The Little Drummer Boy

Central Park Zoo, Fountain, 2000 hours

Private set the stable down in front of the wishing fountain with a smile on his beak. This was the perfect place to put up the Nativity set this year, always his special job. He didn't exactly know why he liked setting up the Nativity so much, but it filled him with a deep, sparkling joy. The best he could describe it was it was like a Lunacorn giving him a hug.

The littlest penguin looked down into the box and pulled out the little porcelain figures of Mary and Joseph, placing them in the stable. Then he took out the wise men and set them in their proper place- a little ways away from the stable, so he could move them closer each day until Christmas. That was a special tradition. Then came the animals: camel next to the wise men, donkey, ox, dove, a few cotton-ball sheep that Rico had made, and a penguin. (Skipper thought it was only fitting that one be there, despite Kowalski's protests about penguins not being native to Bethlehem.) He set the manger and the Baby Jesus in the center, and put the angel on the top of the stable. Perfect.

But no, he was forgetting something. Of course! The figure he had made this year himself out of clay- the little drummer boy. Even though it looked quite sloppy next to the porcelain figures, he was still proud of it. Private set him right next to the Baby Jesus.

"Come, they told me, pa rum pum pum pum," the little penguin sang as he made the small clay boy march around the stable. "A newborn king to see, pa rum pum pum pum!"

Private giggled and stood up, surveying the scene. Now it was perfect. He had to admit, the drummer boy added something special to the Nativity. It had always been his favorite Christmas story. Standing there fantasizing, he wished he could have been there, been that little drummer boy.

"I would have loved to have played for you," Private softly said to the baby Jesus. "Well, all set up." He brushed his wings together with satisfaction. "Time to get back to the HQ for eggnog!"

As the little penguin began to walk away, he heard music.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum, I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum

"Oh! Someone finally put the Christmas CD in, did they? And what a coincidence too!"

I have no gift to bring, pa run pum pum pum, That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum, On my drum?

Strangely, the music seemed to be coming specifically from the direction of the Nativity. Private turned around out of curiosity, and noticed his little drummer boy was missing. "Someone took it! Oh, dear!" Frantically he began searching in the bushes around the fountain.

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum, The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum

Now the music sounded like it was coming for a different direction. Intrigued, he followed the noise through the zoo. Maybe someone was playing with the drummer boy and listening to the song? Had Julien taken him?

I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum, I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum

The song led him to the middle of the zoo, near the penguin habitat.

Rum pum pum pum, Rum pum pum pum

Their huge Christmas tree was now before him, and under it was none other than the little drummer boy figure.

"There you are!" Private exclaimed. "How on earth did you get there?" He picked it up and let out a small gasp. The drummer boy was no longer a boy but a penguin- it was him, playing the drum with a happy expression on his face. "How did-"

Then He Smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum, Me and my Drum

The mysterious music ended, and Private looked around the zoo, then back to the figure in his hands. "That was right magical, it was," he murmured. "Simply magical."

Private scurried back to the Nativity set and put his little drummer boy next to the Baby Jesus. "Thank you," he whispered. Then he skipped back to the HQ for eggnog, 'pa-rum-pum-pum'-ing the whole way.