We Piped To You And You Did Not Dance?
Children's Story
He was such a nice man. He spent time with the children and seemed to enjoy playing their games. He was quite a musician, and would often gather a crowd of children around him by playing his pipe. It was a pipe he'd made himself, and on one occasion he took the children down to the nearby meadow and showed them all how to make pipes for themselves using the strong reeds that grew by the river.
Christopher didn't much like him. He wasn't sure why he didn't like him, but he just didn't like to get too close. The other children laughed and jeered at Christopher, calling him all sorts of unkind names, and when he still steadfastly refused to join in, turned their backs on him and left him alone. And when the stranger began to give the children small treats and take them on outings, even Christopher's best friends Peter and Michael stopped speaking to Christopher.
Christopher hated it. He didn't like being alone, and he was bored with no one to play with. He began to grow surly and angry, and his school grades plummeted.
"I'm piping for you, Christopher," said the stranger one day, as Christopher hung about some distance away from the crowd. "Why don't you dance?"
Christopher made a rude gesture in the direction of the stranger and shouted, "Your music is stupid, and so are you - all of you!" Then he slouched home for his dinner, and spent the afternoon playing on his computer.
The police came to his house that afternoon. They asked him when he'd last seen his friends. "You'd better ask him," Christopher muttered.
The police were very interested in everything Christopher could tell them about the stranger. Later he learned that the stranger had lured away all the children, who had been so busy dancing to the tunes of the stranger's pipe that they'd been enticed right away from the village without even noticing.
All the parents of the village were distraught. They couldn't believe that such a nice man who had taken such an interest in their children would actually take them away.
Christopher became quite a celebrity, because he was the only one who had seen through the stranger. He spent a week helping the police with their inquiries, and by telling them everything he knew and had noticed about the stranger, he was able to help the police discover the stranger's whereabouts.
When the children were found, they were crying and upset. They hadn't eaten for several days, and the nice stranger had become quite nasty rather quickly. They were very glad to return home.
At the end of the year Christopher was given a medal. The inscription on the medal said, "To a boy of courage and maturity who saved the lives of all the children in the village."
Christopher's mum gave him a hug and said, "It's a good job you followed your instincts and didn't follow the crowd. You were brave enough to stand alone even when it was horrible for you. But somewhere deep inside yourself you knew that man was evil, and by standing alone you saved many lives. God was with you, and fortunately you heard his voice."
Christopher just smiled. It was good to have his friends back.
Christopher didn't much like him. He wasn't sure why he didn't like him, but he just didn't like to get too close. The other children laughed and jeered at Christopher, calling him all sorts of unkind names, and when he still steadfastly refused to join in, turned their backs on him and left him alone. And when the stranger began to give the children small treats and take them on outings, even Christopher's best friends Peter and Michael stopped speaking to Christopher.
Christopher hated it. He didn't like being alone, and he was bored with no one to play with. He began to grow surly and angry, and his school grades plummeted.
"I'm piping for you, Christopher," said the stranger one day, as Christopher hung about some distance away from the crowd. "Why don't you dance?"
Christopher made a rude gesture in the direction of the stranger and shouted, "Your music is stupid, and so are you - all of you!" Then he slouched home for his dinner, and spent the afternoon playing on his computer.
The police came to his house that afternoon. They asked him when he'd last seen his friends. "You'd better ask him," Christopher muttered.
The police were very interested in everything Christopher could tell them about the stranger. Later he learned that the stranger had lured away all the children, who had been so busy dancing to the tunes of the stranger's pipe that they'd been enticed right away from the village without even noticing.
All the parents of the village were distraught. They couldn't believe that such a nice man who had taken such an interest in their children would actually take them away.
Christopher became quite a celebrity, because he was the only one who had seen through the stranger. He spent a week helping the police with their inquiries, and by telling them everything he knew and had noticed about the stranger, he was able to help the police discover the stranger's whereabouts.
When the children were found, they were crying and upset. They hadn't eaten for several days, and the nice stranger had become quite nasty rather quickly. They were very glad to return home.
At the end of the year Christopher was given a medal. The inscription on the medal said, "To a boy of courage and maturity who saved the lives of all the children in the village."
Christopher's mum gave him a hug and said, "It's a good job you followed your instincts and didn't follow the crowd. You were brave enough to stand alone even when it was horrible for you. But somewhere deep inside yourself you knew that man was evil, and by standing alone you saved many lives. God was with you, and fortunately you heard his voice."
Christopher just smiled. It was good to have his friends back.
