Dancing, laughing, joining hands and tripping feet, the bright throng
moved along up Gold Street and down Silver Street, and beyond Silver
Street lay the cool green forest full of old oaks and wide-spreading
beeches. In and out among the oak-trees you might catch glimpses of the
Piper's many-coloured coat. You might hear the laughter of the children
break and fade and die away as deeper and deeper into the lone green
wood the stranger went and the children followed.

All the while, the elders watched and waited. They mocked no longer now.
And watch and wait as they might, never did they set their eyes again
upon the Piper in his parti-coloured coat. Never were their hearts
gladdened by the song and dance of the children issuing forth from
amongst the ancient oaks of the forest.




Hereafterthis


Once upon a time there was a farmer called Jan, and he lived all alone
by himself in a little farmhouse.

By-and-by he thought that he would like to have a wife to keep it all
vitty for him.

So he went a-courting a fine maid, and he said to her: "Will you marry
me?"

"That I will, to be sure," said she.