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And Round Me Rings: Bell Tales and Folklore - Softcover

Spencer, Ann

 
9780887765971: And Round Me Rings: Bell Tales and Folklore
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0887765971 ISBN 13: 9780887765971
Verlag: Tundra Books, 2003

Inhaltsangabe

Named Notable Book by the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award in the intermediate fiction category

Selected by the Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education as one of the 2004 Best Children’s Books for the Year


Bells play such an extraordinary role in our lives it is not surprising that many people believe that bells have souls. In And Round Me Rings Ann Spencer has gathered together a treasury of fascinating bell facts, lore, and stories. She describes curfew bells, fire alarms, and the bell of justice that rings out a criminal’s fate. She writes about bells with centuries of history, melted down into cannons during times of war and then recast as bells in times of peace, only to become cannons once again. And of course she describes the Liberty Bell, the symbol of America’s freedom.

Around the world, people have created bells to mark the important moments in our lives: disaster, death, bad weather, victory, and happiness. And Round Me Rings is a unique and absorbing collection of stories from the world’s folklore – and much more.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Ann Spencer is a broadcast journalist with CBC Radio. She also has a degree in music and teaches music and drama when she’s not writing. She is the author of the adult biography, Alone at Sea: The Adventures of Joshua Slocum, and a collection of stories for children about the sea entitled Song of the Sea: Myths, Tales, and Folklore. She is also the mother of two young boys.

Lindsay Grater is a well-established artist. She is a graduate of the Department of Fine Arts at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto and has worked as an exhibiting artist and an author- illustrator. She has contributed to many books and magazines and has created packaging, fabrics, catalogues, menus, and posters. Her preferred media are pencil, watercolor, and etching.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRE

High up in the mountains of China, a small village endured a time of great evil. About three hundred people lived there, but during this excruciating period, the population decreased with the passing of each night. The reason was not epidemic nor earthly catastrophe. The force that fell upon the inhabitants was far worse than anything man might devise. A bloodthirsty vampire scoured the village each and every night, intent on finding his next victim.

The villagers were paralyzed by fear, but they did what little they could to protect themselves. At sunset, every house was bolted closed and the windows boarded shut. The people kept great stones inside their homes and each evening they rolled them in front of their doorways. They cried prayers for protection to the heavens, but every night, just after midnight, a grim figure emerged from his cave, high in the mountains above the village. Silently he descended, his nasty shadow looming menacingly outside the window of his chosen one for the night.

A crash of splintered wood followed by a violent scream made people shudder in their beds, aware the vampire had taken another victim. Day’s light revealed the ugly evidence of its visit. Always, the victim lay dead – its eyes open in a look of sheer terror. Its throat bore two savage bite marks and its bedclothes lay about, soaked with blood. Each morning the villagers mourned and buried their dead, then worked until sundown to secure all doors and windows for that night’s inevitable attack.

So it had gone on, night after night, for many a week until, in desperation, the villagers sent out a small party to the nearest city, hundreds of miles away, to seek help. By the time the men came back, the village was in a state of panic. The vampire had claimed three weeks’ worth of new victims. The villagers ran to meet the returning party, expecting to see bands of men armed and ready to fight off the evil fiend. But there before them was a small old man carrying only a satchel. The villagers began to weep, some shouting words of anger at the party they had trusted to get help.

The leader of the party spoke up quickly: “We have brought you a force far stronger than any sword or club. This man is a Taoist priest and he is trained in the spirit arts. He has deep and sacred knowledge of how to ward off such evil and end its reign of terror forever.”

“There is a way to lure the fiend away from the village and render him powerless,” spoke the priest. “I know how to confront evil and triumph.” A hushed silence came over the crowd, for they could scarcely believe this wizened old man had such power to command demons. “Although I can confront the vampire, I cannot complete the dark venture without the help of one of you.” There were audible gasps and cries, for the villagers had lived in dread for so long, not one of them could imagine confronting the vampire. “I am looking for one who is thoroughly fearless,” continued the old priest, “someone who can summon valor from the very depths of his being. This vampire will be most treacherous.”

