The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Story beats

1. 1) A town overrun by rats agrees to pay a piper in pied (multicolored) clothes to lure them away with music.
2. 2) He pipes the rats into the river. The council reneges on payment.
3. 3) Angered, the piper returns while adults are at church, plays, and leads the children out—into a mountain, cave, or another land. Only a lame child (or deaf/blind few) is left behind.
4. 4) Hamelin is bereft; some versions say the children reappear elsewhere, founding a colony; others, they vanish forever.

Context & symbolism

The legend (dated to 1284 inscriptions) may encode historical child migration, plague, or crusade recruitment. Mythically, it punishes oath-breaking with irreplaceable loss. The piper blends trickster and underworld guide; music bypasses defenses. The lame child witness frames memory and regret.

The story critiques greedy leadership and values fair compensation. It also highlights music’s supernatural allure and danger.

Motifs

• Enchanted music compelling movement
• Broken contract leading to curse
• Children disappearing through a portal
• One left-behind witness
• Vivid clothing marking otherworldliness

Use it in play

• A bard demands payment; refusal risks a charm effect on townsfolk.
• PCs track children into a fae mountain; the portal closes at dusk.
• Only those immune to music (deaf, disciplined) can resist and intervene.
• A contract with precise terms—break it and a curse triggers.
• A lame witness provides clues; healing them earns trust.

Comparative threads

• Music enchantment: Sirens, Orpheus, and Krishna’s flute all move listeners irresistibly.
• Oath-breaking consequences: Similar to fairy bargains and genie contracts with literal penalties.
• Child-loss laments: Resonates with modern missing-child fears and mythic changelings.

Hooks and campaign seeds

• A villainous minstrel weaponizes song; PCs need a counter-melody.
• A town seeks to recover children generations later by reopening the mountain path.
• Payment disputes with mercenaries could trigger supernatural retaliation.