- Bell
Ringer Wanted
-
-
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- After Quasimodo's death, the Bishop of
the cathedral of Notre Dame sent word through the streets of Paris that
a new bellringer was needed. The bishop decided that he would conduct the
interviews personally and went up into the belfry to begin the screening
process.
-
- After observing several applicants demonstrate
their skills, he decided to call it a day when a lone, armless man approached
him and announced that he was there to apply for the bellringer's job.
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- The Bishop was incredulous, "You
have no arms!"
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- "No matter," said the man,
"observe!" He then began striking the bells with his face, producing
a beautiful melody on the carillon. The Bishop listened in astonishment,
convinced that he had finally found a suitable replacement for Quasimodo.
-
- Suddenly, rushing forward to strike a
bell again, the armless man tripped, and plunged headlong out of the belfry
window to his death on the street below.
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- The stunned Bishop rushed down the stairway
of the belfrey. When he reached the street, a crowd had gathered around
the fallen figure, drawn by the beautiful music they had heard only moments
before. As they silently parted to let the Bishop through, one of them
asked, "Bishop who was this man?"
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- "I don't know his name," the
Bishop sadly replied, "but his face rings a bell..."
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- (O.K... stop laughing for a second. The
joke continues...)
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- The following day, despite the sadness
that weighed heavily on his heart due to the unfortunate death of the armless
companologist {now there's an answer to a trivia question}, the Bishop
continued his interviews for the new bellringer of Notre Dame.
-
- The first man to approach him said, "Your
excellency, I am the brother of the poor, armless wretch who fell to his
death for this very belfry yesterday. I pray that you honor his life by
allowing me to replace him in this duty."
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- This Bishop agreed to give the man an
audition, and, as the armless man's brother stooped to pick up a mallet
to strike the first bell, he groaned, clutched at this chest and died on
the spot.
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- Two monks, hearing the Bishop's cries
of grief at this second tragedy, rushed up the stairs to his side. "What
has happened?", the first breathlessly asked, "Who is this man?"
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- "I don't know his name," sighed
the distraught Bishop, "but he's a dead ringer for his brother."
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