The Belling is a story that was told to Mr. Durham by his grandmother while she was in the hospital after having a stoke. She was having difficulty remembering what had happened earlier in the day, but things that happened decades before were remembered easily. The main characters in the story, Winnie and Lloyd, are Mr. Durham's grandparents. This Sunbury, Ohio tradition continued to take place years after the event told about here in the book. Mr. Durham's mother remembers Bellings taking place even when she was a little girl. This tradition also took place in other small towns across the country.

This story has been shared with students in many different schools around he world. The students have given Mr. Durham good feedback and have helped him revise the manuscript.