Pied Piper Comes to Town (The Heroines Fairytales Book #1) (2nd Version)

Negotiation?

Anelie first heard the mob of people before seeing them come up the mountain. They came up to her and she stopped playing her pipe and brought it down to her side and waited.

"Well... Where are my guilders?" She asked impatiently.

The mob started whispering to each other as they did not know what she was talking about. Mr. Mayor heard their whispering and realized that he was trapped. If she were to reveal to the villagers that he didn't pay her the full amount of the agreed payment and that that was the reason why the children were kidnapped, as he assumed it was, he didn't know if they would ever trust him again. He looked down at his feet and both of his hands formed tight fists at his sides.

Anelie looked at him and then made a shocked face and leaned back as realization sank in. "Gasp!" was the noise she made.  "You mean you haven't told them that you cheated me and then locked me up for which would have been for who knows how long? And that this was the reason why I kidnapped the villagers' children? After all I've done for you? I took care of your rat problem for goodness' sake! This is my revenge that I vowed to you before entering my prison cell. You reap what you sow!" She pointed at him, and the villagers' whispering became louder as well as many more villagers began pointing fingers, this time at Mr. Mayor. "And now the whole village knows what you've done!" She folded her arms across her chest. "Try fixing that! Ha!" She closed her eyes and turned her face away. The villagers began to riot and pump their arms up and down. Anelie smirked at what was happening to the mayor. This is what happens when you mess with me, the Pied Piper, Anelie.

Mr. Mayor tried to think of a way to calm the angry mob. Finally, he gave in, raised his arms and told the villagers this, "Okay! It's true what the Pied Piper here said! I didn't pay her the full amount of money I owed to her, but I am going to change that, but I need your help!"

"How much do you still owe?!" A man cried.

"Nine hundred-fifty guilders." The crowd gasped. They began talking in loud voices over one another expressing their anger at Mr. Mayor.

"And how do you expect us to pay for that?!" Someone in the crowd called.

"We go back in town and each of us gather as many guilders as possible and bring it back here!"

The crowd talked to each other for a little bit and then agreed. They walked back to their village and to search for all the guilders they could spare.

The villagers gathered in Hamelin Street and Mr. Mayor said to everyone, "Let's meet here in one and a half hours from now."  The villagers agreed and left for their houses and searched high and low.  They searched in their dressers, desks and even under their beds.

"Come on," said Mr. Mayor who was still searching for as many guilders as possible at his office.  He looked inside his desk through all his drawers and found several guilders.  He left his office once done searching and entered his home.

He looked around his house and spied some cabinets in the kitchen.  

"Let's check over there first," he said as he turned and walked towards the kitchen.  He searched the cabinets both the high and low ones and found a few more guilders.  Next, he checked his bedroom under his bed and inside his desk and dresser and found some more.  He ended up leaving to meet up with the townspeople after that.

 When all the villagers gathered, Mr. Mayor counted the guilders up and confirmed that it was barely the nine hundred-fifty owed guilders owed. They left the village and returned to the top of the mountain to meet the Pied Piper again.  Mr. Mayor was leading in front the whole way. He carried the nine hundred-fifty guilders in a big bag and handed it to Anelie once the villagers met up with her again.

"It should be all in there," Mr. Mayor said as Anelie counted the guilders, confirming that there were in fact nine hundred and fifty of them in the bag. She nodded her head and the villagers sighed in relief.

Anelie held up a hand, palm up facing the villagers saying, "Hold on a minute. Although you may have brought me the much-needed guilders, I have still been cheated, and as such deserve more as compensation for my troubles and your unwillingness to pay the original amount in the first place, and so I will take all your guilders and jewelry. I am a girl after all, and as such I want to look the best and prettiest I can wherever I go. Don't worry, your children are safe, just in a deep sleep in their happy place. They don't even realize that their asleep in the first place. However, they won't wake up unless I play my magic pipe and release them from their slumber, so you better get going."

Mr. Mayor spluttered, "B-b-b-bu-bu-but the agreed upon amount was only one thousand guilders, and the villagers are almost broke. How are we supposed to live?"

"Not my problem," Anelie replied, giving him the stink eye. "It's your fault in the first place." She moved her arm in a sweeping motion out in front of her, palm face-up. "Deal with it."

The crowds murmured and Mr. Mayor could see she wasn't going to change her mind and so decided to lead the villagers back home to gather their jewelry and guilders together and bring it back up to the hill and meet up once again with Anelie.

"Let's meet back here again once we gather everything," Mr. Mayor said to the townspeople.  He was referring to the same meeting place as before.  The townspeople nodded and agreed once more and left to gather the rest of their money as well as all their jewelry.  There wasn't much more of either to be gathered once again.  They didn't have much jewelry to begin with.

The townspeople returned to their meeting place once again once they gathered their money and jewelry.

Mr. Mayor said, "Okay."  He then made a large arm motion over his head with the meaning of trying to leave, and said, "Let's go." This time Mr. Mayor wasn't the only one who carried the peoples' possessions as this time everyone carried their own possessions themselves.  They reached the top of the mountain again and handed the possessions they were carrying over to Anelie.

She eyed their belongings like a predator would its prey. She rifled through their belongings and looked up at Mr. Mayor and asked, "Is this all?"  She made a face that was saying "Really?"

"Yes," Mr. Mayor was too afraid to lie and try and trick her. All he wanted was for the children to come home safe and sound again. She went back to digging through their belongings once more.

"Good, good," she approved nodding her head. She looked at everyone, and then focused on the mayor. "Oh! And one more thing!" She said as she brought her hand in front of her mouth almost covering it and making herself sound like she just thought of something more, but in reality, she didn't. She pointed at Mr. Mayor and demanded, "You! Bow to me and apologize. Then I will release the children from their deep sleep and let them return to their families. Of course, they could always return to their families as they currently are, but they will forever be asleep and never wake up. They will die in their sleep. Or else you can do as I said and bow and apologize, then I'll release the children as I said. So, what will it be Mr. Mayor? Eternal sleep, or bow, apologize, and wake up?" She waited patiently, hands on her hips.

Mr. Mayor gave in and got on his knees and apologized. "I'm so sorry for not paying you the agreed upon amount and for accusing you of false claims. Please forgive me and release the children from their eternal sleep." He begged her on the last part.

She scrutinized him and folded her arms across her chest and nodded her approval. "You're forgiven." She brought her pipe to her mouth and played the tune that would release the children from their eternal slumber.

The children began waking up instantly, wondering what happened as they were confused because before they were in a trance due to the magic pipe's music. The parents ran up to their children and gave them big hugs and kisses. The children asked what was going on and how they got there while the parents cried and said, "I love you" and "You'll be okay" multiple times over. Some gathered their children up in their arms while others had to have their children walk by themselves as they were too big and heavy for their parents to carry them, although the children stumbled a bit due to their loss of strength and coordination from the side effects of the magic used.

In the end, the children and the rest of the villagers returned to town safely, and happily. Hopefully, forever.