The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Image source: Bedtime stories

Thinking about music in stories and the 2026 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) slogan which is Symphony of Stories led me to think about this classic story The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

The Legend in Brief: According to the legend, Hamelin was plagued by rats and hired a travelling piper to rid the town of the infestation. Playing a strange, compelling tune, he drew the rats from houses and streets and led them out of the town, where they were drowned in the river. When the work was done, the piper returned to claim his payment. The town refused. Whether from greed, distrust, or disbelief in the power of his music, the agreed reward was withheld. In response, the piper played again—this time a different melody. Children followed him as the rats had done before, leaving the town in a silent procession. They were never seen again.

The tale has been retold by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Brothers Grimm, and Robert Browning. Hamelin is a real town in Germany and visitors there can find all sorts of things relating to this story including street performers dressed as the piper and even a bakery with 'rat' cookies. Background reading for teachers - StorytellingDB.

Here is an extract from the Robert Browning poem:

Once more he stept into the street;
   And to his lips again
Laid his long pipe of smooth straight cane;
   And ere he blew three notes (such sweet
Soft notes as yet musician's cunning
   Never gave th'enraptured air)
There was a rustling, that seem'd like a bustling
Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling,
Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,
Little hands clapping, and little tongues chattering,
And, like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering,
Out came the children running.
All the little boys and girls,
With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
The wonderful music with shouting and laughter.

Take a look at this post from Kinderbookswitheverything. In my search for versions of The Pied Piper I was surprised to discover how many 'reading schemes' used this story to create a simple easy 'reader' for young children - this is surprising because this famous story has such a sad, perhaps even disturbing and certainly unresolved ending. 

Your library is sure to have one or two versions of this famous story that you could share:

This version has 112 pages

Read more about Michael Morpurgo and Emma Chichester Clark

Meanwhile this version has 32 pages

This Australian picture book has minimal text and haunting illustrations

This one has fabulous illustrations by Jane Ray - 

A wordless version from a reading program.

Illustration by Jane Ray

This is a simple version for young children with only 24 pages

Lift-the-flap from Child's Play

The author says: My revision replaces the original’s cruelty and revenge with respect, 

friendship, and equality.

This book is from 1994 and is an illustrated version of the Robert Browning poem

Frequently Asked questions (from History Medieval):

1) What is the Pied Piper of Hamelin?

It’s a medieval legend from Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, about a pipe-playing stranger who leads away the town’s children after a dispute over payment (rats are a later add-on in many versions).

2) What is the earliest historical record of the story?

The earliest mentions are associated with local memory (often linked to a now-lost stained-glass window in Hamelin’s church, described in later accounts), while the earliest commonly cited written record is a Hamelin town entry dated 1384 noting that “it is 100 years since our children left.”

3) Did the Black Death cause the Pied Piper story?

It’s a popular modern interpretation (rats → plague symbolism), but it’s historically shaky because the Black Death’s major wave reached Europe in the mid-14th century, well after the legend’s anchor date of 1284.

4) Where did the children supposedly go?

Later tellings vary: some say they vanished into a hillside or cave; others suggest they were led away “east”. Modern historical theories have proposed organised migration/colonisation, accident, conflict, or other local catastrophe—but none is proven.

5) Is it true that music and dancing are banned on Bungelosenstrasse?

Bungelosenstrasse is widely described as the “street without drums”, traditionally linked to where the children were last seen, and many modern accounts repeat that music/dancing are avoided there.

6) When did the story become famous outside Germany?

It spread widely through later literary retellings—most famously Robert Browning’s poem “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”, first published in 1842, which helped fix the story in the English-speaking imagination.

Never Let Go by Geraldine McCaughrean illustrated by Jason Cockroft

"In the whole of realm of Fairyland and in the all the sunlit world there was no man so handsome as Tamlin. He could have captured the heart of any princess with his golden hair and ready smile. So many wondered why he chose Janet for his sweetheart. Plain Janet."

Tamlin is seen by the Fairy Queen. She entices him into her world and takes away his freedom. Janet travels to the edge of fairyland determined to set her true love free. 

"What did she see that Hallowe'en? Bats and back cats, and a skeleton dancing in the wild. She saw gravestone heave and the moss crawl, heard banshee laughter drifting on the wind."

The Fairy Queen rides past with her entourage and among them she sees her Tamlin. 

"But when a milk-white mare, crossed the moonlit crossroads, she leapt at once from her hiding place and seized his fine wool cloak ..."

