town."
"Why should I risk my neck again for people that I don't even know?" He reached
to pull her closer, "Can't we just go off together and leave Hamelyn behind us?"
She held him off disapprovingly, "Do you really expect me to go off with a coward
into an unknown future? And what about our traditions and relationship with Mother Earth
and the holy mountain? Should we leave the town in the hands of these Romanics with
their damned, imported faith!"
"Eloisa!"
"I am sick and tired of being told what to do! My Grandfather was right! Wodon
and Thor never asked for 10% of our harvest or income. We lived as a people in harmony
with nature. Now we must force nature to our wills, so that we make more money to build
bigger churches. Wodon needed no church to live in, and neither do we. The forest and
the holy stones of the elders will seal our unity!"
She pulled him to her in her passion and he lost all sense of doubt. What strange luck to
find an eloquent and bright girl in the midst of this backward land, as singular as a flower
that grows out of the barren rock wall north of the town...

XIV
The next day found Lieschen back at the same business, informing everyone of the new
plans. Annchen was not happy with the idea. "You can't ask us to take another risk like
that again! We're all in trouble and our parents are watching our every move."
"Nothing can go wrong! Everyone is in the church. We can come back later and tell
them that we took a walk or went on a picnic." Lieschen, as always, had the other girls
under control.
For some reason Annchen was being adamant. "I can't go along with this."
"Annche', you know too much already. This is not the time to back out, or else we
will all be very angry with you..."
Anne could see the fire in her eyes flashing and she remembered that she had lost a
scuffle or two with Lieschen over the years. Lieschen was always a little bit bigger and
just because her father was the mayor, she always wanted to get her way. Annchen had
been waiting for some time to get even for the defeats that she had given her over the
years and take her rightful place as leader of their clique. Yes, this time I will get back all
the scratches and pulled hair for the years of disgrace..."All right, all right! You know that
I'll keep quiet."
Toward evening, the girls broke up. Lieschen was certain to have informed everyone
because the others had helped her, with the exception of Annchen who claimed that she
had to go home and watch after her little brother.
Soon after the evening meal, Annchen could be seen moving in the shadows of the town.
She proceeded slowly, careful to make sure that no one notice a young girl be underway
in the evening. In the area of the Stuben, where the men sought entertainment of a
special nature, she finally found exactly what she expected to. There before the bath
house was a large black horse who's saddle was covered with decorative rivets...

XV
Sunday lived up to it's name. The weather couldn't be better and the spirits of the
townsfolk were high. Everyone was happy about a festival and the related merrity
afterward when a celebratory keg of beer or two would be brought in from the city cellars
across the river. As the bells chimed their call, the people were already underway to the
Market Church. The bustling about and friendly greetings were part of every street scene,
there was almost as much going on as a regular workday.
Outside the gates of the city, a hunter was making his way back to the portals of Hamelyn
after a mornings stalk, or so it would have seemed if anyone had been there to notice. He
carried not a bow nor sling, but had a long wooden flute clamped in his belt of woven
rope. The Piper, crouched in some underbrush outside of the East Gate, heard the bells as
well. It was his queue to watch the guards. Sure enough, the older one left his post to
move toward the center of the town.
Having lost everything in the earlier struggle, he still wore his somewhat tattered
magician's cloak of yellow and purple, but now the green cape with the red lining covered
the bright colors well. He did not, however, even consider hiding like a thief, and so he
had decorated the red and green cap she had brought with some pheasant feathers found
on his journey through the forest. Surely anyone seeing him would have taken more,
rather than less, notice of him due to this impossible combination of colors and design.
Luckily, not a soul was underway outside the town who wished to run the risk of missing
one of the most important celebrations of the year.
Lieschen had used one of her patented excuses in order to avoid going along to the mass,
she simply informed her mother that the monthly cramps were there again. Mother
reacted with the expected sympathy and passed the word on to J acob that their daughter
could certainly not be expected to sit on the hard church pews for a long sermon. He
didn't want the secret of her actual age to be revealed to all the townsfolk because of a
nasty stain on her dress, did he?
The Piper crept closer to the gate as Lieschen arrived there and spoke with the remaining
young guard. Still, the prearranged wave for him to come out in the open did not come.
The guard gestured back down the street toward the center of the town and the Musician
knew that something wasn't right...
J ohann, the guard, was more worried about his partner than the possibility of
outside attack, he stared, wide-eyed, back into the town over Lieschen's shoulder, "He's
coming back already! He hates that duty and never waits for everyone to get into the
church. Damn!"
"I'll distract him and you wave the Piper in." she was already moving down the East
Road and hoping that she would have a plan by the time she reached the man with the
helmet and spear...
