A Rankin-Bass Christmas: The Little Drummer Boy, Book II

 The sequel to The Little Drummer Boy followed in 1976, eight years after the first. The Little Dummer Boy, Book II does a fairly good job of continuing the story and style. The puppets have been revised, or perhaps recreated. They're very good matches, however. Only those with very good eyes for detail would notice. Jules Bass took over from Romeo Mueller as writer, however, using his Julian P. Gardner pseudonym. The voice cast has changed, with the exception of narrator Greer Garson.

The story opens with Aaron at the manger, thinking there is more he can do. Melchior, one of the wise men, asks for his help in seeing Simeon, a bellmaker who has created a series of silver bells he wants to use to announce the birth of Christ. However, Simeon is visited by a group of centurions collecting taxes, and when they find the bells, made of pure silver, they confiscate them, planning to melt them down into easier to transport bricks.

Aaron, his animal friends, Melchior and Simeon go after the centurions, Aaron playing his drum, offering to entertain the centurions in exchange for compensation. When Brutus, the lead centurion, is told that they need two sticks and kindling to start the fire, he takes Aaron's drum and uses that and its sticks to start the fire.

However, while this sorry scene takes place, Baba, Samson and Joshua pull the bells to safety. Aaron manages to slip away and helps Melchior and Simeon bury the bells, disguising them as sand dunes, a plot which tricks the centurions, who give up, leading Brutus to order that Simeon will not be reported so his own embarrassment at losing the bells will not be reported.

Simeon sets up the bells and plays them to announce Christ's birth. He asks Aaron to lead people to Christ's manger with his drum, presenting him with a new one he's made. Overjoyed at the replacement, the Little Drummer Boy plays once again.

The sequel honestly isn't bad. Not quite as moving as the original, though. There are certainly plot holes, a big one being that the special take place over a few days, but at the end, narration implies that the bells play on "Christmas Day," despite that Christ would be a few days old now.

This is one one of the specials that's a little more difficult to come by, despite it being on DVD. I'll be explaining the availability of the specials later, so hold that thought.