e?

PIPER
Why did yourself
Long to be stolen?

BARBARA
[shuddering]
Ah! to be shut up. . .
Forever,--young--alive!

PIPER
Alive and singing;
Young,--young;--and four thick walls and no more sun,
No music, and no wandering, and no life!
Think you, I would not steal ail things alive
Out of such doom?--How can I breathe and laugh
While there are things in cages?--You are free;
And you shall never more go back again.

BARBARA
And you, who are you then?

PIPER
How do _I_ know?
Moths in the Moon!--Ask me a thing in reason.

BARBARA
And 't was not . . . that you loved me.

PIPER
Loved thee? No!--
Save but along with squirrels, and bright fish,
And bubbling water.

BARBARA
Then where shall I go?

PIPER
Oh, little bird,--is that your only song?
Go? Everywhere! Here be no walls, no hedges,
No tolls, no taxes,--rats nor aldermen!
Go, say you? Round the world, and round again!
[Apart]
--Ah, she was Hamelin-born.
[He watches her]
But there's a man,--
Sky-true, sword-strong, and brave to look upon;
One that would thrust his hand in dragon's mouth
For your bright sake; one that would face the Devil,
Would swallow fire--

BARBARA
You would?

PIPER
[desperately]
_I_?--No, not I!
Michael,--yon goodman Michael.

BARBARA
[bitterly]
A stroller!---oh, nought but a wandering man.

PIPER,
Well, would you have a man take root, I ask?

BARBARA
That swallows swords. . . .

PIPER
Is he a comely man?

BARBARA
That swallows swords!--

PIPER
What's manlier to swallow?
Did he but swallow pancakes, were that praise?
Pancakes and sausage, like your Hamelin yokels?
He swallows fire and swords, I say, and more.
And yet this man hath for a whole noon-hour
Guarded you while you slept;--still as a dove,
Distant and kind as shadow; giant-strong
For his enchanted princess,--even you.

BARBARA
So you bewitched me, then.

PIPER
[wildly]
How do I know?

BARBARA
Where are the children?

PIPER
I'll not tell you that.
You are too much of Hamelin.

BARBARA
You bewitched them!

PIPER
Yes, so it seems. But how?--Upon my life,
'T is more than I know,--yes, a little more.
[Rapidly: half in earnest and half in whimsy]
Sometimes it works, and sometimes no. There are
Some things upon my soul, I cannot do.
[Watching her.]

BARBARA
[expectantly]
Not even with thy pipe?

PIPER
Not even so.
Some are too hard.--Yet, yet, I love to try:
And most, to try with all the