Lieschen was able to get quickly into the correct position as the guard approached her.
She stumbled theatrically to get his attention, but probably got more attention with the
way her dress flew up and showed her legs off up to the knee. The guard, "your friend
and helper," was duly impressed and offered immediate assistance to the fallen girl. As
she was doing quite a bit of acting this morning anyway, Lieschen faked a bruised or
broken shin by holding her leg, now exposed above the knee and certainly not in the
manner of good taste. Her plaintive cries to "Please look at it and see that it's not broken"
were readily accepted by the guard, who more than dutifully studied her shin and calf
much longer than was medically necessary.
In the ensuing minutes, which seemed like hours to Lieschen as this unwashed old man
took advantage of her exposed skin, the Piper had no trouble at all in entering the town
unnoticed. The repulsion was overwhelming and she felt as if she had to break away from
his fingering and probing. She consoled herself with knowing that her revenge on this
molester would quickly follow. Once Lieschen had been able to ensure the guard that her
injuries were minor and evoke his sense of duty, "Aren't you rather late in getting back to
the gate?" She met her lover, as planned, in the alleyway off of the Osterstrasse.
"You don't seriously mean that that is a disguise?" were the first critical words she uttered
after she broke their kiss of greeting. His answer was to pull her to him again and keep
her lips busy with much more entertaining work...
Why is it that the hunt, the sense of danger or discovery at doing something that's not
allowed always seems to give the spirit wing? There is that grand feeling of togetherness
that separates the participants from the outside world. A camaraderie that only soldiers
under fire learn to know and that keeps them in contact with one another years later.
Even though the event may be hideous, the participants are welded together in a very
personal way due to their unique experiences and suffering.
Imminent danger or personal jeopardy keeps the senses at a high state of
alertness. This perceptual intensity, forced on by adrenalin or the consumption of various
drugs, is a state of mind that is very pleasurable to the person involved. The feeling that
one's life is in one's own hands and that any mistake may very well be your last keeps the
flow going.
There has always been a distinct group of people who sought this particular "kick" in their
lives, knights in shining armor, paratroops, policemen, firemen, and, of late, free-climbers
and bungee jumpers. Rugged individualists who's real hobby is meeting death in hand to
hand combat, seeing into the eye of the tiger, and getting away alive to tell about it.
Every sound is more intensive, every gesture of the enemy is perceived to be of fatal
importance, and every kiss in a period of danger can be savored like a fine dinner...
Now that Lieschen and the Piper had beaten the odds and fought off the first contingency,
they moved stealthily onward through the sleepy streets of Hamelyn. He had a good
working knowledge of the town through his visits to the various side streets, but Lieschen
would show him a few interesting paths through backyards and gardens that he had
never seen before.
The "Finger of God," raised in reproach, or perhaps, condemnation, was their goal. The
church tower of golden bronze, now green with age, loomed before them, visible
throughout the town and the region. Even at night, the lantern hanging in the high
steeple was like a lighthouse beckoning the believers home to Hamelyn.
Eerie Gregorian Chants could be heard throughout the town. As the Piper strode with
Lieschen out onto the open market, the entire centre of Hamelyn rang with the surreal
music. The fire in their eyes matched the passion that was echoing out of the Market
Church of Hamelyn. The Piper laid his flute to the lips that Lieschen had kissed with no
less intensity just moments before.
Although it rang through the streets quite clearly, the joyous music of the flute was not
able to be heard by the masses chanting behind their thick stone walls. The melody sailed
over the tragic tones that arose from a place men had decided was a home for God. In a
supreme farce, the Piper played a descant high above the church music in the same
chord. As his tune danced flagrantly over theirs, he also began to move forward.
Hardly twenty steps had been taken as the next young pair joined them on the way down
the Baker Street to the south corner of the town where most of the simple people lived.
The youth came out of the expensive stone houses that were built to last for centuries.
Others exited wooden homes or simple huts with roofs that looked as though they might
not last the winter. In the area of the Cloister, where monks and their students kept to
themselves behind high walls, the party turned left onto what once was the original main
road through Hamelyn.
This area suffered quite a shock some years before. The merchants living here on the
Hellweg, around 1200, were the victims of city planning. As the walls of the city were built
of stone and the wooden palisades replaced, the existing Baker Street and the East Street
were laid on to be the new main roads through Hamelyn. This path led past the Market
Church of the Hamelyn citizenry, which they proudly showed as a contrast to the
Cathedral and Cloister of the catholic monastery on the river. The streets were much
wider than the New Market Road where pedestrians, oxcarts and wagons had to fight
their way through. The new roads had enough space for the merchants to display their
wares and for 2-way traffic! Thusly, it did not take long for all of the successful merchants
to build or move to the East Road leaving the New Market Road and the Old Market Road
to those who had missed the call of opportunity. Once again, someone had promised the
people that moving the through-traffic out of the shopping area would make for better
business. The failing "new money" of the travelers would eventually cause the old roads
to fall into the hands of the craftsmen once the merchants had moved on. In this section
of the town, full of young people who saw little future in what they were doing, Lieschen
and the Piper gathered quite a number of followers together who longed for the "good old
days."
