Hamelin town has a plague of rats, and if something isn"t done soon, everyone will starve. The people vow to give up everything to rid the town of the rats. And so the help of the Pied Piper is enlisted to dispose of the nasty pests. He plays a sweet tune and the rats, dancing, follow the music to their end. But when the townsfolk refuse to pay the Piper, he takes up his flute and plays an even sweeter tune. This time, it"s the town"s children who follow. In this splendid retelling of one of the most enduring folktales to be passed down through the centuries, Drahos Zak"s evocative and intricately detailed illustrative style complements Robert Holden"s sensitive and poetic text. Their collaboration brings new dimensions to this universally human story.