Christmas is an important festival celebrated all around the world and is considered to be one of the most propitious festivals. Most children are well-versed with the myths, legends and stories associated with Christmas, with which they are all brought up with. The story of Rudolph, the story of the birth of Baby Jesus, and the story of Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem are some of the stories that most people are familiar with. However, there is one story that many may not have paid attention to, one story of a young boy, who stayed till the end, but has still not managed to be a part of Biblical references. Apart from the shepherds, and the Wise Men who brought gifts from afar, there was one boy, who also witnessed the birth of Jesus Christ. Legend tells us that there was a drummer boy, who carried with him a great truth and a deep message. Read on to know more about the story of the Drummer boy.
The Unnoticed Presence
According to legend, there was once a young boy who was asleep in his house. A sudden sound woke him up and he was startled to find a parade taking place right outside his house. As a child, this young boy called Zach, was fascinated with parades and always wanted to be a part of it. He would often dream about dressing up and marching with others in the parade while playing the drum. Incidentally, Zach's parents gifted him with a drum set for his birthday the previous year, and seeing the parade taking place outside his house, Zach realized that it was his only chance to get out, play the drums and be a part of the colorful gala.
He was stunned to see that the people who were parading outside were not ordinary men and women. They looked like wealthy people who were sitting on camels and were richly dressed. There were servants who led these camels, and Zach believed that this parade was headed towards Herod's palace.
Therefore, like any other inquisitive 12 year old, Zack slipped out of his house, making sure not to awaken his parents and took his drum with him. Once he crept out of the door, he began playing the drums once he got in line with the parade; somewhere behind the last camel. He was unsure of where the big group was headed to, and he began to get carried away with his drum. He forgot that the people in Jerusalem were sleeping and all the noise that he was making, might actually awaken them. People scowled, yelled and even threw stones at poor little Zack, but he refused to stop playing. Little did Zack know that the parade was actually headed towards Bethlehem, and that he was headed towards a shed where a baby boy was born.
The people knew right away that the new born baby was special because there was a single star that shone brightly in the sky above. All the wise men on the camels and the shepherds who were part of the parade carried princely gifts with them, but little Zack had nothing with him, but his drum. Zack noticed that the poorest widow at the shed also had something to present to the newborn, and gave in everything that she required to live, to this unique child.
After all the other onlookers had left, the little drummer boy stood alone in the shed; his presence unnoticed. He was disappointed for not having brought a single gift with him. Without knowing what to do next, he began playing his drum, slow at first and then loud. Legend states, that Baby Jesus responded to the sound, turned his head towards the drummer boy and smiled; the first response to any gift presented to him on this special day. The drummer boy was no longer sad, as he believed that he presented Baby Jesus with the greatest gift of all; the gift of love.
The Little Drummer Boy Christmas Song
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.
Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
on my drum?
Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.
The legend of the Drummer Boy is a popular one and marks the significance of the greatest gift one can present to another one during Christmas. It might be hard to look for the perfect gift for loved ones during Christmas, but the story of the drummer boy teaches us a valuable lesson. This is the perfect story to read out to children on Christmas this year, with the moral of the story highlighting the importance of 'love' holding prime importance above everything else.
Legend states that there was a little drummer boy whose presence went unnoticed during the birth of Jesus Christ. Read on to know more about the legend of the Drummer Boy.