Children's Story: Bell

In an old church tower, there lived a bell. Every hour she would ring.

There also was a boy named Henry, whose job it was to make sure the bell rang every hour.

Just before one o'clock, Henry would climb the stone staircase to the belfry. "Time to ring one!" Henry would say.

"I will do it myself," Bell always said. "Umph!" she would grunt as she heaved from side to side. DONG!!

Henry would sigh and go down the stairs sadly. He never got to pull the rope and ring the bell, which was his job after all.

Every hour, Henry climbed the stairs and every hour, Bell rang herself. DONG!! DONG!!

One day it was almost three o'clock. Bell was getting ready to heave herself back and forth and ring three times. "Ouch!" she cried suddenly. When she looked down, she found that her knocker had fallen out. In fact, it had fallen all the way to the very bottom of the bell tower!

Bell was determined to ring on time. So she climbed out of the belfry and shifted back and forth, moving toward the top of the steep stone staircase.

She inched over the edge of the top step. Because of her round edge, she was unsure. "Can I make it down these steps?" She wondered. She jumped back.

She looked down again. "I can do this!" she said to herself. She scooted over the edge and this time her body tipped in a way that was very uncomfortable and scary.

She jumped back again. This time she peered over the edge , trying to figure out how to get down safely. Just then she saw Henry at the bottom of the stairs. He was looking up at her, puzzled. But he said nothing.

"I'm sure I can do this!" she said again, gritting her teeth. She inched off the edge one more time, tipping back and forth like a seesaw. "Aaaahhh!" she cried, now scared she would tumble all the way down the stairs and crack!

She heaved backwards and settled at the top of the steps, panting with effort and fear.

A moment later, Henry appeared next to her. "Bell, what's wrong? Why aren't you in the belfry to ring three?"

"My knocker fell and I can't get it!" she cried, tears streaming down her metal body.

"Well, what should we do?" Henry asked.

"Henry," Bell asked in a soft, sheepish voice, "will you help me get my knocker please?"

"Of course I will," Henry replied, smiling. Her immediately ran down the steps and picked up the knocker. He carried it up, climbing as fast as he could.

Henry and Bell worked together to reattach the knocker and to help her climb back up into her place in the belfry, just in time to ring three o'clock.

"Quick, Henry, pull the rope to ring three!" Bell shouted.

"Really?" Henry asked, surprised. "You want me to do it?"

"Yes, pull now!" she yelled, smiling.

So Henry pulled the rope and Bell rang loudly. DONG!!

"Oooo, I like the way I sound when you ring me, Henry!" She said.

"Well, get ready, 'cause here I go again!" He pulled the rope again, grinning widely. DONG!!

They both agreed that Henry would help Bell ring always and forever.
DONG!!
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