Over 100 young people were following Lieschen and the Piper as they moved along the
narrow streets leading to the East Gate. Those who were not in the church themselves
thought nothing of the procession, as there was to be one after the mass, anyway. Some
looked out of their windows and may have been puzzled not to see the mayor and council
leading the way, but the daughter of the mayor was there, so there couldn't be anything
wrong, right?
Annchen lived on this street as well. She also had an excuse not to go to the church, she
was taking care of her baby brother. Holding him in her arms, she looked out the window
and viewed the passers-by. She would later be able to report what she witnessed to the
council and secure an important place within the citizenry of Hamelyn once Lieschen was
gone.
As they neared the East Gate, Lieschen raced ahead to the guards. J ohann and his
Sergeant were waiting for the procession that could be heard in the distance to arrive.
The older guard was once again enthralled by Lieschen's presence, as planned. He began
to ask her how her leg felt now and if he could be of any further assistance. As he doffed
his helmet and concentrated all his charms on the young girl, he neglected to notice
J ohann stalking him from behind. As he was struck, a puzzled expression took his face
just seconds before unconsciousness prevailed. Lieschen would have laughed out loud
had the situation not been so serious. He fell aside to reveal J ohann smiling at her and
saying what she had been thinking, "That should teach him to take advantage of young
women!"
The erstwhile procession now turned to the right and out of the East Gate. Maria, a small
dark haired beauty, charged forward from out of the group and threw her arms around
her J ohann, who had tossed his spear and helmet aside to join the party. Once outside of
the governing influence of the city, the young people began in earnest to celebrate.
Wineskins appeared and were passed about. The couples were doing the forbidden,
walking hand-in-hand, or even worse, embracing their partner and kissing in public. They
were breaking the rules and taboos of their parents and the church and reveled in their
new-found independence. The summer sun supported the merry march and warmed the
celebrants from without. Wine, mead, and passion heated them from within. Almost two
miles back, the bells ringing in the churchtower could hardly be heard over the merry
music of the Piper...

XVI
The doors of the Market Church were dutifully opened and the Mayor, Abbot, and
councilmen squinted into the bright sunlight. They, too, had been drinking wine, of the
sacramental sort, and were of good spirits in plan of the evening's celebration. A drummer
and piper exited behind them and were followed by eight strong men carrying the statue
and ark of the patron, Saint Nicklaus, floating high above the heads of the crowd.
The Procession turned to the right and began its tour around the church and through the
town by crossing the open square, the Horsemarket. The gregorian chants and the wine
had created a pleasant disorientation in the minds of the councilmen, enhanced by the
surreal march into the bright sunlight. Still, a nagging sense of something being wrong
continued to scratch at J acob's thoughts, just like the burrowing of rats between the walls
of a well-constructed house. Hardly five minutes had expired as the thought broke forth,
"Were are the others?"
Some older people who no longer visited the mass, due to infirmity or difference of
opinion, were to be seen in the street for the procession. Young children danced about
and celebrated the festival. But where were the Youth? One or the other teenager could
be witnessed viewing the procession out of tradition, or perhaps, boredom, but there
were a large number missing...
The Abbot reached the same conclusion simultaneously and being a man of words,
formed the question first, "Where are the young people? They always lined the streets
with the remainder of the citizenry. What could they be doing?"
"Bartsch, Lindhoff" called the Mayor to his council at hand, "Send some of your
men about to find out why our youngsters are not present. There seem to be quite a few
missing in the town somewhere."
Fortunately, J acob was a rather good actor. You had to be if you wished to be a rather
good politician. He was used to acting; acting interested when the other councilmen
presented something that was entirely ridiculous, acting convincing when presenting
something that you yourself don't believe in, acting concerned when the poor and weak
needed help. This was another acting job that he was familiar with - acting happy. But he
had never needed to do it like this before, in a time of uncertainty.
"What could the young people be doing?" The Abbot's question raced through his mind
again and again. He had created this celebration to unify the townsfolk, and still some
would not be a part of it. The Mass had lasted a bit longer than usual, but this was a
special occasion that only came once a year. Normally everyone would be on their feet for
this sort of thing. He continued to act happy and wave at those gathered by the wayside
while the thought continued to nag him, "What have I done wrong?"
