A Christmas Page

Tripod Members Page last updated:
2004/05/20


A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Saskia Nagel

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

 

In a village, there lived an old man who was very, very unkind and selfish.He would sit every single day with his ‘helper’ called Cratchet and he would count his money while he was always trying to save money in everyway. Cratchet has a son, called Tiny Tim, who is dying. Scrooge, the old man, wouldn’t give any money or help for the poor child and he wouldn’t even let Cratchet leave work an hour early on Christmas eve to go buy his dying son a gift.

Christmas carollers came to his door singing a carol and asking for some money to help other people on Christmas eve, but Scrooge is so stingy that he took a paper and made it into a ball, he openned the door violently and threww it at the carollers. Scrooge was a man that had no time to be happy, he just spent his days counting his money. Nobody carse about Scrooge much, except for his nephew Fred. He is the only one who at least says that Scrooge is his family and every Christmas dinner, Fred comes over and invites him to go have dinner with his family.But everytime Scrooge just refuses to go.

That night,when Cratchet left his work and nobody was in Scrooge’s house but for Scrooge himself, he was walking to hi s bedroom to go to bed and he saw something that shocked him. He saw the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley. This ghost,whoe was exactly like him with his money, told him that three other ghosts would vivst him that night ;the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas future. Jacob Marley’s ghost told Scrooge that after the visit of these three ghosts he would change, unless Scrooge wanted to end up in hell and miserable like Jacob.

This ghost left and Scrooge went to sleep. Later, Scrooge in his dream woke up and saw the ghost of Christmas past. This ghost took him flying into the past and showed him how happy he had been when he was a child and also his bad moments but he showed Scrooge how much people had cared about him. The ghost showed him the school he had attended when he was a child, also Scrooge saw all the little boys who were his friends. He also saw his sister,May, when she came to take him home with her. And while he is observing all his past Christmasses he began to realise that he could make the world a little better and he thinks that he would have liked to give Cratchet his free time and the carollers some money.

Finally, he saw the woman who he loved, Belle. It was a very hard moment because that’s when they parted. All these people that used to care for him, still think about him, while he doesn’t and is just busy with his money.

The ghost if Christmas present has come and he shows him the Cratchet family at Christmas dinner ans Scrooge finally finds out what type of illness Tiny Tim has and realises it is really bad. He sees where poor coal miners live. Afterwards, he is taken to see the people that still really cared for him, Fred Scrooge’s house. Scrooge sees that they are very happy with eachother’s company but still they talk about Scrooge in spite if his indifference. He sees them playing a game and finds out that they think of him as a ‘beast’ but still do care about him. Finally, Christmas present leaves Scrooge to meet Christmas future.

Christmas future came and he showed him what would happen to him in future Christmasses. He saw the Stockbroker’s talking about someone who had died the night before and they said that they wouldn’t go to his funeral because there wouldn’t be anyone there. Scrooge also saw the lady who cleans in his house once a month with another lady and she had stolen the sheets that Scrooge’s body had been wrapped in and said that Scrooge had no friends in his life. But he idn’t know yet that he was the dead man, until he lokked at his funeral and read what what engraved on the tombstone. He also sees that the people there were the Cratchet family and Fred Scrooge. Finally, he understood that he had to change and the spirit disappeared and he was left in his bedroom.

He is happy and cheerful in the morning because he is alive and it’s Christmas day and this meant that he has a second chance. He send a boy to buy the biggest turkey possible and he sent it to Bob Cratchit’s house. Also, he gave money to the Philanthropists and it seemed to be a very large sum of money. He went to Fred Scrooge’s house and met everyone who were very astonished and excited to see him there. He had dinner with them.

The next day Bob Cratchit came to work late, but Scrooge was happy and said he would raise hi s salary. He became like a second father to Tiny Tim, who didn’t die, and was happy and joyful. Finally, Scrooge realised that he had been living his life the wrong way round.

863 Words

The End.

