Элизабет Адела Форбс, "Флейтист из Гаммельна"

The One Who Stayed
Shel Silverstein

You should have heard the old men cry
You should have heard the biddies
When that sad stranger rasied his flute
And piped away the kiddies
Katy, Tommy, Meg, and Bob
Followed skipping gailey
Red-haired Ruth, my brother Ron
And little crippled Bailey
Jon and Nils and Cousin Claire
Dancin', spinnin', turnin'
'Cross the hills to god knows where-
They never came returnin'
'Cross the hills to god know where
The piper pranced a leadin'
Each child in Hamlin town but me
And I stayed homeUnheedin'
My papa says that I was blest for if that music fond me
I'd be witch-cast like all the rest
This town grows old around me
I cannot say I did not here
That sound so hauntin' hollow
I heard, I heard, I heard it clear
I was afraid to follow