Page:The Children Who Followed the Piper.djvu/20

 being baked. And one day, in his own home, a rat jumped out of the Mayor's pie dish.

That day, as he sat in the council room with the Aldermen beside him, the Mayor was told that there was a fellow outside who said he was come to help the Town Council.

"I hope he has something to do with banishing the rats," said the Mayor. "I must say that it is not worth while being Mayor while the rats are in this good town. I have had to keep my scarlet robe locked up in an iron chest for fear the rats would eat it."

"And we," said the Aldermen all, "have had to keep our embroidered waistcoats locked up in the same sort of iron chests."

"And we hope the fellow has something to do with banishing the rats," said all of them.

"The fellow is here," said the Sergeant.

He was there, sure enough, standing behind the Sergeant. "What an odd-looking fellow he is, to be sure," said the Town Council.

And an odd-looking fellow he certainly was!