The merry dance of the Piper was glorious. It was a procession of love, passion, and
freedom. Not the march of control and threat of damnation that was being showcased in
the town. Not a single participant thought of the city. They were dancing about in
whichever way they pleased, breaking out of the confines of the walls of the town,
breaking out of the confines of the oppression of the church, which stated that all things
that are not in reverence to God simply must be evil.
They used their bodies to dance to the glory of life itself with movements and gestures
that were never allowed before. Singing loudly and falling on the ground in the ecstasy of
movement, just like the lame who suddenly learn to walk. Wildflowers were plucked and
carried or placed in their hair as a tribute to nature itself. They walked arm-in-arm in a
manner otherwise forbidden to them. Drink flowed freely and in excess, filling their bodies
with the natural sunlight gathered in by the grapes and flowers.
Lieschen walked with her Piper at the head of the group. She saw the astounded faces of
the few travelers underway on the Hellweg this day. She gloried in those who stared
open-mouthed at them and cursed loudly and vehemently at those who covered their
eyes or turned their heads as not to lose their souls for having witnessed such "deviltry".
The group finally turned off of the Hellweg and began the climb up the Koppen Mountain.
The sweat was beading up on J acob's brow. Not only was it excruciatingly warm in his
mayoral robe with heavy chain around his neck, the discomfort of not knowing what was
going on tried him as well. A murmuring from the rear of the procession told him that
soon he would receive news and at the same time that the news was not good.
The runners reported that the guards had been overwhelmed at the East Gate and one of
them taken prisoner by unknown forces. Lieschen was the last person that the remaining
guard reported seeing. Lieschen!!! She was at home in bed! The procession degenerated
into an uncontrollable throng. Gertrud arrived at his side now, "Have you heard? Lieschen!
Taken away by strangers! And the other young people cannot be found. What will we
do?"
J acob had been prepared to take action, and took immediate command, "Send the
remaining guards out of the town! All available men should join in search parties.
Question everyone as to what they may have seen. I shall move off to the East.
Councilmen! You will not neglect the other directions, search there as well. A gold reward
to the man who brings our children back!"
In moments, the street cleared as the people of Hamelyn dashed away in search. The
Abbot stood in the settling dust, alone except for his mass servants and Nicklaus, patron
Saint of Sailors, Merchants, and Children, hurriedly grounded by the men off to look for
their lost families.
Expectations rose with the altitude. 65 pairs of lovers were about to embark on the next
phase of their lives. They had chosen to shun the edicts of their fathers and seek their
answers in an older manner of thought. They would take their partners together with all
the others as witnesses in a orgiastic dance of unifying passion.
A giddiness moved through the ranks. It was the direct effect of exertion, alcohol, and
infatuation. The participants saw only the eyes of their beloved and heard the romantic
cry of the Piper's flute. At the entrance to the underground labyrinth, Lieschen called
loudly, "It's rather cool inside, but not for long!" and harvested giggles from the girls and
sly looks from the boys.
The Piper had paused a few times to rest his weary fingers but was in a fantastic form
now for the beginning of the dance. His music accompanied the youth as they ducked
down, or fell down onto tired knees, and entered the low opening of the cave. It was at
the base of a sheer cliff of nearly black stone, over ten meters high. The opening was
guarded on three sides by larger stone formations so that it was only in direct sunlight at
the high time of the year. Certainly the old druids had planned that it not be discovered
by chance, although every adult in pre-Christian Hamelyn would have known where it
was.
Lieschen had remained with her lover at the opening and now threw her arms around him
as his song ended. The music still ringing off of the stone walls fought with the rush of
their own heartbeats in their ears. He let the flute slip out of his fingers and groped for
the softest parts of Lieschen's body as she suddenly tore away from his grip and fell to
the ground with a strange cry of pain...
"So this is what the Mayor's daughter does in her spare time!" Moritz. A thousand
thoughts crossed the Piper's mind in an instant. Moritz, the man who, although royalty,
prefers to wear black leather. The man who had seen to his beating in Hamelyn. The man
who had killed his companions Wodon and Thor. Who he had never witnessed without an
evil, mocking sneer on his face. The man who at this moment of triumph in his life had
pulled his Lieschen away from him.
Lieschen. THE DAUGHTER OF THE MAYOR?!?
She had been first to recover from the surprise, "What are you doing here?"
The daughter of the mayor. What have I gotten myself into? He was lamed by the
thought. His coordinated world was suddenly upside-down. Although Lieschen lay on the
ground, it was he who was rocked and disoriented at the sudden appearance of Moritz.
"That is the question that I should be asking, my dear. But I've seen enough to know
what YOU were doing. As for ME, I am here saving your soul from this heathen seducer!"
