The Little Drummer Boy

The whole village was bustling with energy. A new king was born and it was custom for everyone – rich and poor – to give Him a gift of any sort. The people of the village were lined up for a mile in order to see Him. Some women tried to keep their own newborns quiet, in fear of disturbing the king, while some men kept the older children occupied with stories.

At the very end of that line was a quiet young boy. The single item he carried was his only possession: a small red drum.

“David, come on, now,” said the woman behind him.

She put a hand on his back and lightly pushed him farther ahead of her. She wasn't his mother – he was an orphan, she assumed – but she found him wandering the streets just hours ago. His face was filthy and his clothes were no better. She knew that on a day like today she could not afford to be selfish. Today was a day to help others and she did just that by taking him into her home, washing him up and giving him some new clothes. Her first son had passed away just months before. He was only seven, and while this boy looked a few years older, he wasn't much bigger than her own.

She dressed him in a plain but warm brown shirt and a patterned green scarf with matching khaki pants. Having no shoes for him, she covered his small feet in her last remaining pair of socks. She also gave David her deceased husband's hat. It was made of a very fine wool – the only thing of true quality she owned. There was just something about this little boy and his drum that made Bernice feel he deserved everything she could give him.

The line was moving quicker than she thought it would be. Before she knew it, she could see the small wooden stable that protected the occupants and their newest visitors from the snow. Bernice kept her hands on David's shoulders, unsure of how she should present themselves.

Before she could think anything through, Mary was beckoning David forward. He slowly stepped out of Bernice's grip and wrapped his arms around his drum.

For the second time that day, Bernice heard him speak. “I – I'm a poor boy,” he said shakily, “and I have no gift fit for a king.”

Silence.

Bernice began worrying. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even think about what David's gift for Him would be. She thought he may give Him the hat but, unexpectedly, David set down his small drum.

“M-May I play a song for you on my drum?” he asked politely.

There was another heavy silence as David knelt down. He began to play a steady beat with a single hand, and then with another. He softly hummed the beat: pa-rum-pa-pum-pum.

In Mary's loving arms, a soft giggle was heard. David paused but only for a moment. He continued to beat the drum, this time with more confidence. Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum, rum-pa-pum-pum.

The giggling turned into full out shrieks of laughter and Mary couldn't help but smile. She looked behind the little drummer boy and towards Bernice, who returned the smile graciously. After another minute and a half of David's music, the newborn began clapping His hands together.

A pink blush swept over David's cheeks. Never in his life had he felt so accomplished – so proud, so...happy.

“Little drummer boy,” Mary spoke softly, “we thank you for making baby Jesu smile.”

“Thank you, dear King, for making me smile,” David replied.

Bernice leaned down and hugged David. She may have lost her first son and her husband in the past, but today, she found a young boy who needed her just as much as she needed him.

It was a day that they nor anybody else would ever forget. The duo learned that, no matter how poor one may be, one could always give another hope.