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walk without difficulty； the third had arrived in time； but in
harrying to go in with the others had struck so violently against the
wall of the mountain that he fell backwards at the moment it
closed upon his comrades。
At this story the parents redoubled their lamentations。 They
ran with pikes and mattocks to the mountain； and searched till
evening to find the opening by which their children had disappeared；
without being able to find it。 At last； the night falling； they
returned desolate to Hamel。
But the most unhappy of all was the Town Counsellor； for he
lost three little boys and two pretty little girls； and to crown all； the
people of Hamel overwhelmed him with reproaches； forgetting that
the evening before they had all agreed with him。
What had become of all these unfortunate children？
The parents always hoped they were not dead； and that the rat…
catcher； who certainly must have come out of the mountain； would
have taken them with him to his country。 That is why for several
years they sent in search of them to different countries； but no one
ever came on the trace of the poor little ones。
It was not till much later that anything was to be heard of them。
About one hundred and fifty years after the event； when there
was no longer one left of the fathers； mothers； brothers or sisters
of that day； there arrived one evening in Hamel some merchants
of Bremen returning from the East； who asked to speak with the
citizens。 They told that they； in crossing Hungary； had sojourned
in a mountainous country called Transylvania； where the inhabitants
only spoke German； while all around them nothing was spoken but
Hungarian。 These people also declared that they came from
Germany； but they did not know how they chanced to be in this
strange country。 ‘Now；' said the merchants of Bremen； ‘these
Germans cannot be other than the descendants of the lost children
of Hamel。'
The people of Hamel did not doubt it； and since that day they
regard it as certain that the Transylvanians of Hungary are their
country folk； whose ancestors； as children； were brought there by the
ratcatcher。 There are more difficult things to believe than that。＇16＇
＇16＇ Ch。 Marelles；