Patreon Teaser: The Ratcatcher's Hymn

But first, let's get to your questions.

First comes from Sawyer who writes dear dr. I am the owner of an Arcane bookstore in California and recently a customer told me about a pamphlet that it circulated the area in the early 90s called the rat-catchers him, he provided no details beyond the title and the time of its appearance. So I was wondering if perhaps you've heard of it,

I have heard of the Rat catchers him Sawyer. And I'm not surprised your customer mention the piece of music, but did not produce a copy. There are dozens, if not hundreds of false documents from the turn of the last century floating about that is said to be the original, despite the fact that it is said to be destroyed.

Shortly into the twentieth century San Francisco and nearby areas was struck with rat. Infestations many of these communities treated as a Public Health crisis and paid rat-catchers to do their work. But Pharaoh, California did not follow suit.

Pharaoh's Gold Rush Town. One of the most profitable in fact, and dozens found their Fortune there and then kept their wealth to themselves. They build mansions and Gardens in the theaters, they spared no expense when it came to the construction off that luxuries

When the rats came to Pharaoh, a San Francisco ratcatcher off of the services. The people of pharaoh gladly accepted his help. Said they would not pay unless he got rid of every single rat. The rat-catcher was said to be the best. There was an order, California and Ortho, taking it back by this condition, he agreed, all the same,

Weeks passed and the rat-catcher went before the mayor of Farrow and proclaimed. He'd killed every last rat, but the mayor said he could still hear rats. And refused to pay the rat-catcher attempted to do his work further. But found no rats, he went to the Town Council and ask for a payment and they told him that they could also still here rats. And so he would not receive any payment.

It soon became an expression in the town to say. I can still hear the rats as a way of saying you tricked someone

The people of pharaoh thought themselves. Very clever and outwitting this poor rat-catcher. He disappeared and soon they forgot all about it.

You went by an old wealthy residents of pharaoh, with gathered, in their Opera prepared, to hear a skilled violinist who was said to have trained Somewhere Out East. But when it came time for the performance to begin, it was the rat-catcher who stepped off the stage.

In one hand, he held a violin in the other, he's rat catching tools, he placed a single sheet of music on a music stand and said to the crowd.

I am a fair man. I will give you this one last chance to pay the money. You owe.

Someone in the crowd shouted, I can still hear the rights at which the audience laughed.

Gotcha, Davis. Autumn not and plays the violin.

Anna shelter.

He played a song that I cannot describe for, I've never heard the peace and never wish to several minutes in. And the people of pharaoh felt sick at their skin aged,

Some leather seats and sprinted to the doors but found them locked soon after they were all doubled over in. Terrible pain, not recognize their own screams, their voices match, those of giant rats.

Dead bodies shifted.

Changed their bones. Shrink confer forced itself out of their skin, their faces became the hose of rodents. Do the change only partially occurred, they resembled half rats, half humans, they would have continued to fully transformed, but someone jumped onto the stage and took the sheet music from the rat catcher for the pieces, without the music to guide him. The rat-catcher, put his violin down and picked up his rat-holes catching, might be a misleading word here as they were truly tools for butchering rats.

I'm so the rat-catcher slowly went from row to row of the Opera Hall and killed every last rat.

Sahara.

I'm not sure who could possibly have heard him, but it said that before he left the Opera Hall, the rat-catcher, as too loud.

Do you still hear rats?

When only silence afternoon.

He disappeared.

The story leaves many questions that have caused immense speculation over the years. Where did the rat catcher? Get the music he played which became known as the right to choose him some believe, he traveled East and made a deal with Gilman Halifax, the first traveling salesman,

Halifax was rarely seen at the turn of the last century, but during this. He still attempted new Ventures. Others have speculated the rat-catcher visited, the prince of Saint Louis, and it was from him that he obtained the song.

This was a period when the failed Prince was most active after all, and he's name is associated with so many worse things.

But the truth is, I know.

After word got out of what happened in Farrell Tradesman across Northern California, who were stiffed by the rich, not paid, or at the quality of their work challenge, suddenly had a new weapon against their wealthy customers. These Tradesman would fabricate false versions of the rat-catchers him and send pamphlets to Appliance. I think I'm telling them if they did not pay, that would be

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