Ilse
Oh, those are best of all!  And Jan—­

Piper
  And Jan
Is not to trudge, like you.  Jan is to wear
Beautiful shoes, and shoes made most of all,
To look at!
[Takes up a pair of bird’s wings.]

Children
[squealing]
  Oh!  Where did you find the wings? 
Bird’s wings!

Piper
  There was some hunter in the woods,
Who killed more birds than he could carry home. 
He did not want these,—­though the starling did,
But could not use them more!  And so,—­
[Fastening one to each heel]
  And so,—­
They trim a little boy.
[Puts them on Jan.  He is radiant.  He stretches out his legs and pats
the feathers.

Children
[trying on theirs and capering]
  O Jan!—­O Jan! 
Oh! see my shoes!

[The piper looks at Jan.]

Piper
Hey day, what now?

Jan
I wish. . .

Piper
What do you wish?  Wish for it!—­It shall come.
[Jan pulls him closer and speaks shyly.]

Jan
I wish—­that I could show them—­to the Man,
The Lonely Man.
[The piper looks at him and backs away; sits down helplessly and looks
at him again. 
Oh, can I?—­

Piper
Thou!—­’T would make me a proud man.

Jan
Oh! it would make Him smile!

[The Children dance and caper.  Trude wakes up and joins them.  Sound of distant chanting again.

Trude
  I had a dream!

Piper
A dream!
[Pretending to be amazed.  Reflects, a moment]
  I know!—­Oh, what a funny dream!
[The Children all fall a-laughing when he does.—­Noise without. 
Cheat-the-Devil’s voice crying, ‘Cuckoo—­Cuckoo!’

Cheat-the-devil
Quick, quick!—­I’ve something here.

[The others roll away a big stone, and enter by the wooden door (rear), cheat-the-devil.  He does not wear his red hood.  He has a garland round his neck, and a basket on his arm.

Piper
[sharply to himself]
  No Michael yet!
[To cheat-the-devil]
Michael!—­Where’s Michael?

Cheat-the-devil
  Look you,—­you must wait. 
We must be cunning.—­There’s a squirrel, mark you,
Hopped after me!  He would have found us out. 
I wanted him; I loved him.  But I ran. 
For once a squirrel falls a-talking.—­Ah! 
Look what I have.—­Guess, guess!
[Showing his basket to the Children.’]

Children
  Cakes!
[He is sad]
  Shoes!
[He is sadder]
  Then—­honey!
[He radiantly undoes his basket, and displays a honeycomb.  The Strollers,
too, rush upon him.

Piper
Ah, Cheat-the-Devil!  They would crop your ears. 
Where had you this?