The Pied Piper of Hamelin...


This Saturday at Easy Library my story was Pied Piper of Hamelin based on Robert Browning's poem. If you have read the poem, you will amaze at the imagery of the poet. Such play with words. A true master.
I love the part where he tells us that the rats poured out of the houses, he uses all theses rhyming words, rustling ,bustling , hustling...children enjoy such verbal play of words.
Then he says the children came pattering, chattering, clapping... again the children had no difficult understanding that there were small children running onto the streets.
I had a stripped scarf and hat for the piper, along with a flute, to complete the image of the Pied Piper. I had made a top hat for the Mayor. Origami 4 cups and painted whiskers and ears/ eyes to represent the rats. As the rats poured out onto the streets, I threw them on the children.
Here I found I had made a mistake, they started playing with the paper 4 cups. Luckily not for long, cos one child gave me the idea that as the rats had jumped into the river, she too made the rat "jump" by throwing the paper rat on the river, (which I had created with clothe on one side of the story stage). Then I told all the children to throw the paper rats into the river and so the story was saved (I could get their attention back!).
I love to tell this poem/story, there are so many details!
You too try it out!

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