LARRY, JACK, AND THE BELLS.
A goodly number of years ago there dwelt in Ireland two brothers whose names were Larry and Jack. They were witty and humorous, and played many a mad prank on their unsuspecting neighbors. Now it seems that the town they lived in had in its church steeple two uncommonly large bells, and the clatter, when rung, was a source of annoyance to many people. Being church bells, no complaints were made, although they were the subject of many a conversation.
Larry and Jack for a long time had their eyes and minds on these same bells, and finally they decided to effectually stop the ringing by cutting the ropes off close to the clappers. Accordingly one night they effected an entrance to the church steeple, but were at a loss how to reach the bells without climbing the ropes, the only means of communication. This they finally decided to do, but first they piled a lot of pew-cushions on the floor to break any fall that might take place. Then Larry, throwing off his jacket, grasped one of the ropes and very slowly worked his way up to the bells.
It was either stupidity or forgetfulness on Larry's part, but when he reached the bells he whipped out his knife and cut the rope close to the bell over his head. Consequently down came poor Larry, striking the cushions with a sounding thump. It knocked the breath out of him, and Jack thought surely the fall had killed him. Larry, however, quickly put him at ease by crying out: "Faith, Jack, oi'm all right. If it wasn't in a church oi am, oi'd swear. Begorra either the earth struck me, or oi struck the earth, but heavens knows we have a very strong attachment for each other."
"Larry, you're stupid, me boy; yer head is as thick as sour cream. Oi'll show yez how to manage a little affair loike that," and Jack commenced climbing the other rope. "Now, Larry," he cried, when he reached the top, "watch me show yez how to do it," and, unlike Larry, he cut the rope from under his feet, and hung there dangling without means of reaching the floor.
Afraid to drop, his brother was forced to seek assistance from the town, and for a long while the two brothers were the laugh of the county.