The Kampen Sturgeon
The city of Kampen expected important visitors. A meal which would do the city proud was going to be served; the guests would be treated to delicious sturgeon. However, the guests could not make it on the agreed date and the visit had to be postponed. This meant that the sturgeon had to be kept alive until the new date. After a lot of deliberation the notables took a wise decision. For the time being, the sturgeon was allowed to swim in the waters of the IJssel Lake, close to the town. In order to keep track of the fish, and to be sure that it was still there, a string of jingling bells was hung around it. The visitors have still not arrived. And to this day the citizens of Kampen lean over the IJssel Bridge and are reassured when they hear the sound of the bells.