Today is a date on which we celebrate not only the mathematical constant used to determine circular measurements, but the delicious treat whose circular shape comforts us from the cooling windowsill to our growling stomach.
Yet all is not rosy in the august lore of piedom. Hubbard T. Smith’s “The little pie” tells the antiquated story of Dinah, a homemaker who bakes her husband a pie and sets it down to cool. Into this picture of domestic bliss comes a rodent who startles poor Dinah, and although the lyrics gloss over the details, the poor couple requires medical intervention to soothe the injury of a freshly baked mess. The Performing Arts Encyclopedia also features less traumatic tales of nineteenth century pie lore, including “The Christmas pie waltz,” “Miss Mulligan’s homemade pie,” and “Pie crust polka,” which come to think of it sounds like a recipe for trouble.