The Lost Bell

The little brown underground people who lived in the hills were very careful about their things, shoes, caps, belts and buckles. If they lost anything, they felt miserable, spending sleepless nights till they found it. And since they could transform themselves into any shape, they searched for it disguised as humans, birds, animals, insects, anything! One of the little fellows had been dancing on a hillside near Bergen, when the silver bell on his cap fell off! A shepherd’s lad named John found it and went off to another village to look after his uncle’s sheep at Unrich. The little underground fellow searched everywhere for his silver bell. He examined birds’ nests, and the burrows of rabbits, peeped into sheds and barns and houses, but could find no trace of his bell. One day, he was flying over a flock of sheep being herded near the village of Unrich by John and his dog.

An Exchange

The underground fellow, disguised as a bird, sang about his bell, watching the sheep below, their bells tinkling. But the bird couldn’t see his bell. Hearing its song, John said, “He sings about the sheep’s bells, but he hasn’t seen my silver bell! Otherwise, he would sing about that!” John drew the silver bell out of his pocket and immediately the bird recognised it! It flew down and transformed into a little old woman. The woman went up to John and offered silver coins in exchange for the silver bell, but John refused. Then she offered gold, but he still refused. Finally, she took out a carved wand and said, “Take this in exchange, for its charmed. If you wave it at your sheep, they will prosper and make you rich!” John exchanged the silver bell for the wand, for he knew the underground people never cheated. He grew rich till he had a sheep farm of his own!

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