The Christmas Carol


"Now children let me tell you a marvelous story of Christmas, that can teach you a good lesson, which, I hope you will not forge

Once upon a time, there was a farmer called Ebenezer Scrooge, who had no time to be happy. His only way to spend the day was to count and recount the large amount of sheep that he had or decide with his partner, Jacob Marley, to who sell what sheep. The second one was much more generous to people of the indigent kind then the first one. He was remembered and cherished dearly in the hearts of the charities that came every now and then to collect money to help the poor. Scrooge was the complete opposite and had become even more ill famed in the village for his stinginess after his partner’s death. No starving dog would come to his house to ask for a bone; no child would ask for the time from him; not even a lost traveler would ask him for directions. However, such life suited Scrooge.

Except for the shepherds, only Ebenezer’s nephew, Fred, dared to visit him. What’s more, he even invited his uncle to Christmas dinner every year. This was not his will, but the feeling of responsibility for his family made him do this. “If we do not invite him to dinner,”- he said to his wife- “ then he will be alone for Christmas”. However, Scrooge ignored the invitation every time, always leaving his seat in the nephew’s house empty.

Not only he did not celebrate this wonderful feast; he did not want the others to have fun too. For example, this Christmas he ran out the door shouting at the carolers. Nor did he let his shepherd in chief, Bob Cratchit, leave two hours early in order to get something cheap but attractive from the toy shop, which closed early that night. No pleads softened the skin flint’s heart and Bob’s boy, Tiny Tim, was left without a present.

This night was a Christmas Eve, and unlike everybody, Scrooge’s supper was the same as usual. After the meal, he studied the book in which he wrote down the weight of a sheep and how much it would approximately be sold for. Suddenly, the door knocker turned into Marley's face. Of course, Ebenezer did not believe his eyes.

“It must be the cheese I ate at dinner”, - he said. Nevertheless, a cart with a coffin on it, being driven by skeletons appeared.

“Calm down Scrooge,”- he said to himself-, “It is just your imagination playing tricks on you. It is pure nonsense, so stop shivering like an idiot.”

“Scrooooge! Ebenezer Scrooooge!”- howled a ghostly voice. “It is me, Jacob. I came to help and warn you. See this chain wrapped around me? These are all of the bad deeds I have done during my life. What’s worse, it holds me back from doing good ones during this one. Yours, Scrooge, was this long when I died, but it has gained many meters since. Now I have to carry it around with me everywhere because I am unable of taking it off.”

“But who else wears such things?”- Asked Scrooge who finally gained enough courage to speak.

“All of the people who lead such selfish lives as you do. This fate waits for you too. Unless...”

“Unless what? Tell me, I will do anything!”

“You will be haunted by three spirits. If after you have seen them, you do not know what to do, then you are unchangeable. So, be warned. I have to go now. Remember, your chain is a very heavy load for your shoulders.”

Then everything was gone and again, blaming the cheese, the man went to bed. During the night, he woke up and looked at the clock. It was twelve o’clock, but Scrooge clearly remembered that he had gone to sleep past two in the morning. Unexpectedly, there was a flash of light and the ghost of Ebenezer’s past Christmases entered. Scrooge was surprised, but sleepy.

“Go away. Can’t you see that I am sick and in great need of sleep, which you have rudely interrupted by your loud entrance?”

“Come. Tonight you will fly to see Ö Just wait until we get there.”

“I do not want to go! Leave me beÖ What? What is happening? Let go of me! It is you, who is making my hand hold on to your robe, isn’t it? Well, let me go, I demand!” However “come” was the only word that the phantom had said.

They landed many years in the past, near Scrooge’s school.

“Do you remember this place?” – asked the ghost.

“Remember? Why, I could walk it blindfolded! Oh, spirit, look! It is Jack and Charlie and the other village boys! And the dog! I used to steel milk for her puppies! Look, that’s me! I remember this Christmas so well! My father never forgave me for my mother’s death during my birth and therefore I always had to stay in school for this grand feast. I lived in the world of books because the one outside of the school was closed for me during the year and no one in boarding house wanted to accept me. I was very lonely.” At this point Scrooge dropped a tear. “Why didn’t I?”

