| “ | When the day is good, and the wind is dry, and the goose is hanging high! I can't work like other men do when the goose is hanging high! | „ |
| ~ Ben Haramed's villain song. |
| “ | With this marvel in my show caravan, I will be as rich as Solomon. | „ |
| ~ Ben Haramed plotting to use Aaron in his scheme to get rich. |
| “ | Stop struggling, boy. There is money to be made. We can be rich! | „ |
| ~ Ben Haramed kidnapping Aaron. |
Ben Haramed is the main antagonist of the 1968 Christmas special The Little Drummer Boy.
He was voiced by the late José Ferrer, who also portrayed Shaddam IV in the 1984 Dune film and Dr. Marshall Cahill in Columbo.
Biography[]
The little drummer boy named Aaron is summoned by the three Wise Men to perform for the baby Jesus at his birth.
The boy has become misanthropic after his parents were murdered and his farm burned down by bandits, so he ran off into the desert with Samson, a donkey, Joshua, a camel, and Babba, a sheep. As he plays his drum with the animals, the diabolical Ben Haramed, with his henchman Ali, see the boy as a golden opportunity to get rich.
Haramed kidnaps Aaron to use him to perform in front of an audience with an acting troupe in Jerusalem. Aaron grows enraged by the amusement of the villagers and lashes out at them, scaring them. Ben, his goons, and Aaron retreat.
Sometime later, they come across the Three Wise Men's caravan, who are following a star. Ben Haramed unsuccessfully attempts to perform for them. And when one of the camels grows weak, Ben sells Joshua in a bid to get his gold. Ben makes it clear to Ali that he is through with the boy and they burst into evil laughter as Aaron walks away with his other friends.
Aaron's sheep is wounded, and he takes him to the Wise Men. Playing his drum to honor his family and for the baby Jesus, the Drummer Boy's faith heals his friend and good triumphs. As for Ben Haramed, he doesn't get his comeuppance, but it is obvious and implied that his show business failed without Aaron.
Trivia[]
- He is arguably the most evil Rankin/Bass villain.
- In the VeggieTales adaptation of The Little Drummer Boy, he is portrayed by Mr. Nezzer.
- His actions on kidnapping a boy and forcing him to perform in a show can somewhat be similar to Stromboli, the villain from Pinocchio. The only difference is that Pinocchio isn't kidnapped, but sold to Stromboli by Honest John and his sidekick Gideon.