♪ Come they told me
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
♪ A new born king to see
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
The little drummer boy, Aaron
looked at the babe and thought
Surely, there is something
more I could give.
Something more I could do.
And as if reading
the boy's thoughts
one of the three wise men,
Melchior, said to him.
There is more, my son.
Indeed, there is.
For this is only
the beginning.
Tonight, I will travel into
the hues outside of Bethlehem.
For there is a very special man
that I must see immediately.
Does it have to do
with the babe?
Indeed, it does.
Each of us three kings
has a mission
in a different direction.
To spread the news of
what has happened here.
May I go with you?
Please, your majesty.
Yes, of course,
I would like that.
I believe you could
be helpful to me.
Who are we going to see?
And why is it so important?
The wise man, Melchior,
explained to Aaron
that in a tiny village
outside of Bethlehem
there lived a man
named Simeon
who for many years
had been foretelling
the coming of
the promised one.
But few believed
Simeon's story.
And most thought he was
not of a right mind.
And dismissed his prophecy
as idle nonsense.
Simeon lived on a hill
outside of Bethlehem.
He was a bell maker
by trade.
He made bells used
for horses and sheep.
And bells which servants used
to wake their masters.
And handbells to announce
the beginning of feasts
and other events.
Simeon had a dream
and a secret.
His glorious set
of silver bells.
Bells that he intended to ring
and be heard
throughout Bethlehem
to announce the birth
of the promised one.
The fulfillment of his vision
and he knew that
the day would be soon.
Only one other person
knew about these bells
the old king, Melchior,
who was on his way
even now with
a little drummer boy
to tell Simeon that
the time had come.
The bells would ring that
very day or would they?
'Open! By order of the emperor,
Caesar Augustus.'
'You must register
and be taxed this very day.'
There is no answer, sir.
Shall we break down the door?
No, of course not,
just tap lightly
and use a more gentle tone of
voice.
Of course! Break down the door,
you dote! Immediately!
Alright, men. Ready?
Now!
I-it's empty. Nothing, but
these silly bells here.
What a lovely sound.
Give me those,
Plato, you fool.
And all of you
search the place carefully.
There must be something
of value that we can take
instead of silver
to pay the taxes.
Uh, what have we here?
What was that?
Give me that spear.
Well, let's see
what we have here.
Well, well,
taking an afternoon nap?
Out of here this instant!
Brutus, my master,
these bells.
I think they're made
of pure silver.
Plato, you fool!
Don't be ridiculous.
Hmm, you're right.
'A fortune in pure silver.'
You're right, Plato, you fool!
What taxes has this man,
Simeon, been assessed?
Uh, 50 drachma of silver,
Brutus, my master.
50 drachmas of silver?
Oh, that's impossible.
I have nothing, absolutely
nothing of any value.
Nothing?
Not any silver at all, eh?
He says he has nothing.
Well, in that case,
you'll pay nothing.
Men! Drag those
bells out of here!
Since they are nothing,
we might as well take them
instead of the taxes.
Oh no, no, not the bells.
Please, you don't understand.
Out of our way,
you silly fool.
Poor Simeon.
So many years of work,
hope and expectation
lost in a few brief moments.
How would he ever
explain to Melchior?
♪ Come they told me
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
♪ Me and my drum
Simeon explained to Melchior
and Aaron that
the emperor's tax collectors
had taken his silver bells
as payment for the taxes
he could not afford.
Aaron suddenly
thought of a plan.
If we can find their camp,
I will enter as a beggar boy
and ask to sing
a song or two
and offer to entertain them
with my animals.
I'm sure they
wouldn't refuse.
But what good
would that do?
Well, we can't make a plan
to get back the silver bells
'until we find them.'
Then we will think
of what to do next.
They searched all
through the night
in the hills
outside of the town
and just when they could
hardly move another step
they saw
the tax collector's camp
in a small valley
beneath them.
Come, Babba, Samson.
You too, Joshua.
It's time to give
the performance of our lives.
