I'd always imagined the "pied piper" as being 'pied' as in patched or even checkerboard of black and white. A piebald pony is patches of black or white, for example.
Is it that 'pied' is or was less specific and can mean patches of any colour, or is it that the English name is a bit lost in translation?
Is it that 'pied' is or was less specific and can mean patches of any colour, or is it that the English name is a bit lost in translation?