Published: Jan. 07, 2013
Words: 6,323 (approximate)
Language: English

Short description

The people of Hamelin have a rat problem, so the mayor thinks of a way to solve it. He offers twenty golds to a piper to rid the town of rodents. He delivers only five. Think you know everything about this folktale? Here, you’ll learn what really happened when a magical musician came to Hamelin. Fans of witty fairy tales will love this middle-grade short story (about 5,000 words, or twenty pages).

Extended description

The people of Hamelin have a problem with rats. There are rats in their houses, their stores—even swimming in their stew! The rats don’t think they’re a problem. They just want to live their lives in peace. With the town’s approval, the mayor thinks of a clever way to solve the problem. He offers twenty gold pieces to a piper to rid the town of rats. He delivers only five.

But he’s cheated the wrong piper, who’ll have to use both skill and wit to teach this town a lesson. Because there’s more than money at stake. An evil pattern is emerging in the way Hamelin treats any creature it considers inferior. And the Piper vows to put an end to it—once and for all.

Think you know everything about this classic folktale of greed and cunning? In “Paying Piper,” you’ll learn what really happened the day a magical musician came to Hamelin—and why.

Fans of fairy tales with a twist will delight in this tricky, witty middle-grade short story. (And if you’re a parent or .. (Read more) The people of Hamelin have a problem with rats. There are rats in their houses, their stores—even swimming in their stew! The rats don’t think they’re a problem. They just want to live their lives in peace. With the town’s approval, the mayor thinks of a clever way to solve the problem. He offers twenty gold pieces to a piper to rid the town of rats. He delivers only five.

But he’s cheated the wrong piper, who’ll have to use both skill and wit to teach this town a lesson. Because there’s more than money at stake. An evil pattern is emerging in the way Hamelin treats any creature it considers inferior. And the Piper vows to put an end to it—once and for all.

Think you know everything about this classic folktale of greed and cunning? In “Paying Piper,” you’ll learn what really happened the day a magical musician came to Hamelin—and why.

Fans of fairy tales with a twist will delight in this tricky, witty middle-grade short story. (And if you’re a parent or teacher, stay tuned for bonus discussion questions at the end!)

“Paying Piper” is approximately 5,000 words, or about twenty pages.
(Less)

Tags

fantasy, magic, middlegrade, short stories humor, folktales fairy tales

Available ebook reading formats

This book is free. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	View
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Download
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Download
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Download
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Download
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Download
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Download
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	View
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Download

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

Review by: nrlymrtl on Feb. 13, 2013 :
This was a charming retelling of a classic, and provided a lesson not just for children but for everyone – essentially we should all be kind to one another. And look at that cover. How could you not enjoy a book with that cover?

But instead of being the typical sinister tale (which supposedly originated due to a plague outbreak that took the town’s children), Ilana Waters twists the tale in a unique way. Instead of reflecting the sadness of mass graves (which were often the results of the plague in 1500s Germany), the author shows how people can slip into every day unkindness, and pass those traits on to their children if they are not careful.
(review of free book)

Review by: Victoria Zigler on Jan. 22, 2013 :
An excellent and well written take on the classic story. A very enjoyable read!
(review of free book)

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: