THE CAMPANOLOGISTS
Added on: 23rd May 2016
QUASIMODO WAS THE FAMOUS
HUNCH BACK OF NOTRE DAME.
AFTER HIS DEATH,
THE BISHOP OF HIS CATHEDRAL
SENT WORD THROUGH THE STREETS
OF PARIS THAT HE NEEDED
A NEW BELL RINGER.
THE BISHOP DECIDED THAT HE
WOULD CONDUCT THE INTERVIEWS
PERSONALLY AND SO HE WENT
UP INTO THE BELFRY TO BEGIN
THE SCREENING PROCESS.
AFTER OBSERVING SEVERAL
APPLICANTS DEMONSTRATE
THEIR SKILLS, HE SHOOK HIS HEAD.
NONE WERE AS GOOD AS QUASIMODO.
JUST AS THE BISHOP WAS LEAVING,
A MAN WITH NO ARMS APPROACHED
HIM AND ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS
THERE TO APPLY FOR THE
BELL RINGER'S JOB.
THE BISHOP WAS INCREDULOUS.
'BUT, YOU HAVE NO ARMS!'
'NO MATTER', SAID THE MAN.
'OBSERVE!' AND HE BEGAN STRIKING
THE BELLS WITH HIS FACE,
PRODUCING A BEAUTIFUL MELODY
ON THE BELLS.
THE BISHOP LISTENED IN ASTONISHMENT;
CONVINCED HE HAD FINALLY FOUND
A REPLACEMENT FOR QUASIMODO
BUT SUDDENLY, RUSHING FORWARD
TO HEAD THE BELL,
THE ARMLESS MAN TRIPPED
AND PLUNGED HEADLONG OUT
OF THE BELFRY WINDOW.
SADLY, HE DIED ON THE STREET BELOW.
THE STUNNED BISHOP RUSHED
TO THE ARMLESS MAN.
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?' .
'I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME',
THE BISHOP SADLY REPLIED,
'BUT HIS FACE RINGS A BELL.'
PART 2
THE NEXT DAY,
DESPITE THE SADNESS OF THE
UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF THE
ARMLESS CAMPANOLOGIST,
THE BISHOP CONTINUED HIS
INTERVIEWS FOR THE
BELL RINGER OF NOTRE DAME.
THE FIRST MAN TO APPROACH HIM SAID, '
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
I AM THE BROTHER OF THE POOR
ARMLESS WRETCH THAT FELL TO HIS DEATH
FROM THIS VERY BELFRY YESTERDAY.
I PRAY THAT YOU WILL HONOUR MY
BROTHER'S LIFE BY ALLOWING ME
TO REPLACE HIM AS YOUR
ESTEEMED BELL RINGER'.
THE 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 HIS CHEST,
TWIRLED AROUND, AND DIED ON THE SPOT.
A MONK, HEARING THE BISHOP'S CRIES
OF GRIEF AT THIS SECOND TRAGEDY,
RUSHED UP THE STAIRS TO HIS SIDE.
'WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
WHO IS THIS MAN?'
THE MONK ASKED BREATHLESSLY.
'I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME',
SIGHED THE DISTRAUGHT BISHOP, BUT...
. .... 'He's was a dead ringer for his brother'.
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