“What?”

“Nothing. It is just that I regretted that I chased the carolers away. I should have given them somethingÖ Well, as I was saying, this day was special. My sister May, bless her soul, came to get me for the holidays. She had persuaded our father to let me come. There she is, right there! May! May! It is I, Ebenezer!

“She can’t hear you, Scrooge,”- said the ghost of Christmas Past. “She is a shadow of what once had been. You have seen enough of this place. Let’s go!”

Next, the spirit took him to his teen years. They flew over a village and began to fall. When they landed, Scrooge saw himself with another boy whom he knew for a long time. Dick Wilkins was his name. The two of them were carrying boxes and as they entered the house, so did the old man. The two teenagers were taking off their apron and laughing with MR.Fezziwig, their employer.

“Go close the shop before we start the party,” – he said. When they came back, the girl, for whom Scrooge had feelings, was there already. Her employer did not celebrate Christmas and therefore, Mr. Fezziwig invited her to come. They drank a toast in his honor.

“He deserves it,”- said Scrooge. “He was the only person I knew who had the power to make us happy or sad. Moreover, he decided to give us happiness, which was as great, as if it cost a fortune. If only I gave Cratchit happiness this evening!”- he whispered to himself, but the ghost heard and said nothing.

Meanwhile the dancing began. Of course, Ebenezer danced with Belle and when they were left alone, he placed a ring on her finger.

“Now, let’s skip two years and see what happened then,”- said the Spirit.

“No, don’t do this to me Spirit, please. Don’t take me there. Look, I am on my knees! Please!”- begged Scrooge.

“Sorry, I have to do this or you will never learn.”- was the reply from the phantom.

Now Scrooge stopped at his own farm but years ago. There he was having a fight with Belle, yes the same Belle from the past.

“I have not changed towards anything, and you too.”- He screamed at the girl

“Yes, you have. Even towards Mr. Fezziwig, who was once a model for you. Now you say that he is a fool. I saw all of your ideals collapse. Once upon a time, a happy although poor boy asked me for a promise. I gave it. But you are not him anymore, so I release you from it.”- she replied

“Nooo! Can’t you see fool that she is leaving you?”- shouted the old Scrooge to the young one as Belle left the room. “Hold her back you fool, don’t let her go! Look at what you are losing! Why don’t you go after her? Why don’t youÖ”

“Let’s go.”- said the merciless spook.

“No more shadows, please!”

“Just one more, just one.”

Many years have passed in between the visions. This time they saw Belle talking with her husband. He told her that today, when he passed Scrooge’s office, he saw Marley dying and they were alone with no one in the house. The only thing Belle said was “poor man”.

“Get me away from here! Haunt me no more!”- Shouted Scrooge. “Haunt me no more, no more!”

He looked around and saw the Spirit go and he found himself in his bed. With the words “no more” on his lips, he fell asleep.

However, the visits of the Christmases were not over. The second night Scrooge was counting the bell beats until midnight. After he got up and started looking for the ghost.

“You will not take me by surprise!”- he cried. “So come out!” Although Scrooge was expecting the visit, the flash of light scared him. He covered his eyes.

“Leave me alone, whoever you are!”

“I am the ghost of Christmas present. So, is this the kind of welcome you offer me? Where are the turkeys and cakes and pies? Surely, nobody has a happy Christmas celebration without them!”

“For me Christmas is the same as any other day. I never bothered learning how to be merry on this day.”

“Then let’s go!” They flew over the village and stopped on the other end in front of Bob Cratchit’s house.

There, Mrs. Cratchit was very happy because she had just met her daughter Martha. Together they decided to play a trick on her husband. The girl hid and the mother, trying to be sad, met the father.

