The Church Needed a New Bell Ringer
A small church needed a new bell ringer.
The friar hung a sign outside:
**”Bell Ringer Wanted – Tryouts Saturday Morning.”**
The next morning, three men showed up.
The first was huge and muscular.
The friar handed him the heavy bell hammer.
The man swung with all his strength.
**BOOM!**
The bell rang… but he hit it so hard it nearly cracked.
The friar quickly thanked him and said, “We’ll keep looking.”
The second man was thin and frail.
He struggled just to lift the hammer.
When he finally swung it…
*ting…*
The tiny sound barely echoed through the tower.
The friar smiled politely.
“Thank you for trying.”
Finally, the third man stepped forward.
He looked perfectly ordinary.
The friar offered him the hammer.
The man shook his head.
“No thanks.”
Before the friar could ask why, the man took three quick steps, threw his head forward…
…and smashed his forehead directly into the giant bell.
**BOOOONNNGGG!**
The beautiful tone echoed across the entire town.
The friar stood there in amazement.
It was the finest bell sound he had ever heard.
Unfortunately, the man staggered backward from the impact, lost his balance, and fell from the bell tower to his de@th.
Hearing the magnificent bell, townspeople rushed over and gathered around the b0dy.
One of them asked,
“Father… who was he?”
The friar looked down sadly and said,
“I don’t know…”
“…but his face rings a bell.”
—
The church still needed a bell ringer.
The very next morning, another man arrived.
“Father,” he said, “the man who died yesterday was my brother. I’d like to ring the bell in his memory.”
The friar hesitated…
…then agreed.
Just like his brother, the man refused the hammer.
He backed up…
Charged forward…
And slammed his forehead into the bell.
**BOOOONNNGGG!**
Once again, the bell produced a perfect, crystal-clear tone.
And once again…
The man lost his footing…
Fell from the tower…
And landed beside his brother.
Soon the same crowd gathered below.
Someone sighed and asked,
“Father… who is he?”
The friar looked at the two brothers, shook his head, and replied,
“I don’t know…”
“…but he’s a dead ringer for his brother.”
