Mayor. What does the lazy fellow mean by his threats?
First Councilman. Hear his wonderful music! Listen.
Second Councilman. Oh! what is he doing! See the children!
Third Councilman. They are following him. There is my son. Where are you going, my boy? Come back!
Mayor. Let me see! O woe! there are my own three lovely children. Run, some one, and stop them!
Third Councilman. I'll go; I'll go.
[Runs out.]
Mayor. It is useless. Every child in our city is following the magic sound.
Second Councilman. The music seems to say: "Come, children, to the wonderful land of play. There flowers and fruits will welcome you. The birds and beasts will play with you, and you will never be sad or sorry in the wonderful land of play." No wonder the children follow the Piper.
Third Councilman (enters). The children and the Piper have all disappeared! A mountain opened and let them in!
First Councilman. The children, the blessed children, have gone! What shall we do without the children?
Mayor. Oh, wicked man that I am! Why did I break my promise? Why did I not give him the thousand guilders?
Second Councilman. Yes, we are all wicked men, and we are punished for not keeping our word.
Mayor. Let us write this sad story on a column so that all may read; and let us paint the picture of the Piper with our little ones following him, on a church window, so that all men may know how our children have been stolen away.
First Councilman. And may this sad story teach us all to keep our word with every one.
MOTHER GOOSE'S PARTY 
PERSONS IN THE PLAY MOTHER GOOSE, JACK GOOSE, MOTHER HUBBARD, DOG, A-DILLAR-A-DOLLAR, MARY (AND HER LAMB), OLD MRS. SHOEMAN, HER SONS (TOMMY TUCKER, JACKY HORNER), MISS MUFFET, BOY BLUE, BO-PEEP, NANCY ETTICOAT, LITTLE BOY WHO LIVES IN THE LANE, OLD KING COLE, MAN IN THE MOON, TOM THE PIPER'S SON, MISTRESS MARY 
SCENE I. Home of Mother Goose 
Mother Goose. I really think I must give a party. All my friends have been so good to me and I have been entertained in so many homes!
Wherever I go I am sure to see one of my Mother Goose books, and the children all seem to love it so much. Let me see! whom shall I invite? I think I'll ask Old Mother Hubbard to take tea with me and we'll talk about the party together. Jack, Jack!
Jack (enters). Yes, mother dear, what is it?
Mother Goose. Jack Goose, I wish you to run over to Mother Hubbard's house and ask her to take tea with me this afternoon. Now be nimble, Jack, be quick!
Jack. Yes, mother dear. See me jump over the candlestick! Isn't that fine jumping?
Mother Goose. Very fine indeed, Jack. Now do your errand, and hurry home.
Jack. Yes, mother, I will. Good-by.
Mother Goose. Good-by.
SCENE II. House of Mother Hubbard 
Jack (knocking). I wonder if Old Mother Hubbard is at home. Hark! I hear her dog barking. Yes, and I hear her step. Here she is!
Mother Hubbard (opening the door). Who is this knocking so loud? Oh, it's you, little nimble Jack! Will you come in?
Jack. No, thank you, Mrs. Hubbard. My mother wishes you to come over to our house for tea this afternoon. Will you come?
Mother Hubbard. Yes, thank you, Jack, I will. Tell your mother that I'm just going to market to buy my poor doggie a bone.
Jack. O Mother Hubbard! please let me play with your dog. He's such a dear old doggie! Do you remember how he danced a jig the other day?
Mother Hubbard. Yes, Jack, I do; and I think you danced with him. You are both nimble young things and both like to dance. Well, good-by, now.
Have a good time together and I'll bring you something little boys like.
Jack. Thank you! Good-by, good-by! Now, doggie, let's dance.
   Old Mother Hubbard, she went to the cupboard,      To get the poor doggie a bone;    But when she got there, the cupboard was bare,      And so the poor doggie had none.
Dog (sadly). Bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow!
Jack. Oh! you don't like that song! Never mind, old fellow! Mother Hubbard has gone to the butcher's and she'll get you a bone, I'm sure.
Wait till she comes back.
Dog (gayly). Bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow!
Jack. I thought you would like that. Here she comes now. We've had a lovely dance, Mother Hubbard, and now I must hurry home.
Mother Hubbard. Thank you for staying and taking good care of my dog.
Here are some fresh Banbury buns for you.
Jack. Oh, thank you, Mother Hubbard. I'm very fond of Banbury buns.
Good-by!
Mother Hubbard. Good-by, Jack. Tell your mother I'll be over soon.
