Daily Short Stories - Children's Stories

That Bell!

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Duration:: 14m
Broadcast on:: 28 Jun 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

I'm Victoria Cash, and I want to invite you to a place called Lucky Land. Where you can play over a hundred social casino-style games for free for your chance to redeem some serious prizes. So what are you waiting for? The best way to discover your luck is to spin. So go to luckylandslots.com, that's luckylandslots.com, and get lucky today at Lucky Land. No purchase necessary V.T.W. group. Boy, we're prohibited by law. 18 plus terms and conditions apply. Welcome to Solgud Media, where your journey into a world of endless audio possibilities begins. Imagine a place where you can discover thousands of captivating audio books. Immerse yourself in tranquil sounds for sleep and meditation, and explore timeless stories and lectures that expand your mind and enrich your soul. At Solgud Media.com, we believe in the power of stories to transform life. Whether you're a lifelong learner, a parent seeking bedtime stories for your children, or someone looking to unwind after a long day, we have something just for you. We invite you to try Solgud Media free for one month. Explore our extensive collection and find the perfect audio content that resonates with you. Join our community of passionate listeners and unlock a world of knowledge, relaxation, and inspiration. Visit Solgud Media.com today and start your free trial. That's S-O-L-G-O-O-D-M-E-D-I-A dot com. Barry was a boy of many characteristics. The most notable were an amazing love of sleep and a desperate activity when awake. He seemed to lay in a fresh stock of energy every time he had an app, and although the most difficult boy in the world to awaken, when he was awake, he was irrepressible. It was winter. Barry found that season of the year did not agree with his constitution. "Just getting up in the middle of the night is killing me," he remarked one day to a group of sympathizers. He had the whole school on his side in this particular matter. For work before breakfast in winter was decidedly unpopular. At half past seven, every boy had to be at his desk putting in an hour at mathematics before prayers and breakfast. It was pitch dark at seven when the bell rang as a signal to rise. It is curious how difficult it was to hear that bell in winter. Barry never heard it, or rather never heeded it. He scorned to rise till twenty minutes past seven. He could do it, as he termed dressing, in ten minutes, and had been known to do it in five. On such occasions, his personal ablutions were apt to be rather neglected. "That old bell is at the bottom of it," remarked Colverwell, another boy, who found that the heavy clang disturbed his slumbers. "It's John who's at the bottom of the bell," put in Millward. "I wish he'd resign," said Barry. "It's time they pensioned him off and sent him to a hospital for incurables." "He's a hopeless job," said Millward. "I spent half an hour one day trying to make him understand that I was willing to stand him a shilling if he'd give us a few minutes grace in the morning. But he's as deaf as a post, and though he took my shilling, he rang us up more punctually than ever than next morning." "I wish he'd hang himself with his bell rope," said Colverwell. "The eye, the offending bell, which hung idly in his turret, built over what was once a stable, but was now part of the school building." "I wish we could muffle the old thing," said Millward, looking wistfully up. "It's freezing hard, and we'll be deadly work getting up tomorrow." "I believe I could shy a stone up and crack it," suggested another. Barry had been silently inspecting the building. "Tell you what, you fellows," he said at last. "I believe I could get up there if I had a ladder. Out of the small classroom window, jump on the ledge, then creep up the rough by the chimney, then a ladder over the space to the turret. If you fellows will hand me up the ladder, I'll go." They were all dumb for a moment at his audacity, then Millward said. "How are you going to get into the small classroom? It's always locked in playtime." "So Tiz," assented Colverwell. "Then I must get up to the ledge with a ladder, and then pull it up after me." "You're a plucky beggar," exclaimed Millward in admiration. "Shouldn't we have a jolly snooze in the morning if you should stop that old bell's jaw?" "I will, too," said Barry. "There must be a ladder somewhere about." "There's the one John uses to clean the outside of the windows," suggested Millward, "but it isn't long enough." "It may do," said Barry. "Come along, let's get hold of it. This is just the time. It's dark and tisnty time for half an hour." It was just five o'clock, and nearly every boy was indoors. Few cared for sliding on a worn slide in the dark, and a game was out of the question. So the three boys had small fear of being discovered as they prowled about in search of John's ladder. That worthy was having his tea, and was not likely to be disturbed by any noise, for he was stone deaf. The boys hauled out his ladder, almost from under his nose, without his hearing a sound. Culverwell kept cave, while Millward held the ladder for Barry to ascend. It was a plucky, if not perilous, feat to attempt in the dark. But Barry was a bounding in pluck, and the spirit of adventure made him keep his nerve. He soon found himself on the ledge, and managed to haul up the ladder after him. It was an assistance instead of an encumbrance in crossing the roof, and he soon was within a dozen feet of the turret. The boys blow anxiously waited for his reappearance, but he had a job before him. His idea was to un-ship the tongue of the bell. He had a glorious reward if he could succeed, for John would never know if the bell rang or not. It would be superb to have the old fact totem pulling away at his rope, and fancying he was fulfilling his duty, when the tongueless bell was swinging silently on its pivot. Barry worked the tongue this way in that, but it was a difficult job. The inside of the bell was as dark as the inside of a wolf, to