The story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin is based on accounts from the town of Hamelin in Germany. No one knows for sure, but the part about the rats beings drawn out of the town by the Pied Piper doesn’t appear to be true. However, the part about the children of the town being taken does have a factual basis. According to Wikipedia, the earliest written record from the town chronicles has an entry in 1384 which reportedly says: “It is 100 years since our children left.”
Yes, there is no getting over the loss of a child, even if the child is mean, vindictive, a liar, a sociopath, a treasonous inciter of mob riots which kill . . .
So, where’s the Pied Piper when you really need him? 😊