A long time ago in Europe, there was a little town with a small old church in the town center. Next to the church was an equally old, tall tower with a bell hanging on the top. However, there were no stairs in the tower, nor there was a ladder tall enough to reach the bell on the top. Each Christmas, after the Christmas Eve mass, people would give their gift to baby Jesus to the church's donation box. The legend was that when the most precious gift to God was received, the bell would ring the most beautiful sound on its own. Every year, many people came to the Christmas Eve mass with their gifts, but so far, no one has heard the bell ring.

This year it will surely ring, people whispered. Because the king has heard of this legend and the king himself was coming to give his gift to the baby Jesus. Along with the king many others were coming: the richest jewelry merchant in the kingdom was coming with all his valuable gems; the wise man was coming with his most famous books; the general was coming with all his medals. The spice dealer was coming with the rarest spice known to man. One of those gifts will surely please the baby Jesus, people said.

Ten miles away lived two orphaned brothers. They also heard about the Christmas Eve mass, and they also wanted to be there to hear the bell ring. Surely it will ring this year, with so many famous people coming. They also wanted to give their gift to baby Jesus as well. They were poor, and all they had was two copper coins, their entire savings for the year. However, they wanted to give them to Jesus, because they were thankful of the lives God had granted them.

It snowed on Christmas Eve. As two boys walked toward the town, the snow soon turned into the blizzard, but they pushed on. Thery really wanted to hear the bell ring. Near the outskirts of the town, the older brother tripped on something. It was a beggar lying down, uncoucious. The boys could see that the beggar was freezing and would die soon if he did now get help soon. The older boy decided he would stay and help the beggar. You have to go to the church, he told his young brother. That way, at least one of us will hear the bell ring. Besides, I'm bigger so I must carry this man to help, he said. So the younger boy left his brother and the beggar, making his way to the town.

Meanwhile, the church was packed with people inside and outside. The mass had just ended, and it was time for everyone to give his or her gift to baby Jesus. People formed a line and each gave their gifts, each hoping that his or her own gift will cause the bell to ring. The bell did not ring. Although it was snowing heavily and getting really cold, people stayed, hoping to hear the bell ring. Soon all the citizens finished giving their gifts.

Now it was the wise man's turn. The wise man gave all his prized books to the gift box, but the bell remained silent. Disappointed, the wise man turned away, but he still stayed. The bell will ring, he thought. Surely, someone among us has the most precious gift. It was the spice merchant's turn. He gave the most rare spice, but the bell did not ring. Then it was the jewelry merchant's turn. He placed his most expensive jewel in the gift box, but the bell still stayed silent.

Now, the only person left was the king himself. At his signal, his servants began placing his prized treasures on the gift box, but the bell remained silent. More treasures, the king proclaimed. Put more treasues until the bell rings. Soon, all his treasures lay in the gift box, but the bell stayed silent. Frustrated, he placed his royal robe and his crown in the box, offering his kingdom, but no bell.

Now the king was mad, and people were disappointed. The legend was a hoax, people whispered among them. The bell does not ring. What is more precious than the kingdom itself? The crowd began to disperse. People began to go home. It was snowing. People were cold and tired. The king boarded his carriage, swearing this town had swindled him.

At that moment, the bell began to ring, making the most beautiful sound anyone's ever heard. It was the sound coming from heaven. It does ring!, people yelled, and they all ran to the church to see whose gift made it ring. There were two copper coins in the gift box, but there was no one to be seen, only a set of small footprints that led to the church and leaving the church.

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