“She did not come!”- said Mrs. Cratchit

“But how? I know she would not miss this day for anything in her life. Oh no, don’t cry Tiny Tim, she’ll come!”- said her surprised husband.

“And I am already here”- shouted Martha jumping out from behind the sofa. “Come Timmy, show me the goose mama has bought.”

After they left, Cratchit told his wife that Tim behaved properly in the church. Also when one lady has tripped over his crutch (Tiny Tim had a very serious sickness and therefore was deformed) and looked at it for a long time, he said that maybe she remembered the birthday of a person who makes lame people walk.

“Poor boy,”- said Scrooge. “I did not know.”

“You did not try to find out either,”- answered the ghost.

“Tell me if he will live!”

“I think not. If the shadows I see will not change, then he will die. Anyway, what do you care? It will only decrease the sum of money that you have to pay to the charity!” Loud cheering interrupted the spook.

“To Mr. Scrooge who made this evening for us possible to celebrate!”- shouted Cratchit.

“I will not accept this toast, nor my daughters!”- said his wife. He looked at her pleadingly until she agreed to finish the toast. After they all went to play games.

Again Scrooge grabbed onto Phantom’s coat and they were off. They visited the most isolate places on Earth and Ebenezer saw that everywhere where people lived there was a feast that night. At last, they came back to the village, to Fred’s house. There all of the people present were laughing at Scrooge’s stupidity of not coming to this wonderful dinner and calling Christmas nonsense.

“Listen Fred, if he comes to your house tomorrow, I will owe you ten bucks.”- said Fred’s friend, Tupper.

“I will try next year again,”- was the reply which was answered by Ebeneser's gratitude. Then the game of Blind Man’s Buff was started where Tupper was ‘it’. He was always after Florence, his beloved girl therefore the game lost its sense and was soon stopped. Nevertheless, everybody, including Scrooge was so excited that they all wanted another game.

“It is time to go,”- said the spirit.

“Just a few more minutes. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much for years!” The game chosen was ‘Yes and No’. Fred was to think of a word and everybody else would ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions in order to find out what it is.

“It is an African giraffe,”- said Scrooge with certainty. Surprisingly the questions ‘Does it live in London?’ and ‘Is it a wild animal?’ were answered positively. Then Mrs. Fred guessed it.

“It is your Uncle Scrooge isn’t it?”

“Yes and let us all drink to his health because without him we would not have this much fun!”

“To Uncle Scrooge!”

Strangely enough Ebenezer only laughed. They visited many other houses, but all poor or rich, sick or healthy were merry this eve. When they finally reached his house, he dared to ask whose were the children under the spirits robe, which he noticed during his voyages.

“They are man’s kids. I want you Scrooge to never turn your back on them. Not this boy Ignorance, nor this girl Need.”

“Is there any one to help you in this hard work?”- asked terrified Scrooge.

“Are there no jails? Are there no orphanages?”- replied the spirit, disappearing into the dark.

However, another ghost was yet to come. The spirit of Christmas Future was more like Death itself. Without saying a word, it made Scrooge follow.

“Are we going to see the future? I am afraid of these visions more then of any before. But I am going to change therefore I will bear your company. Hurry, I know, we have very little time for lots of things to be seen.”- said the man.

They stopped at Stock Exchange or the hut where important papers are sold and bought. Three women were talking about a sudden death of a man, whose papers they were selling now without saying the actual word death or funeral

“He was all alone although he deserves it. Are you going to the!?”- one of them asked.

“Not unless I get something for free there,”- answered the other.

“Of whom are they talking, Spirit? I know them. Are they talking about Marley? Answer! Stop being this quiet!”- Scrooge was getting annoyed now. However, the spook only stretched out his bony hand to make him look at the visions. Now they were on a different side of the village, which he never visited. There was the rag- and- bone woman being chased after by Mrs. Maggs with a bundle of rags, which looked like decent clothing.

“Wait! I have something for you from a nice man, who made me, clean his apartment only once a month. Look, here are some blankets and sheets. And this is his best nightshirt. He was going to be buried in it, but I didn’t allow them.”

