Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never
managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock
which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and
has been silent ever since.#
One night, however, our vicar work up with a start: the clock was striking the
hours! Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell
struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up
into the clock tower to see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught
sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local
grocer.#
'Whatever are you doing up here Bill?' asked the vicar in surprise.#
'I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill. 'I've been coming up here
night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'#
'You certainly did give me a surprise!' said the vicar. 'You've probably woken
up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.'#
That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill. 'It's working all right, but I'm
afraid that at one o'clock it will strike thirteen times and there's nothing I
can do about it.'#
We'll get used to that, Bill,' said the vicar. 'Thirteen is not as good as
one, but it's better than nothing. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of
tea.'&