The Owl and the Bell by George MacDonald
The Owl and the Bell is a short story by George MacDonald about an owl who lives in a bell tower. The owl becomes friends with a bell ringer, but when the bell ringer dies, the owl is left alone and sad. One day, the owl hears a new bell ringer and realizes that life goes on even after loss.
By George MacDonald · First published 1876 · Genre: Fable, Poetry, Fantasy · 1,000 words
First lines
_Bing, Bim, Bang, Bome! _ / Sang the Bell to himself in his house at home, / High in the church-tower, lone and unseen, / In a twilight of ivy, cool and green; / With his _Bing, Bing, Bim, Bing, Bang, Bome! _ / Singing bass to himself in his house at home.
Said the Owl, on a shadowy ledge below, / Like a glimmering ball of forgotten snow, / "Pest on that fellow sitting up there, / Always calling the people to prayer!
What this Textopian page supports
The Owl and the Bell is listed on Textopian as a short story by George MacDonald, dated 1876 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: George MacDonald
- Date: 1876 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Poetry, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Humor
- Length: 1,000 words
- Structure: 1 section, 31 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Owl and the Bell by George MacDonald
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
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- Little Boy Blue by George Macdonald
- Tell Me by George Macdonald
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- A Make Believe by George Macdonald
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Genres
- Fable — The narrative features anthropomorphized animals, specifically an owl and a bell, conveying a moral lesson.
- Poetry — The text is written in verse form with a rhythmic and rhyming structure.
- Fantasy — The story involves fantastical elements, such as a bell with sentient qualities and an owl engaging in human-like reasoning.
- Children's Literature — The simple narrative style and moral undertones are characteristic of literature aimed at a younger audience.
Tags
fantasy · allegory · children's literature · moral lessons · imagination · nature · friendship · wisdom · adventure · mythical creatures · self-discovery · spirituality