Page 33 - 200912 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2009

33 The Little Drummer Boy 33 The Little Drummer Boy The Little Drummer Boy The Little Drummer Boy David grew up in the kitchen of the inn. His father was the innkeeper. His mother cooked the food. David's older sisters cleaned the rooms, and his older brother swept the stable. David loved to sing. He would sing to his mother as she cooked the food. David made up songs and banged on pots and bowls as he sang to her. David's mother smiled at him. "Someday you will sing in the temple, my son," his mother said. David grinned at his mother. "Tem-ple," David said very carefully. David's father came into the kitchen. "How is my big boy?" David's father asked as he swung David onto his shoulders. "Pum Pum Pum! Tem-ple come!" David sang as he drummed on his father's head with a wooden spoon. David's father smiled as his son kept on drumming. "We must find this boy a drum or my poor head will not survive!" said David's father, with a laugh. A few years later David got a small drum for his birthday. Soon he was beating rhythms on his drum wherever he went. Pat-a- am a poor boy, too. I have no gift to bring that's And he whistled, and shouted, and rum, pat-a-rum, pat-a-rum, David drummed to fit to give a king. Shall I play for you on my called them by name; copy the donkeys on the road. Swish-click- drum? click-tum, swish-click-click-tum, went David's David stepped closer to Mary, Joseph, "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, drumming to copy his brother sweeping straw in and their son. Baby Jesus smiled at David, Prancer and Vixen! the stable. reached out, and patted his drum. On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and One day David's father said to his Love, spirit, and the beat of his drum Blitzen! family, "We are going to be very busy. Caesar brought one little boy closer to the infant Jesus. To the top of the porch! to the top of the Augustus has ordered a count of all the families Continue to the next page to Read 'The Wishing wall! in all the towns." "Pum Pum. Pa-rum-pum-pum- Star,' and learn how hope, love, and a shining Now dash away! dash away! dash away pum. I counted six of us!" David sang. "Why star helped bring another little boy closer to all!" does this make us busy?" "Because people will someone he loved -- on Christmas Eve. As dry leaves that before the wild come to Bethlehem to be counted with their hurricane fly, families," said David's father. "They will need a Santa’s Reindeer When they meet with an obstacle, mount Santa’s Reindeer place to stay. They will stay with us, and we will to the sky; be very busy." So up to the house-top the coursers they David's mother cooked more food. The legend of Santa's reindeer was flew, David's sisters cleaned the rooms. David's created in a famous poem by Clement Clarke With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. brother swept out the stable and put new hay Moore (1779-1863). Clement was the son of the Nicholas too. and pots of water in the stalls. David's father bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the greeted the people as they came into town. Soon New York. The poem "A Visit From Saint roof, the inn was very full. David played his drum Nicholas" was written as a Christmas gift for his The prancing and pawing of each little and sang his songs for the people. children in 1822. The poem is currently better hoof.” [] Late one night there was a knock at the known by the title "The Night Before door. David peeked around his father at the Christmas" from its famous opening line. young man and his wife, who was on a donkey. Santa has eight reindeer, who magically They had no room for these people! What could pull his sleigh through the sky. They are named they do? David's father was a kind man. "You Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, can stay in the stable," he said. "It is warm and Donder and Blitzen. dry there. I can send food out to you." The Another, perhaps now more famous, young man thanked David's father and walked reindeer used by Santa on foggy nights is the donkey to the stable. Rudolf. The story of Rudolf the red-nosed David helped his mother carry bread and Reindeer was created by Robert L May in 1939, cheese out to the young couple. His mother told in a give-away booklet for the Montgomery him the woman was going to have a baby soon. Ward department stores chain of Chicago where The next day there was a lot of excitement. "The he worked. Rudolf the red-nosed Reindeer was young woman who stayed in the stable last then made famouse by the song recorded by night had her baby," David's mother told him. Gene Autry in 1949. "The baby is the King of Kings, they say!" said Here is an extract from Clement Clarke David's father. Moore's famous work:- David could not see the baby because of the crowd around the stable. David stood at the When, what to my wondering eyes back of the crowd and began to make up a song should appear, for the baby: "Come, they told me, our newborn But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny king to see. Our finest gifts we bring to lay rein-deer, before the king. So to honor him when we With a little old driver, so lively and come." quick, The crowd began to part when they I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. heard David's beautiful singing: "Baby Jesus, I More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,