The children stop first, and look at him, fascinated; then
they laugh, drowsily, and creep closer,--JAN always near.
They crowd around him. He pipes louder, moving backwards,
slowly, with magical gestures, towards the little by-streets
and the closed doors. The doors open, everywhere.

Out come the children: little ones in night gowns; bigger ones,
with playthings, toy animals, dolls. He pipes, gayer and louder.
They pour in, right and left. Motion and music fill the air.
The PIPER lifts JAN to his shoulder (dropping the little crutch)
and marches off, up the street at the rear, piping, in the midst
of them all.

Last, out of the Minster come tumbling two little acolytes in
red, and after them, PETER the Sacristan. He trips over them in
his amazement and terror; and they are gone after the vanishing
children before the church-people come out.

The old folks lean from their windows.

OLD URSULA
The bell, the bell! the church bell! They're bewitched!

[Peter rushes to the bell-rope and pulls it. The bell sounds
heavily. Reenter, from the church, the citizens by twos and
threes and scores.

OLD URSULA
I told ye all,--I told ye!--Devils' bargains!
[The bell]