I'm not sure specifically as there could be many 'piper short stories'. It might be about a piper who plays music. Maybe he's leading something or someone with his music, like in the Pied Piper of Hamelin story where the piper led the rats away with his pipe.
I'm not certain, but in a general 'piper short story', the piper would be a main character for sure. There might also be people who listen to his music, like villagers or townsfolk. They could be important characters as they might interact with the piper, either being charmed by his music or being scared by it, depending on the nature of the story.
The Pied Piper short story is about a piper who is hired to get rid of the rats in a town. He plays his pipe and lures all the rats away. But when the townspeople refuse to pay him, he takes revenge by using his pipe to lead away the children of the town.
The 'pied piper of tucson short story' could potentially be about a character in Tucson who has an alluring or magnetic quality, much like the Pied Piper in the traditional tales. This person might be leading others, maybe for good or bad reasons. It could be a story of mystery where the actions of this Pied Piper - like character unfold and impact the community in Tucson in unexpected ways. For example, they could be leading people towards a discovery, or perhaps into a dangerous situation.
The Pied Piper is the central character in 'the pied piper short story'. He is the one with the magical pipe. And then there are the townspeople, who are sort of the antagonists in a way because they break their promise to the Pied Piper. Also, the children of the town are important as they are the ones who are ultimately led away by the Pied Piper.
The Pied Piper is hired to get rid of the rats in a town. He plays his pipe and the rats follow him. But when the townspeople don't pay him as promised, he takes revenge by using his pipe to lead the children away.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin short story is about a town called Hamelin that has a rat infestation. A piper in pied (multicolored) clothing arrives and offers to get rid of the rats for a sum of money. The townspeople agree. He plays his pipe and leads all the rats into the river, drowning them. But when the townspeople refuse to pay him the promised amount, he takes revenge by using his pipe to lead away all the children of the town, and they disappear forever.
The main characters are the Pied Piper and the townspeople. The Pied Piper is the key figure with his magical pipe, and the townspeople are the ones who first hire him to deal with the rats and then break their promise.
The Pied Piper was a man with a unique talent for playing the pipe. He showed up in the town that was overrun by rats. He made an offer to the townspeople to get rid of the rats in exchange for a payment. His appearance was quite distinct, with his pied clothing. His music was so enchanting that it could lead living things, first the rats and later the children, to follow him.
Since I haven't read the story, I can't say for sure who the main character is. But it's likely to be the 'pied piper' figure in the context of Tucson.