Carol Of The Bells

Listen to the Tale

Ding...dong...ding...dong...

The bells rang, indicating the time. The world was bustling about. Women carried screaming babes. Men were hard at work, just doing their best to put bread on the table. The city was far from perfect, but the people were content enough. Everyone had something to do, something to complain about. Everybody had somewhere to go, someone to talk to. Well, almost everyone.

A jester stood on the street corner. People of all different ages gathered around to watch him. He was juggling some oranges he bought from the market that morning.

"What do you get when you mix an elephant with a rhino?"

I chorus of 'I don't know's went up in the crowd.

"'Ell if I know!"

The children chuckled.

"Why do bulls wear bells?"

"Why?"

"Cause their horns don't work!"

The children laughed again.

The jester threw the oranges up into the air and then tossed them to the kids in the crowd. Everyone clapped as he bowed.

"Thank you! Thank you! You are too kind!" He sat down on a barrel. "Gather round! One and all! I have a story! A rare one, one that is of mystery and intrigue!"

Parents told their children to stay put and listen while they carried on business. The jester was trusted in the community and the children gathered daily to hear his stories.

"What story will you tell today?"

"Ah my dear boy! Have you ever heard the story of the Angel of Notre Dame?"

"There's an angel in the church?"

"Oh, there's many angels in the church, but one that is very real and very tangible. Some believe that she is not an angel at all, but a demon!"

The children drew back in fear.

"Tell the story!"

The jester drew up tall and spoke with a loud voice. "The night was dark and dreary! Rain poured from the sky! Families stayed safe inside their homes. At exactly the stroke of midnight, a great green streak lit up the sky, setting everything ablaze with an emerald glow."

The children ooo'ed and aahhh'ed.

"A child, no less than eight years old, fell and crashed into the ground. 'Twas an alien!"

"Hey! You it was an angel!"

"Shut your yap and let me talk boy!" He shook his fist at the child. "Anyways, the venerable Judge Slaed de Wilson was the first on the scene. His men gathered around the crevasse that had been formed from the impact. There must have been hundreds of men, thousands! She rose from the crater and began shouting obscenities and fighting with the soldiers. They outnumbered her, and she couldn't fight them all, so she fled!

"Judge Slaed was the only man brave enough to follow the creature, his stallion following quickly after. She ran to the church where she banged on the door for refuge, but the priest was not quick enough to let her in, and Slaed attacked! With one hit, she was unconscious on the ground!"

"Wait! If she took out a bunch of men, why couldn't she take out the judge?"

"Obviously she was too weak!" The jester clarified. "The judge moved to kill her, but was stopped by Rev. Victor Stèle! The Reverend condemned him to hell, for attempted murder, but told him if he cared for the alien, he would be free from his chains. And now she stays up in the bell tower, ringing the bells."