A Man With A Large Column

My Dear Fellow,

Well, first of all - fnar.  

Now that I've got that out of the way I was delighted to see you return to the blipfold today. All of this would seem somewhat pointless if I were just doing it for myself. 

Today's big achievement was buying a big bag of dirt. This is to go in the oops-much-bigger-than-I-expected garden planter in which the boys' catmint and parsley is to go. I was exhausted after lugging it home so it remains unopened, but still - the dirt is now in the house.

Also, I listened to a podcast about the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Now interestingly - no really - trust me - this is interesting - historians think there was some truth to the story. But instead of a generation of children disappearing from the town under the spell of a malevolent piper, they think this is the fairy-tale told to paper over the REAL story. 

Apparently, after winning a war against the Danes, the Germans of Pomerania needed emigrants to "Germanise" a region south of the Baltic. Silver-tongued persuaders called "Lokators" who dressed in colourful garb were sent out to try and persuade parents to part with their older children - i.e. for hard cash. And this is - according to the theory - how Hamelin lost a generation of their kids.

I suppose it makes sense. If a younger child was to ask, "Where did our Trevor go?" it must be hard to say, "We sold him to that chap in the loud shirt". Far easier to make up a story about a bloke with a big flute.

The evidence for this is that place and surnames are duplicated in the two regions. I tell you this certain that you - as a near-German - will find it as fascinating as me. You are fascinated right? Well, I don't care.

Welcome back.

El Parsones