The seconds of immobility passed instantly with Moritz' insult. The animal instincts in the
musician rose up in a manner that was totally unlike his nature. Although normally quiet
and suffering, he saw a man between him and his rightful woman, and he moved forward
with deadly intent.
Moritz was prepared. Suddenly, a knife flashed into his hand. The moment's madness
dissipated, just as quickly as it had come. The Piper was again lame as he saw the cold
steel. He had been a coward for too many years, roaming the land and always seeking
the path of minimal resistance. Never had he stood up for his beliefs at any time. When
things got difficult, he fled. Looking at the metal of the open blade, as hard as the eyes of
the man who held it, the musician knew that he had lost. Graciously, voices called to him
from the cave "Piper! Where are you?"
"Don't you want to go to your Playmates?" Moritz stretched the word in a mockery,
"Lieschen," he grabbed her hair and forced a small cry, "will be staying with me."
The Piper stood immobile. Expressionlessly he stared at Eloisa and Moritz. He needed
desperately to do something, to make a decision, but was unable to change the pattern
that had shaped his life.
Lieschen looked sadly into his eyes and nodded ever so slightly. The Piper was relieved to
have had someone decide for him, but, then again, hadn't she decided for him all along?
He suddenly looked like an old, defeated man as he bent slowly to the ground to retrieve
his pipe. The last thing he saw was Moritz holding the woman that he loved. She with the
sad eyes of defeat, he glorious and smirking.
Turning to the cave, he began again to play the music that the group wished to hear. But
all emotion was gone from his work. The melody that had so inspired the youth of
Hamelyn now rang tragically back to him from the cold walls of the cave.
Lieschen was still somewhat hopeful that she could rid herself of this man and return to
her friends. By not allowing the Piper to attack, she had kept her options open. In an
attempt to see where the situation was headed, she queried, "What do you want from
me?"
"Nothing," Moritz leered, "yet. J ust watch this." He pushed her ungracefully down
onto a large stone and sheathed the now unnecessary knife in his riding boot.
Lieschen was still thinking of how she could rid herself of this oaf as he looked up the high
wall and whistled on his fingers. Her attention was drawn upward as well. High above
them she noticed the other Steinberg Brothers, Nickolas and Hermann who had piled
some larger stones together at the cliff's edge. What she saw had hardly time to dawn on
her as the brothers kicked the keystones away and allowed the deadly delivery to crash
down the face of the mountain. The noise was tremendous as more and more stone
crashed to the foot of the high wall. Earth broke loose and added to the mass as did
smaller stones and broken trees.
The Avalanche was avidly watched by Moritz who saw in it a great ironic triumph over the
unfaithful. Buried under the forces of nature itself that they had tried to honor with their
evil dance. Such was godly justice in his eyes.
Lieschen could do nothing now to stop this madman from trying to bury her lover and
friends, but she was certainly not going to let him get away with it. As the dust billowed
forward, forced on by the first stones to reach the opening of the cave, she shot forth and
threw herself onto Moritz from behind. If he cried out in surprise as the girl struck him in
the back, it was not able to be heard. A gigantic rumbling took every other sound into
itself and smothered it completely. Moritz turned and shook her off, but she charged him
again and beat at his face and chest with her fists.
He was just beginning to enjoy the useless flailing of the girl and was thinking of keeping
a calm manner in order to cruelly disillusion her even more, as fate took a hand for her. A
larger rock, almost the size of a human skull, bounced and accelerated silently toward
them under the cacophony. It struck Moritz in the left leg just below the knee and cut it
out from under him. Startled by the pain, he fell and, unwillfully, reached automatically
toward the shattered knee with both hands.
Lieschen's moment of triumph had arrived. Moritz knelt before her in momentary
distraction and she went for the throat, literally. Fired on by the mad rush of adrenaline, a
flood with repulsion for this man who would stop at nothing to achieve his ends, her
hands grasp his neck and her strong thumbs relentlessly pressed down on his windpipe.
J ust as suddenly as the pain crashed into his mind and focused on his knee, his eyes now
fogged over at the pressure on his larynx. She had, luckily, closed off his throat at that
very moment he had cried out, thus emptying his lungs of life-giving oxygen. Had she
planned it in detail, it could not have been any worse for him as his mind reeled with the
bright red pain and the slowly growing blackness rising to take its place.
Now it was his turn to flail uselessly at the hands that held him in a lethal vice. Somehow
he could not command his arms to strike with the usual force. What was going on? He
had won out in so many fights, but now a girl was near to defeating him? Seconds
seemed like days to him as everything moved in slow motion. The rockfall had begun to
lessen, although the smoky dust wafted everywhere. Tragic, that he should choke and die
in the same manner as those he had buried in the cave. Die? No! Moritz von Steinberg
reached down into the last reserves of the fighter. He let his arms go wide as if he had no
more strength to call upon, then formed his hands into cups, rather than useless fists, and
brought them together over Lieschen's ears with as much force as he could muster.