Jack. Bring your dog with you, and we'll have another dance. Good-by.
Dog. Bow-wow! bow-wow! bow-wow!
SCENE III. Mother Goose and Mother Hubbard at the Tea Table 
Mother Goose. I am pleased to see you, Mother Hubbard. I hear that your cupboard is no longer bare and empty, and I am very glad you are able to give your poor dog all the bones a good dog should have. Now for our tea. Shall I put two or three lumps in your cup?
Mother Hubbard. Three, please. I like my tea very sweet. And now tell me, Mother Goose, what is the reason you sent for me to-day?
Mother Goose. Well, I am going to give a party and I wish to ask your advice.
Mother Hubbard. Indeed! Whom do you think of inviting?
Mother Goose. First, the dear Old Woman who lives in the shoe 
Mother Hubbard. What! and all her children?
Mother Goose. No, only the two eldest. You know the party is for my son Jack, too, and we must have the young people as well as their parents. Old King Cole will come and bring his fiddlers three to play for the young folks who dance.
Mother Hubbard. I hope you won't invite Tom the Piper's Son, or My Son John as his mother calls him, or Humpty-Dumpty. They are not good boys for your son Jack to play with!
Mother Goose. I suppose not; but I like them all, and I dislike to leave out anyone. I don't wish to hurt their feelings.
Mother Hubbard. There are little Bo-Peep and Boy Blue, who are good children, although rather silly; and there are little Miss Muffet and Nancy Etticoat, both very pretty little girls; and there are Jacky Horner and Tommy Tucker and the Man-in-the-Moon and Taffey and Daffey-Down-Dilly and 
Mother Goose. I'll have to give a garden party if I invite all those!
I can't leave any out, and I think I'll have the party out-of-doors.
Mother Hubbard. That will be fine! I only hope it will be a pleasant day. When will you give it?
Mother Goose. Two weeks from to-day, the first of May.
Mother Hubbard. That's May Day and a very good day for a party out-of-doors. Well I must go home now. Good-by! If I can help you, please call upon me.
Mother Goose. Thank you, Mother Hubbard! Good-by, and thank you again for coming over.
SCENE IV. At the Party 
Mother Hubbard. What a lovely day you have for your party, Mother Goose! The sun shines so bright and warm, and the flowers are lovely. Is there anything I can do?
Mother Goose. No, thank you. I'm glad you came early. Have you seen the tables?
Mother Hubbard. They are lovely! Where did you get such pretty flowers?
Mother Goose. From Mistress Mary, quite contrary. You know she has a garden 
   With cockle shells, and silver bells,    And pretty maids all in a row.
Mother Hubbard. I see some one coming.
Mother Goose. Why, how do you do, A-Dillar-a-Dollar! Are you always in such good time?
A-Dillar-a-Dollar. I'm afraid not, Mrs. Goose. They call me 
   A ten o'clock scholar,    Why did you come so soon?
   You used to come at ten o'clock,    And now you come at noon!
Mother Goose. And here comes Mary with her little lamb. Do you like the lamb better than a Teddy Bear, Mary?
Mary. Yes, indeed, I do. Because the lamb loves me, you know.
   It followed me to school one day,      Which was against the rule;    It made the children laugh and play,      To see the lamb at school.
Mother Goose. Here comes the Old Woman who lives in a shoe, and her two oldest boys. Dear Mrs. Shoe-woman, I am very glad to see you! How did you leave all of your children?
Mrs. Shoe-woman. Oh, dear, Mother Goose! I have so many children I don't know what to do: when they are naughty I give them some broth without any bread, and whip them all soundly and put them to bed.
Mother Goose. Here are all the children coming to the party! Come, children, let us have a dance. All stand around the Maypole as I call your names:
Little Miss Muffet and Boy Blue; 
Little Bo-Peep and Jacky Horner; 
Nancy Etticoat and Jack-be-nimble; 
Mary and the little Boy who lives in the Lane.
All take ribbons and stand around the Maypole. Are you all ready?
Children. Yes, Mother Goose, we are all ready when the music begins.
Mother Goose. Old King Cole, will you have your three fiddlers play for the dance?
King Cole. With pleasure, dear Mother Goose and I'll sing:
   Hey diddle, diddle! the cat and the fiddle;      The cow jumped over the moon;    The little dog laughed to see such craft,      And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Children (sing).
   Old King Cole was a merry old soul;      And a merry old soul was he;    He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,      And he called for his fiddlers three.