the bishop of a large cathedral sent word through the streets that he was after a new bell ringer. a day or so later, the applicants came filing in, and the bishop took each of them up to the belfry to begin the screening process. after interviewing several of them he became tired and was about to call it a day when an armless man approached him and announced he was there to apply for the bell ringers job. the bishop was incredulous.
'but you have no arms!'
'that hinders me not,' said the man. 'watch!'
he then began striking the bells with his face, producing a most beautiful melody. the bishop listened in astonishment, convinced he had found his man. the bell ringer rang the bells again, but this time he slipped on something and plunged headlong out of the window and to his death below. the stunned bishop rushed down to the fallen figure, where a crowd had already gathered. as they parted to let the bishop through, one of them asked, 'bishop, who was this man?'
'I’m not quite sure,’ the bishop sadly replied, ‘but his face rang a bell.’
(but wait, there’s more…)
although very sad, the following day the bishop continued the interviews. The first man to approach him said, ‘your Excellency, I am the brother of the poor, armless wretch who fell to his death from this very belfry yesterday. I pray that you pay due homage to his life by allowing me to replace him.’ The bishop agreed to give the man an audition, and as the armless brother stooped to pick up a mallet to strike the first bell, he groaned, clutched at his chest and died on the spot. 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 asked breathlessly. ‘who is this man?’
‘I don’t know his name,’ sighed the distraught bishop, ‘but he’s a dead ringer for his brother.’
2006-09-04
10:27:19
·
8 answers
·
asked by
Anonymous