Bells

 The Liberty Bell

  The idea of bells is old. More than 2,000 years ago Jewish priests wore little bells on their robes. The kings of ancient Persia wore bells for decoration, too. The Chinese also had bells long ago. But big bells were not much used until about 1,500 years ago. Builders then began to put bell towers on churches so that the bells could call people to worship.

  From then on bells were used more and more. Town criers rang bells when they had news to tell. Curfew bells told boys and girls when they must be in for the night. Clocks struck the hours on bells. Many cities built bell towers.

  Bells are made of many kinds of ma­terial. Glass, china, wood, and metal are among them. Most big bells are made of bronze. Some beautiful small bells are made of silver.

  A bell makes its sound when it is struck. Many bells are struck by clappers which hang down inside them. These bells ring when they are swung. Some bells have balls inside. These bells ring when they are shaken. Other bells are rung without being moved. They are struck by hammers.

   The biggest bell ever made was never rung. A piece broke out of it before it could be. This bell is now standing in Moscow. People can go inside it. The bell is almost as tall as a two-story house. The biggest bell in use is in Moscow, too. Another very large bell is in a pagoda in Burma. The United States has a famous bell—the Lib­erty Bell.