Into the street the piper stepped, Smiling first a little smile As if he knew what magic slept In his quiet pipe the while. And the piper advanced And the children followed.

Rats They fought the dogs and killed the cats, And bit the babies in the cradles, And ate the cheeses out of the vats, And licked the soup from the cook's own ladles. Split open the kegs of salted sprats, Made nests inside men's Sunday hats, And even spoiled the women's chats By drowning their speaking With shrieking and squeaking In fifty different sharps and flats.

White shall not neutralize the black, nor good compensate bad in man, absolve him so; life's business being just the terrible choice.

All service ranks the same with God,- With God, whose puppets, best and worst, Are we: there is no last nor first.

To do good things in the world, first you must know who you are and what gives meaning to your life.

Since there my past life lies, why alter it?

Therefore I summon age / To grant youth's heritage.