use a hunter simile. He had to feel everything, and the metal was terribly cold. However, at last he managed to unhitch it. He deliberated what to do with it, now he had it. He put it in his pocket, and descended as quickly as was consistent with security. Off with the ladder was his first order. They soon had it in its place again, then they felt safe from detection. "What are you going to do with it?" asked Millward, alluding to the rusty tongue which Barry exhibited. "I think I shall leave it at the bottom of the turret. If I take it away, they'll know someone's been up, but if we leave it here, they'll think it's dropped down." "Let's hope they will," said Culverwell dubiously. At any rate, I'll chance it, continued Barry, so you fellows will be able to have a tall time tomorrow morning, and we shan't get called till half past eight at the earliest. The sequel proved the correctness of Barry's prophecy. Old John sought his bell-rope punctually at seven, as usual, rang away steadily for three minutes, and then retired to his den to commence his never-ending job of shoe-cleaning. One or two boys awoke from sheer habit, but hearing no bell went to sleep again. The rest slumber peacefully on, little thinking to whom they owed their unwanted repose. The whole household wore asleep. The big bell was the signal for rising to everyone, servants included, with the exception of John and his wife. Her duty was to light the schoolroom fires, after which she retired to her own part of the house to prepare her husband's breakfast. These two, almost useless pensioners on the doctor's bounty inhabited two rooms apart from the rest of the house. How long everyone would have slept cannot be known, perhaps till nine, for when one depends on a bell for waking, one waits for the accustomed sound. But dogs are not like human beings, and Fido, who always had his breakfast at eight, began making a great disturbance at a quarter pass. Fido woke his mistress, the doctor's wife. She looked at her watch, eight fifteen. She was surprised beyond measure, as there was a strange silence everywhere. But the clock on the mantelpiece confirmed her watch, and two minutes later, bells were ringing in a manner which brought the servants out of their beds with a jump. By half-past eight, everyone, boys and all, had been awakened informally, for the bell refused to make a sound. John was summoned, and was at last made to understand what was the matter. He asked, surveyed warmly that he had wrung the bell, and went on a tour of inspection. He found the tongue on the ground, and obtaining a ladder from the gardener, next door, fastened it in its place again, before it was time to wring for school. "Never had such a gorgeous sleep in my life," said Millward, warmly, to Berry. "We'll vote you a silver-tanker as a reward of merit." "Pity the trick can't be played twice," from our Culverwell. "They don't seem to suspect anything this time, but if it were to happen again, there'd be an inquisition." Berry heaved the regretful sigh. It was hard to think that at seven next morning, the inexorable bell would toll out his usual the nail of the parting night. Something that day put him in a peculiarly reckless mood. More than that, he did not get his usual afternoon nap. He was disturbed by an inconsiderate master, who wanted to know when his exercises were going to be handed into him. So five o'clock found Berry ready for any deed, requiring more cheek than usual. The bell. It struck him directly after he had written his last line. Whatever might happen, he would have one more good sleep. He did not confide his intentions this time to his two friends. He knew his way now. In five minutes, he had captured the ladder and placed it against the wall. He was just stepping off it onto the ledge, when he heard footsteps beneath him, perilously near. If he attempted to draw up the ladder, the noise must attract attention. His only chance was to keep still, in the hope that the ladder wouldn't be noticed in the dark. But it was. Old John happened to have finished his tea earlier than usual, and it was on his way to fetch an armful of wood. "Now, who's been taking my ladder?" he said to himself. "Suppose it's one of them boys wanting to get their balls off the ledge." He put the ladder on his shoulder and marched off with it. Berry listened in horror. He did not know it was John who had captured his only means of retreat. Whoever it was, he must throw himself on his mercy. "Hi!" he called out, and a voice meant to combine the shout and a whisper. "Hi, you there!" It was a shout this time and no mistake, but it had no effect. Berry knew now it must be John. He was no use to shout. He tore off a piece of plaster and shied it in the direction of the retreating figure. It struck the ground close to John, but he did not hear it. Poor Berry was left alone on the ledge, fourteen feet from the ground. He couldn't drop, for there was a nasty grating just beneath him. Besides, he could not lower himself from the narrow ledge. He might have done it in daylight, but not in darkness. Even his pluck must draw the line somewhere. It was an uninviting night, and not a boy was out of doors. There was nothing for it, but to accept the inevitable and remain where he was until something happened. He knew well enough what would happen. After tea there would be a calling over. He would be unable to say, "Add some," an inquiry would be made, resulting in his capture and punishment. Once more he proved himself a true prophet. Everything fell out exactly as he had anticipated, and by the time he was assisted down he was so cramped and frozen he would have welcomed a caning on the spot to warm him. Intentionally or unintentionally, the authorities did not connect his being on the ledge with the outrage on the bell of the day before. He received the usual punishment for missing calling over, but beyond that nothing was done. Probably the master who captured him considered he had already received punishment enough. At any rate, Barry was of the opinion that he had bought his extra hours' sleep rather dearly. 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