Page 14 - Green Butterfly Book 1
P. 14
Date:
Then the Piper came back to the town hall. And all the people were waving their hats and shouting for joy. The Mayor said they would have a big celebration, and build a tremendous bonfire in the middle of the town. He asked the Piper to stay and see the bonfire,—very politely.
“Yes,” said the Piper, “that will be very nice; but first, if you please, I should like my thousand guineas.”
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From street to street he piped, advancing, from street to street they followed, dancing. Up one street and down another, till they came to the edge of the big river, and there the piper turned sharply about and stepped aside, and all those rats tumbled hurry skurry, head over heels, down the bank into the river and—were—drowned. Every single one. No, there was one big old fat rat; he was so fat he didn’t sink, and he swam across, and ran away to tell the tale.
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