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TRANSCRIPT
The Drummer BoyWritten by Soo-hyeon Min Retold by Joy Cowley
Illustrated by Peggy Nille
In a small village in Rwanda, Africa, there lived a boy named Rukundo who liked to play the drums.
Each day he walked two hours to bring water for his family. But the water is dirty and his family becomes sick.
How can the people of the village get clean drinking water?
This edition includes a Readers Theatre script.
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Growing StrongSocial responsibility
The Drummer BoyWritten by Soo-hyeon Min Retold by Joy Cowley
Illustrated by Peggy Nille
Original Korean text by Soo-hyeon Min
Illustration by Peggy Nille
Korean edition © EenBook Co.
This English edition published by Big & Small in 2014
English text edited by Joy Cowley
English edition © Big & Small 2014
Printed in Korea
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-921790-52-2
Rukundo lived in Rwanda, Africa.
He was a very good drummer.
Boom-boom! Boom-boom!
The sound of his drum
woke people in the morning.
A new day had begun.
2 3
Rukundo’s mother said,
“Rukundo, hurry! Get some water.”
Grabbing two plastic containers,
Rukundo set off on the dirt road.
Other children were running
with containers in their hands.
They could go to school
after they had brought water
back to their village.
4 5
Rukundo was first at the water hole.
The water was dirty with cow dung
but even dirty water was scarce
in Rwanda.
He filled the containers with a cup.
One, two, three, four, five, six…
After a while the yellow containers
were filled.
6 7
It was a long walk to the water hole
and a long walk back home again.
Rukundo wanted to make a lot of money
so he could put a water pump in his village.
He had heard there was good clean water
under the hard dry ground.
If only it could be pumped up!
He was happy with the thought
that he could be the one
who bought a water pump for his people.
8 9
Rukundo gave water to his brother and sisters.
When they drank from the water hole,
they often got a stomach ache.
But they could not live without water.
“Mother,” he said, “Can I go to school now?”
His mother sighed. “I’m sorry, Rukundo.
They have a fever and need more to drink.
You have to go to the water hole again.”
10 11
Rukundo had not been to school for days.
If he hurried, he could make the last class.
He ran with the full water container
but he tripped over a stone.
Water poured out into the dirt.
His knee was skinned and bleeding.
“What a fool I am,” he said.
12 13
The sun was setting
when he limped into the village.
But no one was at home.
A neighbour called to him.
“Rukundo, your brother and sisters
are very sick in the hospital.
Your mother is with them.”
Rukundo forgot about his sore knee.
He ran to the hospital,
still carrying his containers.
14 15
His brother and sisters were in beds
in the old hospital tent.
His mother said in a weary voice,
“The doctor said they have cholera
from drinking dirty water.
Many children are sick with cholera.
Some have even died.”
Rukundo poured the water
out of the containers.
If only they had a water pump!
16 17
Rukundo was very angry
that the contaminated water
had made his family sick.
He did not know what to do.
He started to beat the empty yellow container.
Boom-boom! Boom-boom!
Tears fell on the plastic drum.
Click! Click!
A man was taking pictures of the drummer boy.
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Help!
Give Hope to Rukundo
and the Children of Rwanda!
One Water Pump Saves Thousands of Children!
Clean Water for Rwanda’s Children!
Rukundo’s Yellow Container!
Little Drummer Boy in Rwanda!
20 21
One year passed, and the small village
was full of happiness.
Some good-hearted people
had read the story of Rukundo
and they had installed a water pump
in Rukundo’s village.
Rukundo was allowed to pump first.
As the sparkling water gushed out,
everyone cheered and shouted,
“Hooray, little drummer boy!”
22 23
Now Rukundo travels around the world.
He does not beat his drum in anger.
He beats it in hope for the children
who are facing death in Africa
because they have no clean water.
Wherever Rukundo beats his drum,
people will know more about Africa,
and more lives of children will be saved.
Boom-boom! Boom-Boom! Boom-boom!
24 25
Readers Theatre
Characters: StorytellerRukundoMotherNeighbourDoctorPhotographer
Page 2STORYTELLER:Rukundo lives in Rwanda, Africa.He is a very good drummer.
