20-the ratcatcher-第2节

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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；