A young man emerged from the group of villagers. “I am that person,” he spoke up, “for I detest that fiend from hell. He killed both my brother and sister. I lay in bed and listened to their pitiful screams and knew there was not a thing I could do to help. I have the courage to avenge their deaths.”

“Come hither, dear boy,” said the priest, “and I shall give you the mighty instruments to fight the fiend.” The priest reached into his satchel and presented the boy with two small handbells. “Only do not look so surprised, for these bells are mighty indeed. The sound of ringing metal renders dark forces powerless. Believe me when I tell you, the sound will protect you. But there is one thing you should also be aware of before we set out.” The priest spoke solemnly: “Remember, whatever happens, whatever tricks this fiend might try, you must never stop ringing the bells. They must ring without ceasing from sunset to dawn. One moment of silence will strengthen the vampire’s powers and you will be doomed.” Looking the boy straight in the eye, the priest went on, “Now, young man, do you still have the courage to carry out this nasty task?”

The boy lost no time in his reply: “Yes, dear holy one, I do. I shall never lose faith and together we shall triumph.”

The priest then turned to the villagers and said, “I will need you to come with us to the mountain, too.”

They all looked fearful and began to step back. But the boy spoke out: “This is truly our only hope. If I can be brave enough to ring the bells, surely you can listen now and follow with faith. It is our last chance and we must take it together.”

The priest consulted his holy books and divined that very evening to be a most auspicious time for confronting the vampire. Accordingly, they all set out toward the fiend’s mountainous lair, planning to wait there until the sun had set.

When they reached the mountaintop, the priest unpacked his satchel: a holy book, two candles, two bowls, salt, incense, and a gong. All this he placed with great care on a rectangular piece of orange cloth he spread out on the ground. Then he filled the bowls – one with salt and the other with water – and placed them at either end of the cloth. He lit the incense and candles and began to chant.

Soon he motioned to the villagers to form a circle about him. They held hands and they, too, began to chant. As the sun sank below the distant western mountains, a great rumbling came from inside a nearby cave. The villagers tightened their grasp on each other’s hands and chanted louder. There was a ferocious growl from behind them, and a sickening stench filled the air. From the dark recesses of the cave appeared a sight so grisly and horrid, many feared they would collapse. But the priest chanted loudly and steadily, and the others knew they must follow or perish.

When the vampire came out to inspect the proceedings, the boy crept behind it and stood at the mouth of the cave. As it moved toward the frightened crowd, it was stopped in its tracks by the ringing of the bells. It swiveled its ugly head toward its cave and let out a vicious snarl. There, blocking the entrance, was the boy, boldly ringing the bells.

The vampire lunged. It howled madly and darted back and forth, trying to unnerve the boy. He did not budge, but rang with even greater resolve. The vampire now moved closer, and the boy thought he might pass out from the smell of the vampire’s decaying flesh. Still he rang both bells and still the fiend moved closer. The vampire now came face-­to-­face with his opponent and glared at him. The boy continued ringing and the two stayed locked in that wretched stare all night long.

As dawn neared, the vampire became frantic at not being able to go back into its cave. It moved forward deliberately and stared deeply into the boy’s eyes, as if to hypnotize him. “It is trying to trick you. Ring even louder,” yelled the priest, and the momentary sense of enchantment was broken. The boy stared down the fiend and, with his last bit of strength, he rang harder than he had ever rung those bells on that long night.

As the darkness began to lift, the vampire scowled, then roared until the ground about the cave shook. Still the boy kept ringing until at last the sun rose over the far eastern horizon. At that very moment, the vampire groaned and fell to the ground dead.

The villagers let go of their neighbors’ hands and the circle disbanded. They quickly gathered tree branches and...

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Verlag
Tundra Books
Erscheinungsdatum
2003
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
0887765971
ISBN 13 
9780887765971
Einband
Taschenbuch
Zeichner
Grater Lindsay
Anzahl der Seiten
240
Kontakt zum Hersteller
Nicht verfügbar
Verantwortliche Person
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