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It was a prodigiously hard task to carry his burden the six or seven miles distance to Hiyeisan. It was "trying to balance a bronze bell with a paper lantern." The work made him puff and blow and sweat until he was as hungry as a badger, but he finally succeeded in hooking it up in the belfry at Hiyeisan. Then all the fellow priests of Benkei got up, though at night, to welcome him.
From that time forth the bell gradually lost its polish, and became dull and finally dark like other bells. When Benkei was a monk, he was possessed of a mighty desire to steal this bell and hang it up at Hiyeisan. So one night he went over to Miidera hill and cautiously crept up to the belfry and unhooked it from the great iron link which held it.
Carrying the bell to the top of Hiyeisan, he set it down, and giving it a kick rolled it down the valley toward Miidera, and left it there. Then the Miidera bonzes hung it up again. Since that time the bell has completely changed its note, until now it is just like other bells in sound and behavior.
"Naru hodo" said the priests. "What a strange bell. It wants to go back. It is not satisfied with our ringing." "Ah! I know what is the matter" said the aged abbot. "It must be sprinkled with holy water of Hiyeisan. Then it will be happy with us. Ho! page bring hither the deep sea shell full of sacred water."
So the pure white shell full of the consecrated water was brought, together with the holy man's brush. Dipping it in the water the abbot sprinkled the bell inside and out. "I dedicate thee, oh bell, to Hiyeisan. Now strike," said he, signalling to the bell-pullers. Again the young men mounted the platform, drew back the log with a lusty pull and let fly.
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