The Little Drummer Boy, Book II is a 1976 stop-motion animated Christmas special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. As the title suggests, it is a sequel to the 1968 The Little Drummer Boy. It is notably the only Rankin/Bass special to receive an Emmy nomination; it was nominated for the 1977 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program, but it lost to Ballet Shoes.
Plot[]
The special picks up directly where the original special left off, at the little stable in Bethlehem, shortly after the birth of Jesus. Melchior, one the Three Wise Men from the first film, tells Aaron that this event is only the beginning. He and his fellow kings will go forth in a different direction to spread the news of the Promised One’s birth. He invites Aaron to join him to see his friend, an elderly bell-maker named Simeon, who plans to make a very special set of silver bells to honor the birth of Jesus. Simeon has been trying to spread the word of the Promised One, but the townspeople don’t believe him. Unfortunately, a group of Roman tax collectors, led by Brutus and his dim-witted lackey Plato, break into Simeon’s home. Simeon cannot pay his taxes, so to compensate, the tax collectors decide to take the silver bells as payment.
Melchior, along with Aaron and his animals, arrive shortly thereafter. Simeon explains to them that the bells were taken in lieu of the taxes he couldn’t afford to pay. This proves to be one of the most challenging tasks Aaron has ever faced. Regardless, he has a plan to find Brutus’ camp and rescue the bells: he and his animals will entertain Brutus and his men while the others locate the bells. They search the desert all night and just when they can walk no longer, they find the Romans’ camp. Aaron rounds up the animals and they begin to make their way towards the camp. At that moment, Brutus is getting ready to count up the silver coins that he and his soldiers had been collected that day as taxes. He laments that fact that all the money belongs to the Emperor, wishing the money was all his. Brutus, Plato and the other tax collectors then break out into a song and dance number. Towards the end of their song, Aaron has arrived at the camp and watches them from afar.
As Brutus tells Plato to put the silver away and mentions that they cannot go on carrying the bells across the countryside, as it would be a hassle to bring them on their travels, Plato suggests they melt them down into silver bricks, which Brutus thinks is a brilliant idea. As he orders his men to begin to set up a campfire, Aaron becomes frantic upon realizing that the tax collectors are planning on melting the bells and goes into the camp, playing his drum. Brutus is surprised to see Aaron and asks if he has come to entertain them—and even more surprised when he realizes that Aaron actually excepts to compensated for the song. He and his men all laugh at him, much to the boy’s bewilderment. Brutus becomes impatient and, wanting to begin melting the bells, asks Plato why the fire is not lit yet. He tells Brutus that they are having difficulty getting it started and are in need of two dry sticks and some kindling. Things take an ugly turn when Brutus acknowledges Aaron with a grin and asks him to come closer. Realizing that he is eyeing his beloved drum, Aaron is horrified and pleads for them not to take it. But it is too late—Brutus seizes his drum and sticks, and Plato uses them to start a campfire. These are the only valuable items that Aaron owns. In tears, tries to salvage the drum, but Brutus holds him back and forces him to watch it burn.
Melchior and Simeon are still keeping an eye on Aaron from the hills and are about to go down to help him when, all of a sudden, they notice something wonderful. While the tax collectors and a heartbroken Aaron are gathered around the campfire, distracted, the animals begins to drag the silver bells out of the camp and up through the hills. Eventually, Aaron sees what his animals are up to, and just as Brutus notices that the bells are gone, he makes a run for it. Aaron meets Melchior and Simeon up in the hills, where they have been digging a hole in the sand in which to hide the bells. Aaron frantically tells them that the tax collectors have begun to search for the bells. Melchior thinks that their best bet is that they try to make the sand look like the other dunes. After they finished burying the bells, they hide behind a nearby cliff. Luckily, their plan is a success: Brutus and the soldiers are unable to find the bells. Back at the camp, Brutus is nothing short of furious about the events of that night. He intends to sweep them—and Simeon’s debt—under the rug, telling his men that he “will not be embarrassed in Rome,” to which Plato is more than willing to play along. Brutus, knowing that Aaron had tricked him, admits he has “been made to play the part of a fool,” to which Plato responds, “And you were glorious, Brutus, my master!”
The next morning, the silver bells are set up and already to ring in the birth of Jesus. Melchior and Simeon rejoice at the return of the bells, and are surprised to see Aaron on the verge of tears. Melchior congratulates the boy for the work he has done and asks him why he is crying; Aaron sheepishly explains that the tax collectors burned his drum, as it was a gift from his father. Melchior tries his best to cheer him up, convincing him that the grand event of the ringing of the bells will overshadow his small loss. Finally, they are ready: Simeon rings the bells and the word is spread to the song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Afterwards, Simeon says that since Aaron knows the road to the manger, he should lead the way with his drum. Aaron is very confused at his suggestion—until, much to his surprise, Simeon presents him with a brand-new drum that he had made earlier. Melchior heads home, and Simeon and Aaron lead a crowd of people to the manger, where Aaron plays his new drum for the baby Jesus once again.
Songs[]
- “The Little Drummer Boy”
- “Money, Money, Money”
- “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
Cast[]
- Greer Garson as Our Storyteller
- Zero Mostel as Brutus
- David Jay as Aaron
- Bob McFadden as Plato, Soldier #1
- Ray Owens as Simeon
- Allen Swift as Melchior, Soldier #2
External links[]
The Little Drummer Boy, Book II on Bing Videos