- Plato, you fool!
- Yes! Brutus, my master.
Bring me that bag
of silver coins
we collected
for taxes today.
Too bad all of this
belongs to the emperor.
It's difficult
not to be greedy
with all of this
at one's fingertips.
You know, there were days
when money did not exist.
No money?
What did they use
to buy things?
♪ When they invented money
♪ They invented greed
♪ Now we're no longer trading
♪ For all the things we need
♪ I give you an egg
♪ And get some butter back
♪ Now I give you a coin
♪ For all the things I lack
♪ Hey
I give you a pig ♪
♪ And get a sack of wheat
♪ Now I give you some gold
♪ When I desire to eat
♪ Hey
I give you a hat ♪
♪ And get a pair of shoes
♪ Now there's no more of that
♪ You pay for what you use
♪ Money money money makes
you poor or makes you rich ♪
♪ Money money money
It's the gold and silver itch ♪
♪ Money money money makes
you poor or makes you rich ♪
♪ Money money money
it's the gold and silver itch ♪
♪ Would you take an egg
♪ And give some butter back
♪ No I'd prefer a coin
♪ For anything you lack
♪ Hey
would you take a pig ♪
♪ If I gave you some wheat
♪ No I would like some gold
♪ If you would like to eat
♪ Hey
I'll give you a hat ♪
♪ If you give me some shoes
♪ Now there's no more of that
♪ You pay for what you use
♪ Money money money makes
you poor or makes you rich ♪
♪ Money money money it's the
gold and silver itch hey ♪
♪ Money money money makes
you poor or makes you rich ♪
♪ Money money money
it's the gold and silver itch ♪
Plato, you fool.
Put this silver away.
And speaking of silver,
we must do something
about those wretched bells.
'We can't very well
go on carrying them'
all about the countryside.
Why don't we melt them down
into silver bricks
Brutus, my master?
Plato, you fool!
You're a genius.
Gather wood. We'll need a big
roaring fire to do the job.
Oh, no! Come quickly
before it's too late.
There's the boy now.
Just entering the camp
with his animals.
'Oh, God be with him.'
I hope nothing goes wrong.
That little drummer boy's life
is worth more
than any silver bells.
What have we here?
A drummer boy come
to entertain us?
I saw your camp
and heard the singing.
My animals and I have
not eaten for two days.
And I thought we might
entertain in exchange for..
'In exchange for what?'
♪ You give me a coin
♪ A ballad will I sing
♪ Fill my bag with gold
♪ While I am minstreling
♪ Hey
♪ You give me that pig
♪ I'll sing your favorite song
♪ For a sack of wheat
♪ I'll make it twice as long
♪ Hey
♪ I will trade that hat
♪ For a fa-so-la-ti-do
♪ No there's no more of that
♪ You'll sing for free
boy oh ♪
♪ You collect money from us
♪ Now there's a twist
♪ Money money money makes
you poor or makes you rich ♪
♪ Money money money
it's the gold and silver itch ♪
We must begin
to melt those bells.
Why is that fire not lighted?
Plato, yo-you..
Brutus, m-my-ma, uh..
We are having difficulties
starting it.
All the wood
is very damp.
We have need of two dry sticks
and some suitable kindling.
Sticks? Kindling?
Drummer boy, come here.
Ah, what a lovely little drum
you have there.
And those two sticks.
Perfect!
No! Please!
Not my drum!
Give me those sticks
and that drum.
Poor Aaron had not counted
on anything like this.
The only things of value
he had ever owned.
The very sticks and drum he had
used to play for the babe
lost forever in flames.
Aaron was truly heart broken
about the loss of his drum.
Melchior and Simeon were about
to leave their hiding place
and go to his aid
when they saw the animals
do an amazing thing.
Look! The animals have
taken the bells.
Oh, this is indeed
a miracle!
Come. They are stuck and
they will surely be caught
if we do not help them.
Enough.
Enough wood.
The fire looks ready
for the melting.