“I do not think he was such a good man otherwise, somebody would stand by his bedside when he was dying. As far as I know, he did not have a friend in this world. Well anyway come with me to my shop.”

They left and the Spirit took Scrooge to the graveyard, where again he pointed to an open grave as if saying ‘look into it’. Then Ebenezer suddenly saw the Cratchit family. They all knelt before the rave and had a silent prayer. Soon Fred joined them and said to Cratchit:

“I am sorry about this. If there is anything I can do to help find me by this card.”

“Oh no. I think I know who lies there.” As he approached the grave, he read his name on the memoriam stone.

“Help me, help! Just say that I can hope for another kind of death. I will change. I will always have in my heart you lessons, the lessons of past, present and future. Please, just tell me that there is hope!”- But the Spirit did not listen and left.

Scrooge found himself in his bedroom, praying for hope in the future. Then he heard the carolers sing.

“I am alive! I did not die! They gave me another chance! Thank you spirits!”- he shouted while he got dressed. Then he flung open the window of his bedroom and wished:

“Merry Christmas to everyone! Let all be joyful on this day!”

Then he remembered that he has lost track of time and therefore he ran out into the street and asked a boy who was the first person he met what day it is.

“Why, Christmas day of course!”

“Oh good. I have not missed it. The Spirits did everything overnight!”- he said to himself. “Hey boy! For five shillings will you run to the poulterer’s and tell him that I will buy it. You stay there and keep it reserved.” –after the boy has run off, Scrooge though how happy, the Cratchit family is going to be to get this anonymous turkey. Then he took out Fred’s invitation and before visiting him, he decided to go and get himself a new coat. As he went off, he met the charity ladies.

“Stop, I beg you. I decided to donate this sum”- he whispered it to them- “to the charity”

“Lord bless you sir, if you are not joking!”

“I sure am not, ladies.” They shook hand and Scrooge went off whistling.

In Fred’s house, Tupper and Florence were playing Blind Man’s Buff again. When Scrooge entered, the girl did not say a word, but slipped behind him. Surprised he a move, which made Tupper catch him.

When he took off the blindfold and saw the ex-miser, he shouted so loud, that the whole house came down to the hall.

“Uncle?”- asked surprised Fred. “In a new coat? What’s gone over you?”

“I have come to dinner, if I may.”

“Of course!”- Fred ran up to Scrooge and started dancing around with him. “Your place is still there!”

“Is it? Thank you Fred, thank you.”

Then he saw Mrs. Fred whom he never accepted because he did not like Fred being married without his permission. He ran up to her and they hugged.

“Egh, Fred, you 10 bucks.”- said Tupper.

“They are truly yours, uncle,”- he replied.

“Listen Tupper, go out into the street and believe me, you will find a lot of families who can’t afford dinner. Give this bank note to them. Now, let us start the party,”- he said as he danced of into the living room.

This was the most wonderful day of Scrooge’s life. After the meeting at Fred’s place he went to his farm hid his new coat and started practicing the growl that, he was going to make at Bob Cratchit, who he was sure going to come late this morning. And true: the shepherd was late for 18 minutes! He slipped into the farm and started feeding the sheep trying to not make any noise, but the bark of a dog attracted Ebenezer’s attention.

“What do you mean by coming so late?”- he demanded.

“I am sorry, sir. We had so much fun yesterday that I over slept today. I will catch up in work.”

“And in your salary. I am raising it! Let’s go now to a café and celebrate this event! And never again we shall work this day from now on.” Surprised Bob could only say ‘thank you’ to happy Scrooge.

After that day, they became friends. Scrooge hired the best doctors for Tiny Tim who was cured by them. The whole village knew him and they said that if you did not know how to celebrate Christmas, he was the man to see. And so ends the story of a marvelous change of a man through his dream.”

18.10.98: N. K.


A Re-Setting and Re-Telling a Dickens famous tale.



