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Legend of the Bell.
Many years
ago, on a cold December night, a crusty old biker was
returning from a trip to Mexico. His saddlebags were filled
with toys and other assorted trinkets to give to the kids at a
group home near where he worked.
As he rode
along that night, thinking how lucky he had been in life,
having a loving riding partner that understood his need to
roam the highways, and to his trusty old panhead that hadn't
let him down in the many years they shared the road together.
About 40
miles north of the border, in the high desert lurked a small
group of those notorious little critters known as road
gremlins. You know the ones that always leave little
obstacles; one shoe, boards, pieces of old tires, or digging
the dreaded pot holes for bikers to run over and crash, giving
the road gremlins a chance to rejoice over their acts of evil.
Well as the
lone wolf of a biker rounded a curve that moonlit night, the
gremlins ambushed him causing him to crash to the asphalt and
skid for a while before coming to a stop next to one of his
saddlebags that had broken free. As he lay there, unable to
move, the road gremlins made their move towards him. This
biker not being one to give up started throwing things at the
gremlins as they approached him. With nothing else to throw
but a bell he started ringing it, in hopes to scare off the
dirty little gremlins.
About a half
a mile away camped in the desert, were two bikers sitting
around the campfire talking about their day's ride, and the
freedom of the wind blowing in their faces as they rode across
this vast country. In the stillness of the night air they
heard what sounded to them like church bells ringing and upon
investigating, found the old biker lying along the roadside
with the gremlins about to get him. Needless to say, being
part of the biker brotherhood, they preceded to ward off the
gremlins until the last of gremlins ran off into the night.
Being
grateful to the two bikers, the old road dog offered to pay
them for their help, but as all true bikers do, they refused
to accept any type of payment from him. Not being one to let a
good deed go unnoticed, the old biker cut two pieces of
leather from his saddle bags tassels and tied a bell to each
one, then slowly placed them on each of the bikers
motorcycles, as near to the ground as possible.
The tired,
old road warrior, told the two travelers that with those bells
placed on their bikes, they would be protected from the road
gremlins and that if ever in trouble just ring the bell and a
fellow biker will come to their aid.
So whenever
you see a biker with a bell you'll know that he has been
blessed with the most important thing in life friendship from
a fellow biker.
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