Units of measurement in France before the French Revolution 4 parts in one million) than the "pied" used in France. According to the law of 19 Frimaire An VIII (December 10, 1799), Traditionally, the French pound ("livre") was defined as the mass of exactly of a French cubic foot of water. When the kilogram was defined, the knowledge that a "pied du Roi cube" filled with water masses exactly 70 French pounds was apparently lost. According to the traditional (cubic foot) definition, one "livre" would have been about 489.675 grams. According to the kilogramme definition, one "livre" was about 489.506 grammes. The difference is about 0.035%. However, a small
Pied Piper of Hamelin on Rat Catcher's Day has failed to catch on and is marked on July 22. Pied Piper of Hamelin The Pied Piper of Hamelin (, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the titular character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to the Middle Ages, the earliest references describing a piper, dressed in multicolored ("pied") clothing, who was a rat-catcher hired by the town to lure rats away with his magic pipe. When the citizens refuse to pay for this service, he retaliates by using