The Legend of the Drum

Did you know that the drum is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world? A very, very long time ago, ancient African tribes began using drums in their rituals and dances. In those days, music and songs as we know them today didn’t yet exist, and it was the drum that helped people create the basic rhythm to which men and women danced and had fun together. So where did the first drum come from? According to one old legend, the story went like this:

Every evening, the monkeys gathered on the vast African plains. Monkeys are extremely sociable animals, and therefore they always got together at the end of the day to tell each other about their latest experiences. Then, late in the evening, when the sun had completely set and the sky was dotted with stars, all the monkeys would fall silent. Only the crickets disturbed the night’s peace with their strange sounds. The moon gently illuminated the plain as the monkeys lay contentedly in the grass, silently watching the wonderful celestial spectacle.

One evening, one of the monkeys came up with an interesting new idea. “If we were closer to the sky, it would be even more beautiful. Those birds fly close to the moon and they must have a truly enchanting experience up in the starry sky,” the monkey mused aloud.

The other monkeys heard his idea, and a great commotion broke out in the monkey colony. The monkeys competed furiously with each other over how they could best get closer to the sky. Eventually, they all agreed that the best thing would be for them to climb one on top of the other, forming a tall monkey tower.

And so they set about trying this plan out. The strongest…