“Once upon a time, there was pretty little town named Hamelin. Though Hamelin was charming, it had two faults. Its townspeople were very stingy, and there were too many rats.”
“There were so many rats, in fact, that even the cats had run away. Rats dwelled in the cellars, in the kitchens, the bedrooms, and even the attics. The people of Hamelin could not live with so many rats.”