shallwegothereandseewhatthecauseofitis?"therichdrove,thepoorwalked,butthewayseemedtothemextraordinarilylong,andwhentheyarrivedatanumberofwillowtreesontheborderofthewoodtheysatdown,lookedupintothegreatbranchesandthoughttheywerenowreallyinthewood.aconfectionerfromthetownalsocameoutandputupastallthere;thencameanotherconfectionerwhohungabelloverhisstall,whichwascoveredwithpitchtoprotectitfromtherain,buttheclapperwaswanting.

whenpeoplecamehometheyusedtosaythatithadbeenveryromantic,andthatreallymeanssomethingelsethanmerelytakingreepersonsdeclaredthattheyhadgoneasfarastheendofthewood;theyhadalwaysheardthestrangesound,butthereitseemedtothemasifitcamefromthetown.oneofthemwroteversesaboutthebell,andsaidthatitwaslikethevoiceofamotherspeakingtoanintelligentandbelovedchild;notune,hesaid,wassweeterthanthesoundofthebell.

theemperorofthecountryheardofit,anddeclaredthathewhowouldreallyfindoutwherethesoundcamefromshouldreceivethetitleof"bellringertotheworld,"eveniftherewasnobellatall.

nowmanywentoutintothewoodforthesakeofthissplendidberth;butonlyoneofthemcamebackwithsomesortofofthemhadgonefarenough,norhadhe,andyethesaidthatthesoundofthebellcamefromalargeowlinahollowtree.itwasawisdomowl,whichcontinuallyknockeditsheadagainstthetree,buthewasunabletosaywithcertaintywhetheritsheadorthehollowtrunkofthetreewasthecauseofthenoise.

hewasappointed"bellringertotheworld,"andwroteeveryyearashortdissertationontheowl,butbythismeanspeopledidnotbecomeanywiserthantheyhadbeenbefore.

itwasjustconfirmation-day.theclergymanhaddeliveredabeautifulandtouchingsermon,thecandidatesweredeeplymovedbyit;itwasindeedaveryimportantdayforthem;theywereallatoncetransformedfrommerechildrentogrown-uppeople;thechildishsoulwastoflyover,asitwere,intoamorereasonablebeing.

thesunshonemostbrightly;andthesoundofthegreatunknownbellwasheardmoredistinctlythanever.theyhadamindtogothither,allexceptthree.oneofthemwishedtogohomeandtryonherballdress,forthisverydressandtheballwerethecauseofherbeingconfirmedthistime,otherwiseshewouldnothavebeenallowedtogo.thesecond,apoorboy,hadborrowedacoatandapairofbootsfromthesonofhislandlordtobeconfirmedin,andhehadtoreturnthematacertaintime.thethirdsaidthatheneverwentintostrangeplacesifhisparentswerenotwithhim;hehadalwaysbeenagoodchild,andwishedtoremainso,evenafterbeingconfirmed,andtheyoughtnottoteasehimforthis;they,however,diditallthesame.thesethree,thereforedidnotgo;theotherswenton.thesunwasshining,thebirdsweresinging,andtheconfirmedchildrensangtoo,holdingeachotherbythehand,fortheyhadnopositionyet,andtheywereallequalintheeyesofgod.twoofthesmallestsoonbecametiredandreturnedtothetown;twolittlegirlssatdownandmadegarlandsofflowers,they,therefore,didnotgoon.whentheothersarrivedatthewillowtrees,wheretheconfectionerhadputuphisstall,theysaid:"nowweareouthere;thebelldoesnotinrealityexist-itisonlysomethingthatpeopleimagine!"

thensuddenlythesoundofthebellwasheardsobeautifullyandsolemnlyfromthewoodthatfourorfivemadeuptheirmindstogostillfurtheron.thewoodwasverythicklygrown.itwasdifficulttoadvance:woodliliesandanemonesgrewalmosttoohigh;floweringconvolvuliandbrambleswerehanginglikegarlandsfromtreetotree;whilethenightingalesweresingingandthesunbeamswasverybeautiful!