List of literary accounts of the Pied Piper facts for kids

This article shares different stories and books about the famous legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. It focuses on full retellings of the tale. For quick mentions of the Pied Piper in movies or other media, you can check out the article Pied Piper of Hamelin in popular culture.

Early Pied Piper Stories: Before 1900

The story of the Pied Piper has been told in many ways over hundreds of years. Here are some of the earliest written versions.

The Story Begins: 14th to 16th Centuries

• 14th Century: A very old songbook, owned by Decan Lude of Hamelin around 1384, supposedly had a story about the event. It was written in Latin poetry by his grandmother, who said she saw it happen! Sadly, this book is now lost.
• 15th Century: The Lueneburg manuscript, from about 1440-1450, has a few lines in German. This seems to be the oldest story we still have today.
• 16th Century: Count Froben Christoph von Zimmern's book, Zimmerische Chronik (around 1559-1565), is one of the first stories to mention the plague of rats.

More Tales Emerge: 17th Century Accounts

• Richard Rowland Verstegan (1605): This was the first English story of the Pied Piper. It included the rats and the idea that the lost children ended up in Transylvania.
• Robert Burton (1621): In his book The Anatomy of Melancholy, he briefly mentions the story. He wrote that in Hamelin, "the devil, in likeness of a pied piper, carried away 130 children."
• Nathaniel Wanley (1687): His book Wonders of the Little World copied the story from Verstegan's account.

Popular Versions: 19th Century Stories

An illustration from More English Fairy Tales, showing the Pied Piper leading children away.

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1803): This famous German writer created a poem based on the Pied Piper story. Later, a composer named Hugo Wolf set it to music.
• Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm (1816): The famous Brothers Grimm included "The Children of Hamelin" in their book German Legends. In their version, two children were left behind because one was blind and the other was lame. The other children became the founders of Siebenbürgen (which is another name for Transylvania).
• Robert Browning (1842): His poem, "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," is very well-known. It's funny and uses clever rhymes. Browning used the 1376 date for the event.
• Andrew Lang (1890): He called his version "the Ratcatcher" in The Red Fairy Book.
• Joseph Jacobs (1894): He gathered several stories for More English Fairy Tales, calling his version "The Pied Piper of Franchville."

The Pied Piper in Modern Literature: After 1900

The Pied Piper story continues to inspire writers today, leading to many new and interesting versions.

New Takes on the Legend: 1900-1989

• Marina Tsvetaeva (1925): This poet wrote "The Ratcatcher," a poem loosely based on the legend.
• Eric Frank Russell (1950): His short story "The Rhythm of the Rats" in Weird Tales retells the legend as a horror story set in the 20th century.
• Shel Silverstein (1974): In his poetry book Where the Sidewalk Ends, the poem "The One Who Stayed" tells about a child who didn't follow the Piper.
• Deliah Huddy (1976): Her novel Time Piper explains the children's disappearance by having a time machine move them from the past to the present.
• Pickwick Productions (1968): On their record Four Fairy Tales and Other Children's Stories, their version of "The Pied Piper" is very different. The Piper is a minstrel who saves the children from an avalanche. The villagers are so thankful they build a statue of him!

Modern Interpretations: 1990s

• David Lee Stone (1990): The Ratastrophe Catastrophe is a funny story based on the Pied Piper. A boy takes away the town's children because a voice tells him to.
• Gloria Skurzynski (1993): Her novel What Happened in Hamelin suggests that a sickness from bad rye crops might explain the mystery.
• China Miéville (1998): His novel King Rat uses the Pied Piper story as the main idea for its plot and characters.
• Christopher Wallace (1998): The Pied Piper's Poison connects the legend to a doctor treating plague victims after World War Two.

The 21st Century Piper: 2000s

• Bill Richardson (2000): His children's book After Hamelin continues the story from Browning's poem. It's told by Penelope, the deaf child who was left behind.
• Terry Pratchett (2001): The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is a humorous take on the Pied Piper, featuring talking rats.
• Russell Brand (2001): His children's book, Russell Brand's Trickster Tales: the Pied Piper of Hamelin, offers a unique spin on the traditional story.
• Judd Palmer (2002): In The Maestro, a girl finds the Piper in a cave 30 years later. He is now a maestro leading an orchestra of the grown-up abducted children.
• Adam and Keith McCune (2005): In The Rats of Hamelin, an 18-year-old Pied Piper faces an enemy with similar powers.
• Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple (2005): Pay the Piper: A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale reworks the story in a modern fantasy setting.
• Cat Weatherill (2007): Her novel Wild Magic tells the legend from the viewpoint of two children and the Piper himself. It tries to explain why the Piper did what he did, making him seem more understanding.
• Helen McCabe (2008): Piper is a horror novel based on the legend.
• Bill Willingham (2009): Peter & Max tells the Pied Piper's story along with other fairy tales. This book is connected to his popular comic series Fables.
• Bryce Courtenay (2006): In Sylvia, the Pied Piper helps Nicholas of Cologne lead thousands of children on the Children’s Crusade.

Recent Stories: 2010s and 2020s

• Lorin Morgan-Richards (2012): He illustrated Robert Browning's "The Pied Piper of Hamelin."
• John Connolly (2016): His short story "The Rat King" is a dark retelling of the Pied Piper.
• Cynthia Pelayo (2021): Her mystery horror novel Children of Chicago imagines the Pied Piper as a serial killer.