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Kate Greenaway - The Pied Piper of Hamelin

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Kate Greenaway - The Pied Piper of Hamelin

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Summary

The Pied Piper pipes the village free of rats, and when the villagers refuse to pay him for the service he exacts a terrible revenge.
"Engraved and printed by Edmund Evans, Ltd."--P. 48.
Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a famous legend that originated in Germany. The story tells of a town called Hamelin that was infested with rats. The townspeople were desperate to get rid of the rats, so they hired a mysterious piper who claimed to be able to lure the rats away with his magical flute. The piper began to play his flute, and the rats were enchanted by the music. They followed him out of town and into a river, where they drowned. When the piper returned to the town to collect his fee, the townspeople refused to pay him the agreed amount. Feeling betrayed, the piper decided to take revenge on the town. He played his flute once more, but this time it was not the rats who followed him. Instead, it was the children of Hamelin who were mesmerised by his music. One hundred and thirty children followed the Piper out of the town and disappeared forever. The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin has been told and retold over the centuries, with different interpretations and adaptations. Some versions suggest that the children were taken to a land of happiness, while others imply a darker fate. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of breaking promises and the importance of honouring agreements.

Edmund Evans was a prominent English wood engraver and printer who lived from 1826 to 1905. He was renowned for his innovations in color printing and his collaborations with notable illustrators of the Victorian era. Evans revolutionized the process of color printing through his development of a technique called "chromoxylography," which involved the use of multiple woodblocks to achieve vibrant and detailed color illustrations. This technique enabled the mass production of color illustrations in books, making them more affordable and accessible to a wider audience. He worked closely with notable illustrators such as Randolph Caldecott and Walter Crane, producing illustrated books that became highly popular during the late 19th century. Evans's collaboration with Caldecott, in particular, resulted in a series of children's books that were influential in the development of the modern picture book. Evans's contributions to the printing industry extended beyond color printing. He was also instrumental in the development of the "Yellowback," a type of inexpensive paperback book popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Date

01/01/1910
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Contributors

Browning, Robert, 1812-1889.
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Source

Library of Congress
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Copyright info

Public Domain

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pied piper of hamelin legendary character
pied piper of hamelin legendary character