Section 1
In the small, crowded streets of a big town, when the sun was going down and its last rays made the chimneys look golden, there was a peculiar sound that could be heard in the evening. It was like the noise of a church bell but it only lasted for a moment because it got drowned out by the constant noise of cars and people talking in the town. People would say, “Hear the sound of the evening bell! It’s telling us that the sun is going down!” If you walked outside the town, where the houses were not so close together and there were gardens and little fields in between, you could see the evening sky much better. You could also hear the bell ringing more clearly. It felt like the sound was coming from a church deep inside a peaceful and sweet-smelling forest. People would look in that direction with a sense of deep respect and reverence.
After a while, one person said to another, “I wonder if there’s a church in the woods. The bell sounds so sweet and unusual! Should we go there and find out what’s causing it?” The rich people rode in their vehicles, while the poor walked, but the journey felt very long to them. Finally, they reached a group of willow trees at the edge of the woods. They sat down, looked up at the tall branches, and felt like they were truly inside the forest. A baker from the town even set up a little stand there. Then, another baker arrived and hung a bell above his stand. He covered the bell with a special coating to protect it from the rain, but it was missing the part that makes it ring.
When people returned home, they would say it was a very romantic experience, which is different from just having tea. Three people claimed they went all the way to the edge of the woods. They always heard the mysterious sound, but when they reached there, it seemed like it was coming from the town. One of them even wrote poems about the bell and said it sounded like a mother’s voice speaking to a clever and beloved child. He believed that no melody was sweeter than the sound of that bell.
The ruler of the land heard about the mysterious sound and announced that anyone who could discover where it came from would be given the special title of “Bellringer to the World,” even if there wasn’t actually a bell involved.
After the announcement, many people ventured into the woods hoping to find the source of the beautiful sound. However, only one person returned with a partial explanation. None of them had gone far enough, including the person who returned. This person claimed that the sound of the bell actually came from a big owl living in a hollow tree. This owl was known for its wisdom but had a habit of knocking its head against the tree. However, the person couldn’t say for sure whether the owl’s head or the hollow tree itself was responsible for the noise.
He was given the special title of “Bellringer to the World” and every year he wrote a little essay about the owl. However, even though he shared his knowledge, people didn’t become any smarter than they were before.
It was a special day known as confirmation day. The clergyman gave a wonderful and emotional speech, and the young people who were becoming confirmed were deeply touched by it. It was a significant day for them because they were transitioning from being children to becoming adults. It was like their childlike nature was transforming into a more rational and mature way of thinking.
The sun was shining very brightly, and the sound of the mysterious bell was heard even more clearly than before. Everyone wanted to go towards the sound, except for three people. One of them wanted to go home and try on her fancy dress for a ball. It was because of this dress and the ball that she was being confirmed this time, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been allowed to go. The second person, a poor boy, had borrowed a coat and a pair of boots from his landlord’s son to wear for the confirmation ceremony, and he needed to return them by a specific time. The third person said that he never went to unfamiliar places without his parents. He had always been a well-behaved child and wanted to continue being one even after being confirmed. He asked them not to make fun of him for this, but they still did. So, these three people decided not to go. However, the others continued on their way.
