Today is Pied Piper Day. According to my Forgotten English calendar...

On this day in 1284 the legendary Pied Piper, who's name came from "pied" which means colorful--a reference to his attire--is said to have lead away and drowned the 130 children of Hamelin, Brunswick, in present-day Germany, in revenge for having been underpaid (underpied?) for ridding the village of rats.

"...and never was piping so sad, and never was piping so gay!"

Any truth to this old tale, I wonder?