the bell deep

by Hans Christian Andersen

translation by H .P .Paull (1872)

"DING-DONG ! ding-dong ! " it sounds up from_the " bell- deep" in_the Odense-Au . every child in_the old town of Odense, on_the island of Funen, knows the Au, which washes the gardens round about_the town, and flows on under the wooden bridges from_the dam to_the water- mill . in_the Au grow the yellow water-lilies and brown feathery reeds; the dark velvety flag grows there, high and thick; old and decayed willows, slanting and tottering, hang far out over the stream beside the monk's meadow and by_the bleaching ground; but opposite there_are gardens upon gardens, each different from_the rest, some with pretty flowers and bowers like little dolls' pleasure grounds, often displaying cabbage and other kitchen plants; and here and there the gardens cannot_be seen at all, for_the great elder trees that spread themselves out by_the bank, and hang far out over the streaming waters, which are deeper here and there than an oar can fathom . opposite the old nunnery is_the deepest place, which_is called the " bell- deep," and there dwells the old water spirit, the "Au-mann ." this spirit sleeps through_the day while the sun shines down upon_the water; but in starry and moonlit nights he shows himself . he_is very old . grandmother says that she has heard her own grandmother tell of him; he_is said to lead a solitary life, and to_have nobody with_whom he_can converse save the great old church bell . once the bell hung in_the church tower; but now there_is no trace left of_the tower or of_the church, which_was called St .Alban's .

"Ding-dong ! ding-dong ! " sounded the bell, when_the tower still stood there; and one evening, while the sun was setting, and_the bell was swinging away bravely, it broke loose and came flying down through_the air, the brilliant metal shining in_the ruddy beam .

"Ding-dong ! ding-dong ! now I'll retire to rest ! " sang the bell, and flew down into_the Odense-Au, where it_is deepest; and_that is why the place is called the " bell- deep ."

but the bell got neither rest nor sleep . down in_the Au-mann's haunt it sounds and rings, so that_the tones sometimes pierce upward through_the waters; and many people maintain that its strains forebode the death of some one; but that_is_not true, for_the bell is only talking with_the Au-mann, who_is now no longer alone .

and what_is the bell telling ? it_is old, very old, as we_have already observed; it_was there long before grandmother's grandmother was born; and yet it_is but a child in comparison with_the Au-mann, who_is quite an old quiet personage, an oddity, with_his hose of eel- skin, and_his scaly jacket with_the yellow lilies for buttons, and a wreath of reed in_his hair and seaweed in_his beard; but he looks very pretty for all that .

what the bell tells ? to repeat it all would require years and days; for year by year it_is telling the old stories, sometimes short ones, sometimes long ones, according to its whim; it tells of old times, of_the dark hard times, thus:

" in_the church of St .Alban, the monk had mounted up into_the tower . he_was young and handsome, but thoughtful exceedingly . he looked through_the loophole out upon_the Odense-Au, when_the bed of_the water was yet broad, and_the monks' meadow was still a lake . he looked out over it, and over the rampart, and over the nuns' hill opposite, where the convent lay, and_the light gleamed forth from_the nun's cell . he had known the nun right well, and he thought of her, and_his heart beat quicker as he thought .Ding-dong ! ding-dong ! "

yes, this_was the story the bell told .

" into_the tower came also the dapper man- servant of_the bishop; and when I, the bell, who am made of metal, rang hard and loud, and swung to and fro, I_might_have beaten out his brains . he sat down close under me, and played with two little sticks as if_they had_been a stringed instrument; and he sang to_it .' now I_may sing it out aloud, though at other times I_may not whisper it . I_may sing of everything that_is kept concealed behind lock and bars . yonder it_is cold and wet . the rats are eating her up alive ! nobody knows of it ! nobody hears of it ! not even now, for_the bell is ringing and singing its loud Ding-dong, ding-dong ! '

" there_was a king in those days . they called him Canute . he bowed himself before bishop and monk; but when he offended the free peasants with heavy taxes and hard words, they seized their weapons and put him to flight like a wild beast . he sought shelter in_the church, and shut gate and door behind him . the violent band surrounded the church; I heard tell of it . the crows, ravens and magpies started up in terror at_the yelling and shouting that sounded around . they flew into_the tower and out again, they looked down upon_the throng below, and_they also looked into_the windows of_the church, and screamed out aloud what they saw there . king Canute knelt before_the altar in prayer; his brothers Eric and Benedict stood by him as a guard with drawn swords; but the king's servant, the treacherous Blake, betrayed his master . the throng in front of_the church knew where they_could hit the king, and one_of_them flung a stone through a pane of glass, and_the king lay there dead ! the cries and screams of_the savage horde and of_the birds sounded through_the air, and I joined in_it also; for I sang 'Ding-dong ! ding-dong ! '

" the church bell hangs high, and looks far around, and sees the birds around it, and understands their language . the wind roars in upon it through windows and loopholes; and_the wind knows everything, for he gets it from_the air, which encircles all things, and_the church bell understands his tongue, and rings it out into_the world, 'Ding-dong ! ding-dong ! '

" but it_was too_much for_me to hear and to_know; i_was not able any longer to ring it out .I became so tired, so heavy, that_the beam broke, and I flew out into_the gleaming Au, where the water is deepest, and where the Au-mann lives, solitary and alone; and year by year I tell him what I_have heard and what I_know .Ding-dong ! ding-dong"

thus it sounds complainingly out_of_the bell- deep in_the Odense-Au . that_is what grandmother told us .

but the schoolmaster says that there_was not any bell that rung down there, for_that it could_not do_so; and_that no Au-mann dwelt yonder, for there_was no Au-mann at all ! and when all the other church bells are sounding sweetly, he_says that_it_is not really the bells that_are sounding, but that_it_is the air itself which sends forth the notes; and grandmother said to_us that_the bell itself said it was_the air who told it to him, consequently they_are agreed on_that point, and this much is sure .

" be cautious, cautious, and take good heed to thyself," they both say .

the air knows everything . it_is around us, it_is in us, it talks of_our thoughts and of_our deeds, and it speaks longer of_them than does the bell down in_the depths of_the Odense-Au where the Au-mann dwells . it rings it out in_the vault of heaven, far, far out, forever and ever, till the heaven bells sound "Ding-dong ! ding-dong ! "

the end