Paying The Piper: What Matters About This Legend Centuries Later

The legendary tale of the pied piper turns 740 in 2024. / Illustration by Kate Greenaway

The story of the Pied Piper has been passed down for eight centuries. It has been added to. It has been simplified. It has been rewritten as metaphor to explain various moments in history and sociopolitical changes. But it has never stopped being an interesting cautionary tale.

On its 740th anniversary, Halloween Every Night offers a few facts to explain why the tale of the Pied Piper endures.

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