There is no way the queen will give up her prize and so she conjures up all sorts of horrors - Tamlin turns into a giant scaly lizard, a thick enormous snake, a violent raging bear, a lion, a horse that tosses her high into the air, then a wolf, a boar and an eagle. 

"But she did not loose her grip whether her fingers clung to tusks or antennae, pincers or curling horns."

The final transformation is possibly the most horrible of all. The Fairy Queen turns Tamlin into a red-hot iron bar but Janet does not let go. Finally, the night ends and Janet is left holding her handsome true love. 

This book was published in 1998 so it is long out of print but the copy I found in a school library is still in good condition and I think deserves a place on the library shelves. The illustrations are scrumptious and the bravery of Janet is simply amazing. I would read this book to a group of older students - they are sure to enjoy all the slightly scary elements and the wonderful happy ending along with the messages of perseverance, determination and courage. 

Bookseller blurb: On the eve of his wedding, handsome Tamlin is stolen away by the Fairy Queen into the cruel, enchanted land of the Fairies where the ground runs red with blood. Tamlin's brave love, Janet, determines to win him back - but first she must find him. Then she must never let him go, come what may, or Tamlin will be gone forever.

I found this book when I was helping my friend with her library stock take (inventory). The cover caught my eye and so did the author name. Here are some other books by Geraldine McCaughrean and books illustrated by Jason Cockcroft.

Room for a little one

Shakespeare's Storybook: Folk tales that inspired the Bard by Patrick Ryan illustrated by James Mayhew

Working in a school library last week I spied this book - actually it jumped off the shelf because I was working in the 398s (folklore and fairytales) but in my mind this book should perhaps have been on the 822.33 shelf.  Only librarians or teacher-librarian will have any clue what I am talking about here. I also noticed the illustrator James Mayhew and since I am a fan of his work I was keen to explore this book further. Naturally I borrowed this book immediately. 

A few years ago my Primary school invited The Bell Shakespeare company to perform for our Grade Five students. Their play text was Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths so the teachers on the grade (wisely) decided to use this as an opportunity to introduce a little Shakespeare, especially but not exclusively, the play of Macbeth. 

So as the Teacher-Librarian I set about acquiring as many young reader versions of Shakespeare as I could find and after couple of years I am able to boast we had a rather wonderful shelf or two filled with these books. Sadly we didn't have this splendid book by Patrick Ryan.

Shakespeare's Storybook is not new (published in 2001) but it is fabulous and I am certain it must have taken years to research and write. In fact I hope Patrick Ryan used all this work towards a PhD - yes it is that good! In fact after a little research I now discover I am right and Patrick Ryan does have a PhD - here is his web site.  You can see him in action on this page. 

The original publication of this book came with two CDs - I wish I could hear them - they would be a terrific resource. Sadly this book is now out of print. 

Later editions of this book had a different cover but I much prefer the original:

Here is a list of the stories in this book:

The Devil's Bet (The Taming Of The Shrew)

The Hill Of Roses (Romeo And Juliet)

A Bargain Is A Bargain (The Merchant Of Venice)

Snowdrop (As You Like It)

Ashboy (Hamlet)

Cap-O-Rushes (King Lear)

The Flower Princess (The Winter's Tale)

In this book you will discover the origins or possible origins of these seven famous plays by Shakespeare. Naturally we cannot sit down and talk to William Shakespeare but from all the research by Patrick Ryan and others I am sure too, it seems William Shakespeare heard all sorts of stories and he used them as inspiration for his plays.

To quote from the introduction:

"William Shakespeare was one of the best storytellers in the world. ... But he did not usually make up the stories that he told. He took popular stories and made them into poems and plays. Sometimes he wrote a play so that it followed the story exactly as he first heard it or read it. Sometimes he changed the story to make a completely new version. ... The audiences in Shakespeare's time knew the stories, books and poems that he based his plays  upon. But today most people have forgotten them."

On every story’s introductory pages, Shakespearean quotes frame the text, and one or more main characters are drawn and labelled to aid the reader in following the plot. Mayhew’s detailed watercolors fill the margins of the pages, and each tale features a full-page illustration. A lovely supplement to the Shakespeare oeuvre. Kirkus

At the back of the book, Patrick Ryan lists many of his sources and he includes a further reading list for children.  Here are a few of the books from former school library and you could also look at this collection for young children compiled by my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything.  In my next post I will share a brand new book - Shakespeare for everyone by Emma Roberts (Magic Cat Publishing).

