European
Picture 
Book
Collection

Country: Spain, Catalunya
Language: Catalan
Title: El Timbaler del Bruc (The Drummer on Bruc Hill)
Author: Mònica Abad
Illustrator: Roser Rius
Publisher: Susaeta
ISBN: ISBN: 84-305-4176-4
Chosen by: Berta Albi; Patricia Puebla; Sari Forsman; Laura Sans

Rationale for Choice:
This book has been chosen because it tells the story of a famous Catalan legend.

Re-telling
At the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte sent his troops to Catalonia and started invading all the territory. This is a story of a battle that took place during that invasion in Bruc Hill. The sometent , a group of Catalan peasants determined to defend their land and customs, prepared an ambush for the French army. Even though their strategy was good the French outnumbered the sometent and were trained soldiers. They were about to loose the battle when suddenly they all heard the noise of drums. The French thought that a large army like theirs was approaching and retreated from the battlefield. Actually, the “drums” were played by one brave boy who had been denied to join the sometent because of his age. Resolute, the young lad decided to go to battle with his drum. What really happened is that the mountains of Montserrat redoubled with echoes the noise of the drum and make it sound like a great number of drums.

Translation:
(page 6)
At the beginning of the 19 th century, after the French Revolution, a man called Napoleon Bonaparte got hold of the power in France and wanted to expand his empire throughout Europe . Cleverly, and with the excuse of going to Portugal , he entered with his soldiers in Catalonia . Once there, they did what armies usually do: impose themselves.

Little by little, they occupied many villages and towns. There were very few towns that could stand out against the French army.

(page 8)

But not everybody was resigned:

“We don't want to change our ways or accept a foreigner's law” you could hear around.

And finally, in 1808 people rose up in a lot of Catalan villages against the French invaders.

“Companions, friends, brothers, we must do something! Let's oppose the invader! It is time!”

Many big and small villages and big and small towns, among them Manresa , denied Napoleon's power and refused to obey his imposition.

(page 10)

“Take up arms! Let's take the street! We won't allow the French to stop us!”

When the news of the revolts reached Barcelona , especially the Manresa revolt, the French chiefs ordered:

“Send a column of soldiers to Bages, the area where Manresa is, so we can punish them as they deserve! Drums marking time! Troops form! Canons, mules, carts for supplies…!”

And they set out towards the inner lands.

(page 12)

The inhabitants of Bages were warned about the well-organized army that was approaching.

“It is time to call the sometents . We need to gain time. The soldiers will take several days to arrive”, the peasants agreed.

The sometent were a group of people ready for battle. They only gathered when the inhabitants summoned them in emergency situations, when there wasn't an organized army to defend those lands.

There came men from all the villages of the region and they all went to Bruc Hill in Montserrat , a marvellous group of mountains where the French army had to pass through.

(page 14)

In the small village of Santpedor , there was a lad willing to go to battle.

“I don't want anybody to change my land and my customs! I will join the sometent , I am a man already”, he said energetically.

But the men of sometent thought that he was too young and didn't let him go to combat.

“Well, if I can't go with your permission, I'll go without it”, he said furiously.

Resolute, he went home to pick up a few things and his drum, which he played skillfully in festivities. He left without making any noise and took the path to Bruc Hill.

(page 16)

The sometent , who were a bit further, were prepared to ambush the French army.

“Bruc is a good place to catch them unawares. We know it better than they do. We only have to be prepared”, comforted the foremen.

The French had a lot of weapons and were highly trained, but the people of the area knew that land much better and knew where to hide and were to flee if necessary.

(page 18)

When the French army arrived on Bruc Hill they were surprised by the sometent men and the battle started.

“Fire!” the chiefs shouted.

The Catalan fighters started to shoot against the French, who didn't hesitate to respond to the attack. The fighters were few in front of the organized column of the French army and, even though their strategy was good, they soon started to lose men and weapons.

(page 20)

The situation of the men of Bages started to be really difficult when, suddenly, they heard the sound of drums.

< Rat-tat-a-tat, rat-tat-a-tat, rat-tat-a-tat>, called the drum of Santpedor.

The young drummer started to play harder, rolling and rolling more loudly with every beat.

Then something happened. Something that nobody could ever imagine: the mountains of Montserrat increased and redoubled with echoes the sound of that drum. Good heavens! What a tremendous din! Not even the sometent knew what was going on.

(page 22)

When the French soldiers heard that racket they thought that a great army like theirs was approaching.

“By the beat of these drums there is an army of a thousand men moving closer and closer”, the soldiers whispered to each other.

“Attention! Retreat!” ordered the general, “If there are a lot of soldiers, a lot of cannons and ammunitions; we run away…!”

(page 24)

Surprised and scared at the same time for what was coming closer, the French left the battlefield as fast as they could.

Suddenly, the lad appeared playing his drum. Then the men of the sometent understood what had happened.

“It is the boy from Santpedor! Hooray, hooray!”, they all cheered.

All those who fought the great army of the French bravely had become victorious thanks to the boy's will.

(page 26)

When they went back home, they were received as heroes, and the lad became the most famous person in the region.

“Boy, you have proved to be brave and trustful”, the head of the sometent said “Thanks to you and your drum we have been liberated from the French. From now on, you will be known as the Drummer on Bruc Hill. Congratulations!”

(page 28)

However, we all know that one swallow does not make a summer and one battle does not mean to win a war. The French troops continued occupying Catalonia for a long time, but the people of the towns and villages never gave up.

The statue of the Drummer on Bruc Hill reminds us of the figure of the boy that, with courage and a bit of help from nature, defeated a superior enemy.

Activities for use in school: 

1. The Drummer on Bruc Hill is both a narration of a historical event and a legend.

a) Can you think of a similar story in your own country? Maybe you can find one where the main character is a young lad. Or maybe the story happens in a specific mountain or hill. Or maybe there is an element like the drum that helps solve the problem.

b) Make a comic of this story you have thought of in groups. Try to imagine that this comic is going to be read by children from other countries.

2. Look at the following words in Catalan. Can you guess their translation in English?

- excusa (page 6)

- acceptar (page 8)

- armes (page 10)

- enemic (page 28)

Why do you think they are so similar?

3. In the cover of the book we can see a picture of Montserrat . This mountain is very special because it has strange shapes.

a) Search in the internet for real photographs of Montserrat .

b) Is there any particular part of the mountain that reminds you of an animal or an object? We have found an elephant, a penguin, a finger… What can you see?

* You know what? Montserrat looks like that because thousands of years ago it was under the sea.

4. In the story, the drummer plays something that sounds military and scares the French army. Do you have drums in your school? If not, you can play on your tables.

Create a rhythm and play it all at the same time in class. Do you think it can scare out a whole army?

Cultural Reflection:

Sometent

It was a group of people that gathered when there was an emergency that had to be fought. Usually the people that formed this group were peasants from small towns that didn't have any previous military formation. Their only goal was to defend people in villages. Of course, this concept doesn't exist anymore.

Montserrat

They are a group of mountains which are situated in Catalonia . They are very special because of their silhouette. Thousands of years ago it was under the sea and that is why we can see those particular shapes. Nowadays, there is a convent and a church on it and you can make many excursions if you go there.

Bages

Nowadays, Catalonia is divided in 42 shires. These are small regions of land which have a capital city. Bages is one of these shires and its capital is Manresa . Bages is situated in the middle of Catalonia and Montserrat is in there. Back in the 19 th century this shire didn't existed as we know it today, but it was already a delimitated region.

NB Further literature and language-based activities can be found in
Picture Books sans Frontières available from tb@trentham-books.co.uk
or www.amazon.co.uk