The Drum

The Drum

Once there was a poor boy who lived with his mother in India. One day, Mother asked the boy, " Would you like something from the market?" “ More than anything else, I want a drum! " the boy said.

Mother sold some grain at the market, but there was still not enough money for a drum. Instead, Mother gave the boy a sturdy stick she had found.

The boy decided not to be disappointed. " Thank you, " he said. He tapped, slapped, and banged on everything with his new stick.

As he went tapping along, he saw his neighbor struggling to light her stove. " Use my stick to heat your stove, " he said.

The woman thanked the boy. When the stove got hot, she baked him a soft roti. The boy was about to eat his roti when he heard a hungry baby crying. The baby's mother had no food.