These are Orchard books by Andrew Matthews and Tony Ross

Here are a few from this set:

The Mitten: A Ukrainian Folktale

 A young boy (or in some versions an old man) drops his mitten in the snow. A series of animals discover the warm mitten and each one climbs inside. The mitten stretches and stretches to accommodate animals which are diverse in size and temperament. In the Jan Brett version the animals include a snowshoe rabbit, a mole, a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, a giant brown bear and a tiny meadow mouse. In the version by Alvin Tresselt the mitten is taken over by a tiny mouse, a green frog, an owl,  a rabbit, a fox, a wolf, a wild boar, a bear and finally a tiny cricket. One review called this a "progression tale." In the version by Alvin Tresselt, pictured above, the mitten disintegrates after the arrival of the final creature whereas in Jan Brett's version the boy finds the mitten and we see his grandmother standing puzzled as she compares its size against the original. 

Recently my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything talked about The Mitten and the way she had several versions in her school library but there was one she especially liked. I assumed this was the Jan Brett (1989) version but she said no so this made me curious to read this old tale and to seek out different copies.  When I checked her blog post I read she liked the one illustrated by Yaroslava because: "the language is better here as it is detailed and descriptive and the story fun."

On her website Jan Brett describes her version: 

"When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realising that it is missing. One by one, woodland animals find the mitten and crawl in; first a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse, and what happens next makes a wonderfully funny climax. As the story of the animals in the mitten unfolds, the reader can see Nicki in the borders of each page, walking through the woods unaware of what is going on. Once again Jan Brett has created a dramatic and beautiful picture book in her distinctive style. She brings the animals to life with warmth and humour, and her illustrations are full of visual delights and details faithful to the Ukrainian tradition, from which the story comes."

In this School Library Journal blog post Elizabeth Bird talks about The Mitten. I found a few other editions including one shaped like a mitten and a board book pack which included a mitten! Perhaps next Winter (it is Spring right now here in Australia) you might like to find a few different version of The Mitten to share with your class. You could compare the simple things such as the choices of animals, critique the illustrations or discuss the language used to tell this story.  As my friend said the version by Alvin Tresselt is filled with rich language - the mitten has a feathery cuff; red wool lining; and is made from old leather. You could also compare opening sentences and endings. Jan Brett opens her version with the words "Once there was a boy named Nicki who wanted his new mittens made from wool as white as snow."  Alvin Tresselt opens his version more directly with the words "It was the coldest day of the winter, and a little boy was trudging through the forest gathering firewood for his grandmother." And finally the version by Jim Alyesworth says "Once upon a time there was a happy little boy who loved to play."

Check out the online version of this one (this site does contain advertisements)

I also found this Ukrainian stamp which celebrates this famous folktale.

Image source: Wikipedia

Here are some illustrations from different versions of The Mitten

Jan Brett

Yaroslava

Evgenii Rachev (1950)

Starbird by Sharon King-Chai

Moon King has heard the story of the legendary Starbird. When his baby daughter is born he is determined to capture this fabled creature and gift it to his daughter. The Starbird sings to the young princess every evening but one day "she noticed a sadness colouring Starbirds voice."  The Princess sets the beautiful bird free but her father is furious. He is determined to bring Starbird back. The chase is on. Starbird travels to the jungle, into the depths of the ocean and onto the desert but the Moon King will not give up and one day Starbird is recaptured. How can this story reach that all important happy ending?

Sharon King-Chai uses the most delicious vocabulary in her sparkling book:

worthy, perilous, magnificent, befriended, descended, piercing gaze, engulfed, omnipresent, revelled.

Which cover do you like?  The top one is the new paperback edition and the second image is the hardcover version. This would be a beautiful book to share with a group of students (aged 7+) and it is also a book to share with an art teacher who is sure want to use these stunning illustrations to inspire students.

The illustration and design of this story is stunning and it stands out as a particularly special book because of it. Striking landscapes in pale colours alternate with patterned pages where animal shapes can be made out it the blank space between different designs. Silver foil detail is used to great effect throughout. There is a particular focus on skies – starry heavens, and swirling Arctic lights and pale sunsets over the mountains. Book Murmuration

This story reminded me of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale - The Emperor and the Nightingale.

When I saw Starbird at Gleebooks yesterday I immediately recognised the beautiful art of Sharon King-Chai which mesmerised me in the Julia Donaldson book Animalphabet. There are now two books in this series:

The Swan's Gift by Brenda Seabrooke illustrated by Wenham Ma

Tuesday Treasure

Strictly speaking The Swan's Gift is not a Tuesday Treasure because I started that series of posts to highlight treasures from my former school library and we didn't purchase this book when it was published in 1995 but since it is out of print and it is such a beautiful story I have decided to add it to my blog. I was lucky to find a mint condition copy at a recent charity sale.

