the little drummer boy book 2

of all the classic holiday tv specials on DVD, I'm surprised that my all time favorite "The Little Drummer Boy book 2" isn't currently on DVD. It's my all time favorite stories as the little drummer boy from the original story is on another adventure as one of the three wise men needs to go see his friend Simian and inform him of the birth of the new baby Jesus. Simian was a man who knew of the prophecy of the coming of  the birth of the Christ child, and as he told everyone in the area, they dismissed it as idle nonsense and walked away. During the day, Simian was a bell maker and made bells of all sizes and kinds, but his greatest work to be was the large bells he planned to ring with the prophecy coming true and the birth of the baby Jesus. However a group of Tax collectors had come into his home, and clamed that he owed a lot of money in taxes. In fear, Simian had hid himself and his bells for his safety, unfortunately the tax collectors broke into Simian's home, and took his giant bells in exchange as payment for his taxed he owed. Poor Simian felt broken hearted as his prize work had been stolen and there was no way to get them back.
                     It was then that his good friends the drummer boy and a wise man came to visit, and was told of what the tax collectors had done and that his bells are gone. The drummer boy then came up with a plan as  we would  all sneak into their campsite and find a way to get the bells back. It was a dangerous mission, but Simian was hopeful, but feared for their lives. It had been a long journey, but they found their campsite, and the tax collectors planned to melt down those bells into valuable silver. But the drummer boy's plan was to come into the camp with his animal friends saying that he hasn't eaten in days, and offered them a song to play on his drum in exchange for some food. The collectors just laughed at the drummer boy and took his sticks and drum to start their fire to melt down the bells. It was while this was happening that the animals managed to take back the bells that were in the wagon and come back to Simian, and it was then that the tax collectors realized that the bells were suddenly missing. It was this distraction that the drummer boy used to make his get away and help out the animals. Surely the tax collectors will be looking nearby for their missing bells, and they don't want to get caught. So with a clever plan, they buried the bells in the sand to look like the other sand piles, and hid behind one of the piles and prayed that the tax  collectors wouldn't find them. With all their attempts they couldn't find the bells and the others were safe. Sadly the drummer boy was crying as his only possession in the world his drums were burned in the fire by the tax collectors, but Simian reminded the boy that a  great moment was about to occur, that overshadowed the drummer boy's problem.  Simian had proudly set up his large bells and when the time came, he rang them proudly as their sweet songs were heard by everyone announcing the birth of the baby Jesus. And everyone who heard those bells knew that Simian was right all along and that his prophecy had come true and were all guided by the shining star in the night sky to the stable where the  baby was born.
             Afterwards, Simian had asked the drummer boy to lead them to the baby with his drum. But the drummer boy was puzzled on how he  could do this with no drum. It was then that Simian had surprised the drummer boy by giving him gift of a brand new drum that he made himself. And thanks to the drummer boy's drum, he successfully led Simian and the wiseman to the stable to see the baby Jesus. I always loved the bell song Simian played on his giant bells, which was Do you hear what I hear. It's one of the most exquisite songs I've ever heard being played on those large bells. I would love to have bells as large as those to play songs someday. Maybe Simian could give me a few lessons on how to play them.  I could be wrong as maybe it's now on DVD, but if it's not, it should.