She heard one crashing explosion louder even than the avalanche that had gone before.
As if a crossbow bolt had struck her brain from both sides, pain flashed into her mind
such as she had never witnessed before. All thoughts of her friends, the Piper, or the man
who's life she had tried to end were washed out in a single flash of glaring red.
Moritz gasped for air as the steel-clawed grip released his throat. Others might have been
pleased to just stay put and enjoy being able to breathe again, but the man who had
fought and beaten so many moved, instead, mechanically forward. Like an injured snake
who notices its prey is reeling, he coiled and struck Lieschen with a blow that sent her
falling. She was either knocked out by the punch, or lost consciousness as her careening
body left her head crashing upon a rock. In either case, Lieschen lay deathly still in the
settling dust and debris.
Moritz wasn't sure if he could rub his injured leg as he wanted to without losing his
balance. Perhaps he should kneel or sit down to do so. The decision was taken from him.
His brothers arrived back from the top of the cliff and he needed to play the strongman
again.
"Hey! It's closed off completely!" cried Hermann, surveying the damage, "We have to get
them out!" He dashed over the loose stones to the periphery of the avalanche which had
formed itself cone-shaped against the sheer wall of stone. With his bare hands he began
to toss the stones aside in an attempt to reach the opening. Each larger stone he pulled
out caused others to fall at his feet.
He was as oblivious of the senselessness of his task as he was of the limping approach of
Moritz from behind. The elder Steinberg grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away
from the rubble. Moritz wound him around to look in his face with the mad conviction of
the true fanatic, "We don't save Heathens!"
"Moritz!" Hermann was not able to articulate anything more to describe the guilt
and helplessness that he was feeling.
His brother instinctively followed that line of attack, "Get home, the both of you!
Begone NOW and I'll certainly forget who started the avalanche..."
"But Moritz, the people!"
"Both of you be off! Finish packing for our hunting trip. I'll be along." Moritz ruled
to them with all the finality of the house of Steinberg.
Nickolas knew well enough that no amount of lamentation would be able to convince
Moritz and he silently took Hermann by the shoulder. The downtrodden look of the
youthful man spoke of the torment that he was feeling. Hardly had the beard on his chin
begun to grow, already he had helped over a hundred people to their death. Hermann
looked suddenly much older and Nickolas knew that the youthful gladness had gone out
of him forever, it another victim of the power-hungry Moritz. Nickolas shook his head
sadly. It was the sign of final resignation. The two brothers turned and began the walk
down the mountain to the Steinberg castle.
Behind Moritz there was movement and groaning. He wheeled around to see that
Lieschen was returning to consciousness. Very slowly a smile widened on his face, one of
his more vicious smiles. He reached for the knife in his boot and approached her with the
slow movements of the wildcat, sliding ever-so-slowly up to its prey and reveling in the
moment of triumph just before the spring to the throat.
She was still so groggy that she didn't know where or who she was. It was the sadistical
feast for the man in leather that he had always hoped for. She had forever treated him as
if she was something better. Daughter of the mayor, ha, who was that? A peasant elected
by peasants. Only her mother was of the aristocracy, albeit penniless. What did this bitch
have to be so proud of? She had always fought back when he tried to get near to her.
Even slapped him once as he had tried to kiss her. An incident that his brothers
incessantly reminded him of whenever he began to exude about how the women couldn't
resist him. Now and finally she would be able to resist no longer. He had saved her life
and her supple body belonged to him now.
Moritz knelt down between her legs and pulled her out of her trance with a handful of
long blond hair. Her eyes finally focused upon his face through the pain and he felt her
body tighten under his grip, oh, this will be fun.
"And now it's your turn." He held the knife just inches from the frightened and
confused look on her face and increased the tension on the psychological thumbscrews,
"Your friends are dead and it's all your fault. YOU led them off to be buried alive in the
mountain. Your life will be worthless in the town, but then again," he turned the knife
deftly about in his fingers, reached for her dcollet and cut away the first button of her
dress, "I may be able to find some use for you..."
The sound of the knife slicing further down her dress did not register in her mind. Nor had
the words of Moritz reached her with meaning. Lieschen only heard the sound of her own
heartbeat and breathing. She was still terribly groggy. Her head hurt and it was difficult to
concentrate. The stupor was a welcome sensation compared to the feel of Moritz' hands
on her naked flesh, so she floated away in her mind rather than suffer the attack on her
beaten body. The silence opened up to her and she dove into it willfully, not knowing why
the world had become so quiet. Her head and body jerked forward and back with the
violence of Moritz' ministrations. Had she been able to see herself, the dried blood that
ran out of her ears might have been Lieschen's biggest worry.