The Swan's Gift is a modern fairy tale. Anton and Rubina have seven children. Times are very hard and now there is no food. Anton sets out to hunt hoping to find a bird or rabbit - something they can add to their cooking pot which now only contains water.

Anton walks on and on in the freezing conditions. Finally, empty handed, he turns for home. Just below him on the lake he sees a beautiful white swan.

"Suddenly the juices flowed into Anton's mouth. He could taste succulent roast swan and see his children's faced glowing as his family sat at the table eating again. He raised his gun ... "

The tension rises as Anton puts his finger on the trigger. He feels as though the swan is looking directly at him. It is a magnificent bird.  Brenda Seabrooke uses words like "dazzling beauty" and "the most beautiful creature."

Anton drops to his knees. He speaks out loud "I can't do it."  A voice "as soft as snow or feathers ruffling in the wind" asks "why not?"  Anton knows if he kills this swan his family will have food for one or two meals but after a day or two they will all be hungry again. All of this beauty will be lost.

The swan lifts its wings and flies over the Anton who has now collapsed onto the snow. The water dripping from the swan's wings lands as frozen crystals. The crystals are harder than ice - they are diamonds. How will Anton use this treasure? What might other people do if they hear about this magical swan? What does the future hold for this family?

I would follow The Swan's Gift with The Paper Crane by Molly Bang.

The Girl with a Brave Heart by Rita Jahanforuz and Vali Mintzi

The Girl with a Brave Heart is a tale from Tehran. I love universal stories like this one - folktales and fairytales.  In a few days I will be visiting a small school south of my city. Their theme this year is our connection to the world. I plan to read this book to their senior primary class. I am focusing on books which:

• are translated from other languages into English
• show children from other cultures
• present a different illustration style
• are based on universal themes such as kindness
• might be a book that is new to this group of children

The opening scenes echo Cinderella. Shiraz finds herself living with her stepmother and her stepmothers daughter, Monir, after the death of her beloved father. Shiraz is expected to do all the work- cooking, cleaning, washing and ironing. Shiraz has one precious ball of wool that belonged to her mother. She begins to knit herself a sweater when the wool rolls of her lap and off the balcony.

Shiraz needs to be brave and visit the house next door.

"Shiraz shivered - and not just because she was cold."  "The door creaked open, and an old lady with wild and dirty long hair appeared. She hadn't washed her face, her dress was filthy and her nails were long and curved."

Shiraz asks for her wool but the woman demands Shiraz complete three tasks. 
1.  The kitchen is a mess.  "I want you to smash all the dishes, and the draining board and the sink. Smash everything." 
Shiraz quietly sets to work and cleans up - washing the dishes, mopping the floor and preparing some soup.

2. The garden is a wild tangle with weeds and brambles.
"I want you to cut down all the flowers and pull out their roots.  Cut down the bushes too. Destroy everything."
Shriaz once again sets to work - pulling out the weeds and trimming the plants. She finds a spring and gives the whole garden a long over due drink of water.

3. The old woman herself is next.
"Take these scissors and cut my hair. I don't need this long hair anymore."
Shiraz gently washes the long hair, she brushes and braids it.

"Now the house was calm and clean, and the old lady 

looked much happier."

The old lady instructs Shiraz to visit two pools in the garden - one with clear water and the other dark. Shiraz has to enter the clear pool first diving in three times and then go into the dark pool three times.

When she gets home her step mother does not recognize her. Shriaz is now beautiful.  The step mother asks lots of questions and then she sends her own daughter Monir to visit the old lady. Monir does not clean the kitchen, she smashes everything. She does not clear the garden - she cuts down all the plants. She does not help the old lady with her hair she simply takes some scissors and cuts it. Monir is impatient to dive into those pools. Monir returns home transformed - she is hideous.

"Both the dark pool and the clear pool have the same water. They don't change the people who dip into them. They just make them look the way they feel on the inside."

This book has strong links with The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Souci.  The Talking eggs is a Creole folktale. How wonderful to see a similar story from a different part of the world.

This story also feels like Cinderella and another Grimm tale called Mother Hulda. Read more about the background to the writing and publishing of this story here. Jump into a Book gives you some ideas for extending this book.

The Girl with a Brave Heart was originally published in Hebrew. Here are some other books illustrated by Vali Mintzi.