The Boy Who Wanted a Drum

In a small village at the foot of a green hill, lived a poor washerwoman and her young son. They had very little money, but they were happy.

One morning, the mother was getting ready to go to the market to sell some vegetables. “Be a good boy while I am gone,” she said. “Is there anything you would like me to bring you?” The little boy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Mother! I really want a drum! All the other boys have toys, but I have none. A small drum would make me so happy.”

The mother smiled sadly. She knew she didn’t have enough pennies to buy food, let alone a toy. “I will see what I can do,” she promised gently.

On her way home, she found a smooth, sturdy stick of wood lying on the road. “This is a nice stick,” she thought. “My son can drum with it on a log.” She brought it home. The boy was delighted. He took the stick and marched around the house, drumming on the pots, the table, and the fence. Tum-te-tum!

As he was playing outside, he saw an old woman struggling to light her stove. The wood she had was wet and smoky. The fire kept going out, and her dough was sitting unbaked. “What is wrong, Grandma?” asked the boy. “My wood is wet, child,” she coughed. “I cannot cook my bread.” The boy looked at his precious stick. It was dry and perfect. Without hesitation, he handed it to her. “Here,” he said. “Use my drumstick. It is dry.”

The old woman lit her fire, and soon the smell of fresh bread filled the air. She was so grateful she gave the boy a piece of warm bread. “Thank you!” said the boy. He walked on, Munching the bread… well, almost.

He heard a baby crying. A potter’s wife was sitting by the road, trying to calm her child. “The baby is hungry,” cried the potter’s wife, “but I have no food to give him until my husband sells his pots.” The kind boy immediately handed her his bread. “Here,” he smiled. “Give him this.” The baby ate the bread and stopped crying. The potter, who had just returned, was so moved by the boy’s kindness that he gave him a large, sturdy clay pot.

“Wow!” thought the boy. “A pot is even better than bread!” He walked on, carrying his pot. Near the river, he saw a washerman and his wife arguing. They had broken their only boiling pot and couldn’t wash the clothes. “Please don’t fight,” said the boy. “You can have my pot.” The washerman was relieved. “You are a generous soul,” he said. In return, he gave the boy a warm woolen coat.

The boy walked on. An old man was shivering by the bridge. “I was robbed,” shivered the man. “They took my shirt.” The boy gave him the coat. The man, who was actually a rich merchant, was safe and warm. He whistled, and his horse came trotting up. “Take this horse, boy,” he said. “You saved me.”

The boy couldn’t believe it! He led the horse towards the town square. There, he saw a wedding procession. The groom was looking sad. “The groom needs a horse to ride to the bride’s house!” shouted the father. “Our horse has run away!” The boy walked up and offered his horse. “Please, take mine,” he said.

The wedding musicians were watching. The head drummer came forward. “Little boy,” he asked, “why do you give everything away? You had a horse!” “I only wanted to help,” said the boy.

The drummer smiled. “You have a heart of gold. Since you simply wanted to help, take this.” He handed the boy a beautiful, colorful drum with red tassels. It was the finest drum in the village.

The boy’s eyes shone. He had started with a stick, and through kindness, he found his way to the very thing he wanted. He played his drum all the way home. Dum-digger-dum!

Moral of the Story: Kindness is a circle; what you give to the world comes back to you.

Moral of the Story: Generosity always comes back to you in unexpected ways.