- Sep 22, 2013
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The eerie Pied Piper of Hamelin is a folkloric figure told in a German tale about a strange visitor to a small German town called Hamelin who ended up kidnapping all the children (except one who was left behind) after he was betrayed for a payment which was owed to him because of his rodent-extermination services.
The Pied Piper was a strangely-dressed man who played an enchanting flute which he used to lure out the rats of Hamelin. The rats had completely infested the town, so the Piper was promised payment if he could rid the town of the rats. However, after the Piper completely removed all the rats, the town paid him only half of what was promised. In retaliation, one night, while the townsfolk slept, the Piper lured all the children with his flute-playing away from the town and disappeared with them completely.
Some say the Piper took them to his secret hidden 'sanctuary' in a nearby mountain-range but was never found (along with all the children of Hamelin). However, one child stayed behind to sort of 'grow up' and tell the sad tale.
We might inquire about whether or not this 'Piper' is some kind of thief (or exhibitionist), since he performed a skilled-deed of kidnapping, or a terrorist (or avenger), since he committed an anti-social act of ultimate anger.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is an esoteric and enigmatic character that can compel us to analyse the contours of contract-based customs/ethics and etiquette and why betrayal is such a symbolic feature of civilization itself.
After all, isn't our modern age all about various forms of contract intrigue (e.g., European Union, WikiLeaks, Security Council, etc.)?
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"As the eccentric Pied Piper lured all the dancing children away from the small-town of Hamelin, he noted to himself that had the mayor properly paid him for his rodent-extermination services, he would not have attempted this vengeful kidnapping. The children happily followed the Piper into his hidden sanctuary in a mountain-cave, equally bewildered about their parents' odd contract-betrayal after the Piper miraculously rid the town of its horrible rodent-infestation problem. This was a sad and strange day...
The Piper opened the rock-gate to his hidden cave and marched inside with his kidnapped 'Hamelin-kids' while dancing and playing his flute. One child, however, was a cripple and fell behind and could not make it inside the cave before the rock-gate was closed. This child, Gerd, had to walk back to the town but never disclosed the location of the rock-gate locked mountain-sanctuary. The Hamelin mayor and townsfolk wept in dismay, regretting not paying the Piper his promised fee for his rodent-extermination services. This was the consequence of betrayal.
MAYOR: Today is a tragedy for Hamelin!
TOWNSMAN: Someday, an advanced civilization will suffer a similar fate...
MAYOR: Yes, perhaps there will be a destruction of a great monument.
TOWNSMAN: If you paid the Piper, this would never have happened!
MAYOR: I simply paid him half of what was promised...so what?
TOWNSMAN: Well, obviously the Piper was not pleased!
MAYOR: No, and now our children are robbed.
TOWNSMAN: We have only Gerd now to carry on our legacy.
MAYOR: We will find a young girl to raise with Gerd and someday be his wife.
TOWNSMAN: Yes; Gerd and his wife will carry the torch of Hamelin for us.
MAYOR: Perhaps the Piper will someday make peace with Gerd!
TOWNSMAN: For now, all we can do is wonder who the Piper really was.
MAYOR: Yes; was he a thief or a 'terrorist' of some kind?
TOWNSMAN: He certainly has terrorized our small town of Hamelin.
MAYOR: Yet, what he did (kidnapping) was essentially an ultimate theft.
TOWNSMAN: He stole our hearts and returned us with terror!
MAYOR: Then he was both a thief...and a terrorist.
TOWNSMAN: In any case, we've suffered a monumental loss.
MAYOR: We shall learn from this humiliation/trauma.
TOWNSMAN: Hamelin will become a 'beacon' for transformation."
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The Pied Piper was a strangely-dressed man who played an enchanting flute which he used to lure out the rats of Hamelin. The rats had completely infested the town, so the Piper was promised payment if he could rid the town of the rats. However, after the Piper completely removed all the rats, the town paid him only half of what was promised. In retaliation, one night, while the townsfolk slept, the Piper lured all the children with his flute-playing away from the town and disappeared with them completely.
Some say the Piper took them to his secret hidden 'sanctuary' in a nearby mountain-range but was never found (along with all the children of Hamelin). However, one child stayed behind to sort of 'grow up' and tell the sad tale.
We might inquire about whether or not this 'Piper' is some kind of thief (or exhibitionist), since he performed a skilled-deed of kidnapping, or a terrorist (or avenger), since he committed an anti-social act of ultimate anger.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin is an esoteric and enigmatic character that can compel us to analyse the contours of contract-based customs/ethics and etiquette and why betrayal is such a symbolic feature of civilization itself.
After all, isn't our modern age all about various forms of contract intrigue (e.g., European Union, WikiLeaks, Security Council, etc.)?
====
"As the eccentric Pied Piper lured all the dancing children away from the small-town of Hamelin, he noted to himself that had the mayor properly paid him for his rodent-extermination services, he would not have attempted this vengeful kidnapping. The children happily followed the Piper into his hidden sanctuary in a mountain-cave, equally bewildered about their parents' odd contract-betrayal after the Piper miraculously rid the town of its horrible rodent-infestation problem. This was a sad and strange day...
The Piper opened the rock-gate to his hidden cave and marched inside with his kidnapped 'Hamelin-kids' while dancing and playing his flute. One child, however, was a cripple and fell behind and could not make it inside the cave before the rock-gate was closed. This child, Gerd, had to walk back to the town but never disclosed the location of the rock-gate locked mountain-sanctuary. The Hamelin mayor and townsfolk wept in dismay, regretting not paying the Piper his promised fee for his rodent-extermination services. This was the consequence of betrayal.
MAYOR: Today is a tragedy for Hamelin!
TOWNSMAN: Someday, an advanced civilization will suffer a similar fate...
MAYOR: Yes, perhaps there will be a destruction of a great monument.
TOWNSMAN: If you paid the Piper, this would never have happened!
MAYOR: I simply paid him half of what was promised...so what?
TOWNSMAN: Well, obviously the Piper was not pleased!
MAYOR: No, and now our children are robbed.
TOWNSMAN: We have only Gerd now to carry on our legacy.
MAYOR: We will find a young girl to raise with Gerd and someday be his wife.
TOWNSMAN: Yes; Gerd and his wife will carry the torch of Hamelin for us.
MAYOR: Perhaps the Piper will someday make peace with Gerd!
TOWNSMAN: For now, all we can do is wonder who the Piper really was.
MAYOR: Yes; was he a thief or a 'terrorist' of some kind?
TOWNSMAN: He certainly has terrorized our small town of Hamelin.
MAYOR: Yet, what he did (kidnapping) was essentially an ultimate theft.
TOWNSMAN: He stole our hearts and returned us with terror!
MAYOR: Then he was both a thief...and a terrorist.
TOWNSMAN: In any case, we've suffered a monumental loss.
MAYOR: We shall learn from this humiliation/trauma.
TOWNSMAN: Hamelin will become a 'beacon' for transformation."
====
