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Show 30 Chapter 5 The townsfolk of Hamelin slept later than usual the next morning because of the merry-making the night before. When they woke up, the streets were full of dead rats, dozens of them. The rat corpses were stiff and dull-eyed, and some of them had begun to stink. Dead rats were found within a fevi feet of the doorsteps of all fifteen members of the town council. Since Gast had no way of knowing where the councilmen lived, I could guess what Hilde had been up to in the dark. It was hard to believe she could be so bold. All this about the rats I learned from the servant boys and girls who came early to the bakery to order bread for their mistresses. I had to make up the mixture of dough before I could leave, but Hilde came out to help me with the kneading. She looked none the worse for her lack of sleep. In fact, her eyes looked brighter than I'd ever seen them. On my way to the riverbank I passed the twins Dietrich and Damien, giggling and whispering together. Although they were only twelve, they stood a head taller than I did, and they were built like oxen. The two of them together weighed as much as three of me. Blond and red-cheeked, they looked as much alike as cat's whiskers. Whatver one did the other one did the same thing, and I avoided them as much as I could because they seemed to enjoy tormenting; me. That morning, though, they were unusually friendly. "Good day to |