XVII
Heavy rhythmic breathing. A body physically straining to reach a summit. Groaning under
the stress and choking for air, J acob forced himself to continue up the Koppen Mountain.
He wiped his brow with his sleeve and forced himself to take a few more steps. In his
other hand he held the reins of a horse that was just as tired from carrying his weight and
could not have negotiated the steep slope with a mount.
It was not only his own weight that lamed him, but the weight of his office and
responsibility. Over 100 young people were missing from the town, a tragedy such as
Hamelyn had never seen before. He hoped against hope that his Lieschen was not
involved in this business. The older gate guard had stated that she was well, as he saw
her last, but since the loss of the Hamelyn children she was missing. If he was not able to
find the young people, what would he tell the distraught parents? How would Hamelyn as
a community be able to take the loss of nearly an entire generation again, just a few short
years after Sedemuender?
A shout from further up the hill caused him to pause. "Mr. Mayor! Look!" He raised his
weary glance to the mountain and there appeared that which he feared never to be able
to see again. "Lieschen," he murmured to himself. "LIESCHEN!" he shouted and moved
toward her with redoubled effort.
She was moving down the hill in his direction. Moritz was with her and held her steady on
her upper arm as he limped along and waved with the other hand to the search party. As
the two drew nearer, Moritz ordered the others to continue the search. "Look up there on
the cliff! But you won't find any other survivors, the mountain has closed up on them!" He
turned to the J acob and spoke privately, "Mr. Mayor we must return immediately to
Hamelyn!"

XVIII
The home of the mayor had seen many family crises, but the feeling of utter loss was
never greater. Lieschen was kneeling on the floor and lay across the lap of her mother.
Her tears had reduced themselves to a pitiful sniffling while Gertrud rocked her slowly
back and forth.
J acob was sitting in the middle of the room. His usual mayoral bearing was gone, he
looked more like someone on the witness stand. He had had to suffer the indignity of
returning home through the back alleys in order not to cause a throng of 100 worried
mothers to form up in front of his house wishing to know what had happened. Now he
was being further humiliated and bereaved by the upstart Duke Moritz...
"And your daughter in the middle of it all! Whereby YOU are the one who is
supposed to be keeping order in Hamelyn!" Moritz was at the top of his form. He was
getting exactly what he wanted. At the same time, he would be able to sell himself as the
hero.
"I just can't believe it." J acob was astonished at the sound of his own voice.
Minutes, or was it now hours before, he had organized the search parties with precision,
now his will was broken. The shock of loss had torn the very heart out of his sagging
chest.
"Oh, you may believe it indeed Mister Mayor. You see what they did to your
daughter. You're all lucky that I arrived when I did." He added one truthful opinion to the
pack of lies, "I'm glad that they're all dead."
J acob knew that he was in Moritz' hands. A lifetime of work destroyed by the
circumstances of one afternoon. He posed Moritz the question that he would have given
almost anything to avoid, but would cost him everything if he didn't ask it, "What to you
plan to tell the people?"
Moritz smiled. How easy comes success. Not only have I had the pleasures of the
daughter today, but now the father is seeking my help, as well. It will be assistance that
he shall be paying for for years to come.
The limping man had had time to think his plan through on the way down the mountain.
He had written Lieschen a note in the dirt, >You never speak again!< The message was
punctuated with enough physical pain that Lieschen finally nodded her consent. Once his
only eyewitness was silenced, everyone would believe the tale that he told. And why not?
He believed it himself.
"It was all the Piper's fault. He was an evil heathen who seduced the young people
and led them away." Moritz continued, "No one in the town will disagree because that
would bring guilt and disgrace to their own family. Lieschen went deaf from the evil
music. That allowed her to regain her senses and attempt to come back. I arrived almost
too late to save her from molestation by the unholy and was injured in the leg by her
admirers. We escaped from the cave just as the avalanche closed it off. It was God's will
that the sinners be punished."
J acob gave a thoughtful tone to note that he was still listening.
"You will agree to this account," Moritz pronounced, "and support it with all of the
talents that you possess, in the same manner that you organized Lieschen's birth
records."
J acob drew breath to protest, but thought better of it.
"Our mutual friend the Abbot will be glad to assist you in any way possible." Moritz'
connections to the church could not be disputed. "Lieschen," he fixed her with his stare
while drawing her name out again that mocking tone, only to turn back to J acob, "will
never speak a word again. Is that clear?"
The mayor sounded very old as he spoke resignedly, "So be it."
