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By
Billie Ann Lopez
Once
upon a time, a watchman, who was also an enthusiastic bowler, lived
alone in the South Tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. It was
his job to be on the lookout for danger such as fires or hostile
armies as well as for the arrival of official visitors or ships on
the Danube. When he saw something, he was supposed to blow his
special horn to get people's attention and then wave the appropriate banners.
Because
such occasions weren't so numerous, the watchman built a makeshift
bowling alley in the tower to practice on during slack periods,
mostly at night. Unfortunately, space being somewhat cramped, he had
to stand backwards and throw the ball between his legs. Over time, he
became quite good at it, and, alas, very boastful as he repeatedly
knocked over all nine pins. Deep into the night, night after night,
the Viennese could hear him cheering himself after each of his strikes.
One
night, just at the stroke of midnight, the watchman answered a knock
at the door. In the flickering torch light, a ghostly figure wearing
a long dark cloak reached out and grasped his shoulder causing the
watchman to shudder with fright. "Let go of me you fiend!"
he cried out. "What do you want at this time of night?"
"I've
heard you claim to be the best of bowlers" the figure said in
an ominous voice. "Shall we say winner takes all?" Holding
up its own ball, the figure swept past the watchman.
With
growing trepidation, the watchman followed behind. Then squaring his
shoulders, the watchman stood up the nine pins and took up his
position. Bending over, he threw his ball between his legs and
knocked them all down with one stroke. Gleefully, he spun around in
triumph but then froze in horror. Having removed its hood, the
figure's macabre skull was now grinning at him.
"Death!"
the watchman screeched. Panicking, he clumsily set up the pins
again, all but one that is, which he threw over the railing hoping by
doing so to thwart his own doom. Enraged, Death grew even larger and
with great force smashed its ball into the remaining eight pins, one
of which careened into the head of the cowering watchman. Death's
booming toll "All Nine! All Nine!" echoed eerily throughout
the dark cathedral tower and out into the night.
Even
today, some Viennese claim the watchman's spirit still haunts St.
Stephen's, mourning his ninth pin. |
