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"The New Bellringer"
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 bellringers job. The bishop was incredulous.
"You have no arms!"
"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, the armless man
tripped, and plunged headlong out of the belfry window to his death in the
street below. The stunned bishop rushed to his side.
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."
{You want more, you say?}
The following day, despite the sadness that weighed heavily on his heart
due to the unfortunate death of the armless campanologist (now there's a
trivia question for you), the bishop continued his interviews for the
bellringer 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 honor his life by
allowing me to replace him in this duty." 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 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 breathlessly asked, "Who is this man?"
"I don't know his name," sighed the distraught bishop,"but he's a dead
ringer for his brother."
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