Robert Browning's poem "The Pied Piper of Hamelin: A Child's Story" details the strange occurrence in a town called Hamelin. This poem is a retelling of a popular piece of folklore about the real town of Hamelin where children actually disappeared. Browning attributes the disappearance to the character of the Pied Piper, an offended figure who takes revenge by taking the children. In this essay I aim to explore the representation of the Pied Piper. He is a character that works on both a child and adult level. I believe Browning is intentional with his character descriptions throughout, and I want to first detail Browning's descriptions of the adults and children to better understand how the Piper overlaps with both classes. Then, I will determine the ways in which the Piper enacts the traits of children and adults. Finally, I will conclude with a brief reference to the function of the poem as a whole and its relationship to the Pied Piper depicted in the work. Browning wastes no time in describing the adults of Hamelin as greedy and lazy. The citizens, distressed and frustrated by the number of rats in the city, show up at a meeting at city hall and point out that "[the mayor and the corporation] hope, because [they are] old and obese, / to find ease in the furry civic dress" (ll. 28-29). Before the Piper's initial entry into the story, Browning notes that the mayor, while sitting in the midst of the Guild, appears "slightly but wonderfully fat" (47). authoritative roles is that they seem to embody and personify human flaws. This culminates in their reluctance to pay the Piper for his work in ridding the city of rats. Browning offers an absolute description of the adults here, and… the center of the paper. .. and the adult to be taken seriously. I have a feeling that his representation in Browning's poem cannot be easily explained. Browning may have used the Piper in this way to represent a character who could create fear among adults and offer a better world for children. Browning ends the poem with a personal address to a child named Willy. He commands us all to “be windshield wipers / Of scores with all men” and exhorts his audience to keep their promises (ll. 300-301). The poem works like the Piper: it is a warning for adults and a playful story for children. The poem was written by an adult, but is aimed at children. I would say the main points of the poem are directed at adults. Both the Piper and the poem disguise themselves to appeal to a wider audience. Both condemn corrupt actions and demand that children grow up in a better world.