...there was a priest who presided over a large church in the center of the village. This church was locally famous for its tall bell tower. The bells gave off a wondrous tone which summoned the faithful to church.

The priest had been seeing a poor wraith of an elderly man every Sunday for a number of months. He would arrive to the church late, as though he didn't wish any attention drawn to himself. And he would be the first to leave. However, before he left, he seemed to hesitate and looked up at the priest before he moved out. Most striking about this poor man was that he had no arms!

Finally, after one service, the old man got up the nerve to approach the priest with a remarkable request. "Father," he said in a weak, shaky voice, "I lived in this village long ago before an unfortunate accident claimed both of my arms. Now I am old, sickly and not long for this world. But there is only one thing I would like to do before I die. I have always longed to ring the bells of this church!"

The priest was taken aback. "But my son!" said the priest hesitantly. "How do you think you can ring the bells of our church--forgive me for saying so--in your unfortunate condition?"

"But I can, father!" pleaded the old man. "I can ring the bells! I will show you, if you allow me!"

The priest could do nothing but agree, however hesitantly, and so he led the unfortunate man up the stairway to the bell tower. Once there, the old man positioned himself, muttered a thanks to the priest, and proceeded to make the bells chime using nothing but his face. The tune that the sad old man played was beautiful. The priest was mesmerized. Never had he seen or heard the likes! It wasn't long before the villagers returned to the cobblestone street in front of the church to listen to the beautiful music coming from the bell tower.
When he was done, the old man thanked the priest through stifled sobs and turned to go back down the stairs. But before he had even taken a step, the old man tripped, lost his balance, and went toppling over the side of the bell tower! He landed with a mortal thud on the cobblestone street below.

The priest gasped in horror and rushed down the stairs into the street below, where a large crowd had gathered. He went to the crumpled body and began saying a prayer. When he had finished, one of the villagers approached the priest. "Father," he asked reverently, "who was that poor man?

"My son, I do not know," said the priest somberly. "But his face certainly rings a bell."

However, there is more to this sad story...

A few months later another frail, sickly old man came to the church one Sunday and approached the priest at the end of the service. The priest was amazed to see that this old man looked exactly like the sad old man who had fallen to his death from the bell tower. But, of course, this man had both arms. He spoke humbly to the priest.

"Father, I have wandered far from this village where I was born, toiled at many jobs to help pay for taking care of my twin brother who died here at this very church. Like him, I know that I am not long for this world, but there is one thing that I ask to do to honor his memory. Father, I would also like to ring the bells of this church."

Of course, the priest had no choice but agree. So they climed to the bell tower, and the old man proceeded to ring the bells. Like his brother, the melody he played was beautiful. And again, the villagers returned to the front of the church to listen.

When he had finished, the old man was overcome with emotion. He began sobbing as he moved away from the bells. But to the priest's horror, the poor man tripped, toppled over the railing and landed mortally on the street below. So the priest rushed down to the street and moved beside the wraithlike corpse to say a prayer over him.

Once the priest had finished, a villager approached and asked, "Father, who is this poor man?"

"This I do not know, my son," intoned the priest. "But he is a dead ringer for his brother."

I assume this happened after Quasimodo's death...

.....For Whom The Bells Toll

...it tolls for thee!
Peter.