The town of Hamelin was suffering from a rat infestation, a piper dressed in multicolored clothing appeared, claiming to be a rat-catcher. He promised the mayor a solution to their problem with the rats. The mayor, in turn, promised to pay him for the removal of the rats. The piper accepted and played his pipe to lure the rats into the river where all but one drowned. When the mayor refused to pay the promised amount the Pied Piper returned and blew his horn again. This time all the children of the town followed him and disappeared.