Bring the bells.
Aaron and his friends
knew that they didn't
have much more time
to get the bells
to a safe hiding place.
For the Roman soldiers,
within moments
would discover that
they were missing.
They were right here.
I'm sure this is where
we left them just hours ago.
Oh. Am I intruding?
I certainly don't wish
to rush you, but..
...what do you idiots think
you're doing standing around
and staring at your feet?
Uh, you see, the bells...
you know, the silver bells..
Uh, they seem to be,
uh, not here.
'Missing...uh,
m-missing..'
Aaron! You're back.
What is happening down there?
They've begun to search.
I'm sure that one of them
will find the tracks
and be here at any moment.
We must hurry!
If we can bury these bells
and make the sand look
like the other dunes
'then we may have a chance.'
Let me help you.
Quickly, they buried the bells
and then hid themselves
behind a nearby cliff.
Waiting and hoping
that all would be well.
'What have you found
there, Peroneus?'
Nothing! Nothing here
or as far as the eye
can see in any direction.
'Who among you remembers
silver bells?'
- Any of you?
- I don't know.
Good! Because there were
no blasted bells
no bell maker, no taxes
for anyone named Simeon!
Nothing, I will not be
embarrassed in Rome. Understood?
Yes, Brutus.
I, for one, remember nothing
since breakfast this morning.
Fool that I am.
It was your Greek namesake,
Plato, that once said
"Of all the animals
"the boy is
the most unmanageable."
'That drummer boy caused
all of this, unquestionably.'
I know it.
I have been made to play
the part of a fool.
And you were glorious,
Brutus, my master.
What a glorious day for me.
And for all of Bethlehem!
Indeed, all the world!
Thanks to you, Melchior.
And to our brave little
drummer boy and his animals.
It will be a day long
remembered in history.
Simeon, prepare
to ring out the bells.
For it is time.
Let me find Aaron.
I'm sure he'll
want to be here.
Melchior expected to find
a happy and joyous Aaron.
But instead, he came
upon one distressed
and on the verge of tears.
Why are you so sad, my son?
Today is a day for rejoicing.
You have accomplished
a magnificent feat.
I know I should be happy.
It's just that
my drum and sticks..
...they were b*rned in the fire
at the tax collector's camp.
They were a gift
from my poor father and..
The wise man tried to console
Aaron about his loss.
And soon, the little
drummer boy realized
that the event
that was about to occur
far over-shadowed
his small problem.
Now, Simeon. Now!
♪ Said the little lamb
to the shepherd boy ♪
♪ Do you hear what I hear
♪ Ringing through the sky
shepherd boy ♪
♪ Do you hear what I hear
♪ A song a song
high above the trees ♪
♪ With a voice
as big as the sea ♪
♪ With a voice
as big as the sea ♪
♪ Said the king
to the people everywhere ♪
♪ Listen to what I say
♪ Pray for peace
people everywhere ♪
♪ Listen to what I say
♪ The child the child
sleeping in the night ♪
♪ He will bring us
goodness and light ♪
♪ He will bring us
♪ Goodness and light
And all of Bethlehem
heard the bells
and knew that the prophecy
of old Simeon had come true.
And they, too,
followed the star
to see the promised one.
The little babe in the manger.
Aaron, we all have need
of your talents once again.
You know the road
to the manger.
Lead us, son,
with your drum.
My drum?
A mere few hours work
for a bell maker.
A drum! A drum.
Go, Aaron, and lead them.
For I must be on my way
back to Damascus.
And always remember,
God is with you.
I heard the bells
on Christmas day.
Their old familiar
carols play.
And wild and sweet
the words repeat
of peace on Earth,
goodwill toward men.
And each year,
the bells rang out
to remind the people
to come and rejoice
with love and hope
in their hearts
and celebrate
the Christmas day.
♪ So to honor him
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
♪ When we come
♪ I played my drum for him
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
Little Drummer Boy, Book II, The (1976)
Moderator: Maskath3