Pied Piper of Hamelin Test

QUESTION 1

(a)When the piper began playing his pipe people heard the
sound of an army muttering, slowly the muttering grew to a
grumbling and the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling
and then out of the houses the rats came tumbling. As the
piper advanced from street to street piping the rats
followed behind him dancing. Until they came to River
Weser where all plunged and died

(b)Eventually all the rats except one plunged into the

waters of the River Weser and died.

A rat who was as stout as Julius Caesar survived

He survived by swimming across River Weser.

(c) When the piper began playing his pipe the rats
imagined the sound of a scraping tripe and putting apples
wondrous ripe into a cider press’s gripe. The also heard the
sound of the moving away of pickle tub boards, leaving ajar
of conserve cupboards, drawing the corks of train-oil flasks
and breaking the hoops of butter casks. It seemed as if a
voice sweeter far than by harp or by psaltery is breathed
called out to the rats to rejoice for the world had grown into
one vast dry-saltery. So they could munch on, crunch on
and take their nuncheon, breakfast, supper, dinner and
luncheon. And just as a bulky sugar puncheon already
staved like great sun shone, glorious scarce an inch before
them. Just as they thought it said ‘come bore me’ they
found the Weser rolling over them.

(d)The people of Hamelin rang the bells till they rocked the
steeple The Mayor told then to go and get long poles, to
poke out the nests and block up the holes, to consult with
carpenters and builders and leave in their town not even
trace of the rats.

(e) Brawny- Having strong muscles.

Friskers- Those who are playful and full of activity.

Tripe- Music of low quality.

Psaltery- An ancient stringed instrument.

Nuncheon- A light mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack

Staved- Pierced roughly

Guilders- Gold coins

Train-oil- Oil got from the blubber of a whale.