Quasimoto
After Quasimodo's death, the bishop of the Cathedral of Notre Dame
sent word through the streets of Paris that a new bell ringer was
needed. The bishop decided that he would conduct the interviews
personally and went up into the belfry to begin the screening process.
After observing several applicants demonstrate their skills, he had
decided to call it a day, when an armless man approached him and
announced that he was there to apply for the bell ringer's job. The
bishop was incredulous.
"You have no arms!"
"No matter," said the man, "observe!" He then began striking the bells
with his face, producing a beautiful melody on the carillon. The bishop
listened in astonishment, convinced that he had finally found a suitable
replacement for Quasimodo. Suddenly, rushing forward to strike a bell,
the armless man tripped and plunged headlong out of the belfry window
to his death in the street below. The stunned bishop rushed to his side.
When he reached the street, a crowd had gathered around the fallen
figure, drawn by the beautiful music they had heard only moments
before. As they silently parted to let the bishop through, one of them
asked, "Bishop, who was this man?"
"I don't know his name," the bishop sadly replied, "but his face rings a bell."
{You want more, you say?}
The following day, despite the sadness that weighed heavily on his heart
due to the unfortunate death of the armless campanologist, the bishop
continued his interviews for the bell ringer of Notre Dame. The first
man to approach him said, "Your Excellency, I am the brother of the poor
armless wretch who fell to his death from this very belfry yesterday.
I pray that you honor his life by allowing me to replace him in this duty."
The bishop agreed to give the man an audition, and, as the armless man's
brother stooped to pick up a mallet to strike the first bell, he groaned,
clutched at his chest and died on the spot. Two monks, hearing the
bishop's cries of grief at this second tragedy, rushed up the stairs to his
side.
"What has happened?" the first breathlessly asked. "Who is this man?"
"I don't know his name," sighed the distraught bishop, "but he's a dead
ringer for his brother."