1-155-936 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

The Pied Piper leading away the children of Hamelin, c1899. Illustration from a children's book. The story of the Pied Piper is best known in the English-speaking world from Robert Browning's poem. The legend is that in 1284 the German town of Hamelin was infested with rats. When the piper was not paid for ridding the town of the vermin, he returned and this time when he played his pipe all the children came out and he led them away. Only two remained, one blind and one lame.