Extracted from RETAIL by balloumowgly
♪ Come they told me
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
♪ A new born king to see
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
[female narrator] The little drummer boy, Aaron
looked at the babe and thought
[Aaron thinking] Surely, there is something more I could give.
Something more I could do.
[female narrator] 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.
[sheep bleating]
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?
[female narrator] 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.
[indistinct chatter]
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?
[dramatic music]
[male #1] 'Open! By order of the emperor, Caesar Augustus.'
'You must register and be taxed this very day.'
[music continues]
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.
[bell ringing]
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?
[metal clinks]
What was that?
Give me that spear.
[clink]
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!
[laughing]
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.
[all laugh]
Oh no, no, not the bells.
Please, you don't understand.
Out of our way, you silly fool.
[groans]
[female narrator] Poor Simeon.
So many years of work, hope and expectation
lost in a few brief moments.
How would he ever explain to Melchior?
[The Vienna Boys' Choir singing "Little Drummer Boy"]
♪ Come they told me
♪ Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum
♪ Me and my drum
[female narrator] 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.
[sheep bleating]
- Plato, you fool! - Yes! Brutus, my master.
Bring me that bag of silver coins
we collected for taxes today.
[coins jingling]
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.
[Melchior] 'Oh, God be with him.'
I hope nothing goes wrong.
That little drummer boy's life
is worth more than any silver bells.
[drum music]
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..
[Brutus] '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
[all laughing]
♪ 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.
[all laughing]
[female narrator] 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.
[sheep bleating]
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!
[sheep bleating]
Come. They are stuck and they will surely be caught
if we do not help them.
[fire crackling]
Enough. Enough wood.
The fire looks ready for the melting.
Bring the bells.
[female narrator] 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.
[Plato] '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.
[dramatic music]
[Brutus] 'What have you found there, Peroneus?'
Nothing! Nothing here
or as far as the eye can see in any direction.
[Brutus] '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.
[sheep bleating]
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.
[crying]
[sheep bleating]
[camel moaning]
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 burned in the fire at the tax collector's camp.
They were a gift from my poor father and..
[crying]
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!
[chiming]
[The Vienna Boys' Choir singing "Do you hear what I hear?"]
♪ 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 ♪
♪ 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.
[sheep bleating]
Go, Aaron, and lead them.
For I must be on my way back to Damascus.
And always remember, God is with you.
[instrumental music]
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
Extracted from RETAIL by balloumowgly