by Hans Christian Andersen

translation by H P Paull (1872)

"DING-DONG ! ding-dong ! " It sounds up "bell-deep" Odense-Au Every child old town of Odense, island of Funen, knows the Au, which washes the gardens round town, and flows on under the wooden bridges dam water-mill 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 bleaching ground; but opposite gardens upon gardens, each different 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 seen at all, great elder trees that spread themselves out bank, and hang far out over the streaming waters, which are deeper here and there than an oar can fathom Opposite the old nunnery deepest place, called the "bell-deep," and there dwells the old water spirit, the "Au-mann " This spirit sleeps day while the sun shines down water; but in starry and moonlit nights he shows himself very old Grandmother says that she has heard her own grandmother tell of him; said to lead solitary life, and nobody converse save the great old church Bell Once the Bell hung church tower; but now no trace left tower or church, called St Alban's

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

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

But the Bell got neither rest nor sleep Down Au-mann's haunt it sounds and rings, so tones sometimes pierce upward waters; and many people maintain that its strains forebode the death of some one; but true, Bell is only talking Au-mann, now no longer alone

And the Bell telling ? old, very old, as already observed; there long before grandmother's grandmother was born; and yet but child in comparison Au-mann, quite an old quiet personage, an oddity, hose of eel-skin, scaly Jacket yellow lilies for buttons, and wreath of reed hair and seaweed 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 telling the old stories, sometimes short ones, sometimes long ones, according to its whim; it tells of old times, dark hard times, thus:

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

Yes, the story the Bell told

" tower came also the dapper man-servant bishop; and when I, the Bell, who am made of metal, rang hard and loud, and swung to and fro, beaten out his brains He sat down close under me, and played with two little sticks as stringed instrument; and he sang 'Now sing it out aloud, though at other times not whisper it sing of everything kept concealed behind lock and bars Yonder cold and wet The rats are eating her up alive ! Nobody knows of it ! Nobody hears of it ! Not even now, bell is ringing and singing its loud Ding-dong, ding-dong ! '

" 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 wild beast He sought shelter 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 yelling and shouting that sounded around They flew tower and out again, they looked down throng below, also looked windows church, and screamed out aloud what they saw there King Canute knelt altar in prayer; his brothers Eric and Benedict stood by him as guard with drawn swords; but the King's servant, the treacherous Blake, betrayed his master The throng in front church knew where hit the King, and flung stone through pane of glass, King lay there dead ! The cries and screams savage horde and birds sounded air, and I joined 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; wind knows everything, for he gets it air, which encircles all things, church bell understands his tongue, and rings it out world, 'Ding-dong ! ding-dong ! '

"But to hear and ; not able any longer to ring it out I became so tired, so heavy, beam broke, and I flew out gleaming Au, where the water is deepest, and where the Au-mann lives, solitary and alone; and year by year I tell him what heard and what Ding-dong ! ding-dong"

Thus it sounds complainingly bell-deep Odense-Au what grandmother told us

But the schoolmaster says that not any bell that rung down there, it ; no Au-mann dwelt yonder, for no Au-mann at all ! And when all the other church bells are sounding sweetly, not really the bells sounding, but the air itself which sends forth the notes; and grandmother said Bell itself said it air who told it to him, consequently agreed point, and this much is sure

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

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

THE END