THE BELL OF ATRI

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 2 April 1938, Page 11

THE BELL OF ATRI

STORY OF ANCIENT ITALY i Long ago, in a city of Italy, there i lived a good King whose greatest wish | was that all his people should be happy. And. in order that no one should have cause for complaint, or any injustice done to him, the King had a great bell hung in the market place. Anyone who had a complaint against a neighbour might pull the rope of the bell, and the judge would come at once to see that justice was done. The people of Atri were very pleased with the bell, and were not slow to use it when they needed the help of the judge. So often was the rope pulled I hat the ends became frayed and 1 broken, and after a time it was too j short for everyone to reach. A farmer j who happened to be passing one day I saw the broken rope, and mended it with a piece of vine, on which the leaves and tendrils still hung. The rope was now long enough for everyone to reach. It was a very hot afternoon, and most of the people of Atri were having their mid-day nap. Everyone was quiet, when suddenly the peace of the town was broken by the loud ringing of the bell. The judge jumped up and hurried !to the market place. Several other j people thought: "Who is this ringing so | loudly? Some great wrong must have been done. Let us go and see.” THE HORSE S APPEAL Imagine their surprise when they found that the ringer of the bell was a poor old hoi'sc, who, wandering hungry through the streets, had seen the piece of vine and pulled at the leaves for something to eat. "Whose horse is this?” asked the i judge angrily. He was very annoyed at being disturbed for nothing. Nobody answered at first, but at last someone came forward who knew.

■niiinimiiniiMmmnmimiHvmiiiminmniiDimiTiimnmmmmnnimmniniTif^ j “It belongs to a rich lord,” said tht man. "The horse was once handsom* ! and strong, and served its master faith fully for many years. Now it is old am feeble, and its master has turned i out to graze by the roadside.” When th'e judge heard this, he sen for the rich lord, and asked him if th< horse really beyonged to him. Thi lord had to own that it did. "Then I am glad," said the judge “that the horse disturbed me from nr rest, for now I can see that justice i done to it. It served you well in it i young days. Now that it is old. yoi i shall take it back with you, and fin< I it a comfortable home, with plenty o i hay and oats, aqd it shall live in peac j till the end of its days.” All the pepole were delighted at th judge’s words, and followed the hors and its owner home to see that th orders were carried out. After thi? they always told strangers that in th city of Atri even animals could ob tain justice when they appealed agains the cruelty of their masters.