Moritz gave him a final, threatening look, "My brothers and I are off to Seven-Mountains
on a hunting trip. I had best not hear of any problems upon my return." He pivoted back
to the mother who held in her arms the broken remains of what was once her dream of
keeping royalty in the family, and added, "And should you still have a glimmer of hope
that I would marry the deaf, sullied daughter of a commoner..." He waved toward J acob,
then took Lieschen under her chin to gain eye contact. She jerked back from his touch but
he gripped her intently, "I will take you into my services. Perhaps as a chamber-," he
grinned, "maid."
Lieschen returned a confused stare. She knew by his look that he was threatening her
again, but had no idea of what was being said.
Moritz brought his dark eyes to bear on the mayor again, "Have her brought to me in the
castle. She'll be out of the town, and you can tell everyone that I took the brave girl into
my personal care."
J acob did not respond to the open threat. He continued to stare silently at the floor. All
the plans he had for his lovely, pampered daughter - ashes. His wife began to weep once
more as the black boots limped wordlessly to the door and out of his vision. He had tried
so adamantly to keep his child away from the man in black leather and now, ironically, he
would be forced to give her to him as a plaything. It was the first installment on the
help that he received from Moritz, and certainly not the last. The hopelessness of the
situation left him hollow and unmoving.
Duke Moritz of Steinberg was smiling widely as he reached the street. The entire family of
the mayor would never be the slightest bit of trouble to him in the future. Hamelyn might
very well belong to his lands. From now on, he would be able to do almost anything he
wanted here, with church and state behind him.
The city guards had been ordered to bring him a horse. Already his power had increased
within the high walls. The animal was brown and just as tall as his black stallion. Moritz'
smile vanished instantly from his face as he tried to mount the beast. His left leg shot a
red bolt of flame into his brain. The damage was, so it seemed, greater than expected. He
had always mounted with a left-footed jump. Now he tried clumsily to spring off of both
feet and balance on the back of the, now weary, horse. The third try was a charm and
Moritz ignored the sweat that had formed on his brow. He ignored the fates offering him a
lesson in overconfidence, as well.
As he began his ride to the east, a solitary figure entered his path. Annchen stood before
him. He had discovered that she was somewhat in awe of him during her visit to him in
the bath house. Then again, she was in strange surroundings at that time. Now she
looked as if she wanted an answer, and was woman enough to pose the question. She
certainly wanted some attention from him in exchange for her help. Moritz, still convinced
it was his lucky day, pulled her up into the saddle. They exchanged a kiss of passion, then
the man in black leather drove his spurs into the flanks of the horse.

XIX
There were some 3000 people living in Hamelyn. Every soul in the town knew someone
who had perished on the Koppen Mountain personally. The communal memory would
never be able to forget the loss. They spoke to each other of the tragedy. Spoke to their
relatives and friends. They told the story to travelers on the Hellweg, they then passed it
on to others who related it to their children.
The Abbot wrote an eyewitness report in the church chronicles:

"In the year of 1284, on the days of J ohn and Paul, it was
the 26th of J une, were led away by a Piper, dressed in a
coat of many colors, CXXX children, born in Hamelyn and
lost at Calvary on the Koppen Mountain."

Over 200 years later, the memory lingered on. The citizenry mounted a stained-glass
window in the church showing the Piper and smaller figures. The phrase of the long-dead
Abbot encircled the window. A stone cross related to the date of the loss of the children of
Hamelyn. It stood by the newly erected West gate of the town. Documents were
additionally dated with the number of years "since our children left." Duke Moritz could
not have anticipated that the Piper would become legendary while he himself drifted into
historical oblivion.

XX
The light of the rising sun dove with flaming highlights through the long blond hair of the
young woman. She sat, still dressed in her nightgown, in the dewy field of wildflowers.
The nightingale and the crickets had long ceased their calling. It was not their music that
woke her out of her bed, it was another.
She had neglected to put either shoes or a wrap on. Why? Should she fear falling ill, fear
death? Her hands gracefully picked the flowers in the red light of morning and molded
them into a daisy-chain for her hair. She rocked gently from side to side in the rhythm of
the music.
The music swelled to meet the sun as it grew brighter in the sky. It was a grand,
passionate music. The melody celebrated life and being alive. It poured warmth through
her body much more than did the sun heat her alabaster, nearly transparent skin. It was
the roar of an entire orchestra playing a crescendo that reached its apex as the last of the
bloated red sun leapt, visibly, to the sky.
Lieschen rocked back and forth in the utter silence of the morning.

The sun rose over the Koppen Mountain.



[ Completed on the 12th of December, 1997 at
Hessich Oldendorf, Germany. Michael Boyer ]