RUKUNDO:Boom-boom! Boom-boom!The sound of my drumwakes people in the morning.It tells them a new day has begun.
Page 5MOTHER:Rukundo, hurry! Get some water.We must have waterbefore you go to school.
STORYTELLER:So Rukundo grabbed two plastic containers,and set off on the dirt road.
Page 7RUKUNDO:It is a long way to the water hole.The path is stony and I have no shoes.But I must run as fast as I canor I will miss school.
Here I am at the water hole.The water is dirty with cow dungbut even dirty water is scarcein Rwanda.
I fill the containers with my cup.One, two, three, four, five, six…Now the two plastic containers are filled.
Page 8STORYTELLER:Rukundo dreamed of making a lot of money so he could put a water pump in his village.He had heard there was good clean water under the hard dry ground.If only it could be pumped up!
The Drummer Boy
Dear Readers,
I am very glad to tell you
about Rukundo’s yellow plastic drum.
Many things happen in the world.
Some are sad things – like poverty
and the droughts that damage
countries in Africa.
When we hear this kind of news
we feel sorry, and we may think
there is nothing we can do.
But there are people like Rukundo
who awaken the love in our hearts
and tell us how we can help.
From the author
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Page 16RUKUNDO:There is my mother!
MOTHER:Your brother and sistersare in the hospital tent.The doctor says they have cholera.
DOCTOR:Many children here have cholera.They get it from drinking dirty water.Some of the children have died.
RUKUNDO:The water I have been gettingfor my sisters and brotherhas made them sick.If only we had a pumpfor fresh clean water!
Page 18STORYTELLER:Rukundo poured the waterout of the containers.He was very angryand he started to cry.He beat the plastic containersas though they were drums.Boom-boom! Boom-boom!
PHOTOGRAPHER:I am a photographer.I’m here to take photographsfor the world’s newspapers.I can see a small boy cryingand making a drum noiseon some big plastic bottles.I must talk to him.
STORYTELLER:The news photographertook pictures of Rukundoand wrote down his story.
Page 20PHOTOGRAPHER:I sent the story and photosto the world’s newspapers.Listen to these headlines!
Litte Drummer Boy in Rwanda!Rukundo’s Yellow Container!Give Hope to Rukundoand the Children of Rwanda!
Page 21DOCTOR:The photographer’s storyraised money for a water pumpthat would bring fresh waterto the drummer boy’s village.
Page 10RUKUNDO:My brother and sister get stomach aches from the dirty water in the water hole.I want them to have clean water.
MOTHER:There you are, Rukundo. Hurry!Your sisters and brother are thirsty.
RUKUNDO:I’ve got the water, Mother.Can I go to school now?
MOTHER:I’m sorry, Rukundo.They have a feverand need more to drink.You must go to the water hole again.
Page 12RUKUNDO:I have not been to school for days.If I don’t get a good education,I won’t get a good job.And if I don’t get a good jobI won’t make enough moneyto put a pump in my village.
STORYTELLER:He filled the water containersand ran back to the village.But he tripped over a stone.
RUKUNDO:What a fool I am!I have spilled all the waterand skinned my knee.I will have to go backto the water hole.
Page 14STORYTELLER:The sun was settingwhen Rukundo limped into the village.
RUKUNDO:There is no one at home!Where is everybody?
NEIGHBOUR:Rukundo! Rukundo!Your brother and sistersare very sick with fever.Your mother has taken themto the hospital.
STORYTELLER:Rukundo forgot about his sore knee.He ran to the hospital,still carrying his containers.
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Page 23MOTHER:One year has passed, and our small villageis full of happiness.Some good-hearted peopleread the story of Rukundoand they installed a water pumpin our village.
RUKUNDO:I am allowed to pump first.I am so happy to see fresh water.It gushes out, sparkling and clean.
NEIGHBOUR:Hooray, little drummer boy!You have saved us from the feverthat comes with dirty water.
Page 25STORYTELLER:Now Rukundo travels around the worldto raise money for more water pumpsin more villages.Wherever Rukundo beats his drum,more lives of children will be saved.
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