ThirstyFish

I hate missing the focus! I barely I managed to capture this quick snap before he noticed me. I discovered, after the fact, that my focus point selector had shifted and I had missed the focus. Since I was walking in his direction anyway, I decided to forget about the photograph, and just enjoy the sound of the flautist's bansuri - at least that's what I thought it was.

According to legend, the Pied Piper was hired by the townsfolk of Hamelin to rid them of their rat problem. He used his magical pipe to lure the rats into a river, where all but one died. When the townsfolk refused to pay him what they had promised, he pledged to return to seek revenge. He returned while people were attending church, and used his pipe to lead all but three of the towns children away, never to be seen again. Of the three children that remained, one was lame, the other deaf, and the third blind. The fate of the one surviving rat is unclear. Anyway, make sure you always pay the piper, or else...

It's believed that this story is based on actual events. The earliest known record refers to the disappearance of children from the town of Hamelin in the year 1284. In the early accounts, no explanation is given for the disappearance of the children. It's been suggested that an epidemic was the cause, and that the Pied Piper character came to life later as symbolic figure of Death. The first reference to rats in the story appears only in the 16th century. I have an alternative theory for the latter versions of the story; The Pied Piper symbolizes...

Song of the Day: Night Path - Cornell Kinderknecht (2006)