Pied Piper (Silly Symphony)

"You're dishonest and ungrateful, and it really is a shame That the children of this city should grow up to be the same I'll see the children from such a fate I'll pipe them away before it's too late"

- Pied Piper standing up to the corrupt townsfolk

The Pied Piper is the main character of the Silly Symphony short film, The Pied Piper, produced in 1933 by Disney Studios, based on the actual fairy tale of the same name.

Role
In the story, the city of Hamelin suffered a plague of rats that devour everything in sight and torment the denizens. Desperate, the mayor of Hamelin promises a large bag of gold coins to anyone who could rid their city of the rats. The Pied Piper, who had just arrived, hears this and announces that he will help, and the mayor vows to grant him the money if he does so. The Piper then blows his flute and plays a tune that hypnotizes the rats into leaving the city. He then creates an illusionary giant cheese to which the rats flock to, and then has disappear along with the vermin.

The Piper returns to Hamelin to collect his payment, but the mayor refuses, stating that all the Piper did was "pipe a tune" as the rats left of their own accord so he can keep the gold to himself, and the rest of townsfolk join in on this belief as to avoid humiliation, though the mayor throw one gold coin to the Piper as "payment". Infuriated of how greedy and corrupt the town really was, the Piper announces that their children will not grow up to reflect their parents, as he shall pipe them as he did the rats. The mayor calls his bluff and demands the Piper the "blow his pipe until he bursts" and the crowd continues to mock him as well.

However the Piper was far from bluffing. Not only does he manage to entice every child in the city with his music, but he also destroys the gate blocking their way. He then leads the children to a mountain where he creates a portal into Joyland, a whimsical place where the children can spend all eternity playing.