It all happened in a small village in the north Africa. On a Christmas eve there was only one office working and it was the office of Scrooge who was a very mean man.He never helped the poor and he never ever spent money in his life.He never donated any money to the poor and never bought anything which was expensive. Scrooge owned a company which was lending money to people . He also had a helper who worked with him , his name was Bob Cratchit and he was paid very little salary . It was just enough to support the living of his family and not let them die of hunger.But he couldn’t afford to buy anything special for them because he was very poor.Bob Cratchit had five children and the youngest one of them whose name was Tiny Tim was very sick and could hardly walk.But his parents couldn’t help him because they were so poor.


So on this Christmas in the office Bob asked Scrooge if he could leave at five pm instead of 7 pm because he saw something cheap in a shop and wanted to buy it as a present to tiny Tim but as usual scrooge refused his request and told him to get on with his work , and because it was so cold at that time Bob took a candle and started to worm his hands on it when suddenly Scrooge stood up and took away the candle on his own table. Then Scrooges nephew came in and greeted his uncle but as usual Scrooge wasn’t happy to see him because he thought that Fred ( his nephew ) was only wasting his time. And as on every Christmas eve Fred asked his uncle to come to dinner to his place and Scrooge refused like on every Christmas eve. Then Fred gave Bob some money wished him a merry Christmas and left with his wife
home.


Everything was quiet when suddenly the carolers started singing under Scrooges door and Scrooge took a stick and chased them away with it.Straight after Scrooge chased away the carolers two laddies came in and asked Scrooge to donate some money to the foundation which would help the poor on the streets and not let them die there of cold and hunger. But Scrooge refused to give a penny when Bob Cratchet stood up and gave his last coin to them . The two ladies thanked him and left the office.


At seven pm Bob Cratchit left and Scrooge stayed to finish off his calculations.When he finished he put everything in a chest and locked it .Then he locked the building and left home . When he arrived at home he saw something strange because when he was approaching his door he thought that he saw the face of his dead partner on it whose name was Jacob Marley who was Scrooges companion in work and who died seven years ago on a Christmas eve just like this but Scrooge didn’t believe his eyes and he thought that he was seeing this just because he was tired.


When he got in and locked the door behind him he changed his clothes and went to sit down quietly in an armchair and having his dinner . Then all of a sudden he started hearing the sound of chains all around him and he turned around quickly to find that there was no one there.At that time he thought that it was just the cheese he ate and that it was just calming down in his stomach that why he was having this hallucination. But then he heard a voice speak to him and he realised straight away that it was the voice of his dead partner Jacob Marley. But he still didn’t believe his ears and thought that it was just the cheese.


Then he heard the sound of the chains again behind him and when he turned around he saw a ghost standing in front of him all bound up with chains with account books and boxes full of money attached to him. Then Scrooge realized that it was the ghost of his ex- partner Jacob Marley and Scrooge couldn’t help it to ask , ‘why are you chained up in all of this stuff ,’ ? And the ghost answered,’I am chained up because during my life I have been very bad to people same as you and I never spent a penny more than I needed, I never helped the poor or anybody in the world and that’s why I am chained up in this heavy chain . As I got older and still haven't done anything good my chain became bigger and heavier and now I have to suffer carrying it.But I came here not to tell you that but to help you so that you don’t end up like me wearing the same chain because if you do get this chain than you wont be able to do anything about it or to help anyone ever in your life again. I came here to tell you that three ghosts are going to come and visit you on three different nights at midnight and they will help you. Their names are the ghost of the Christmas past , the ghost of the Christmas present and the ghost of the Christmas future. They will show you your past , your present and your future and hopefully you will change your mind about the world and live a normal life.’ But still Scrooge didn’t believe him and thought that it was all the cheese which he ate today. Then the ghost said,’I know that you don’t believe me but you will change your mind tonight and just to make you see , look out of the window outside. ‘ As he did so he saw that there were about twenty ghosts filing on the streets around one poor little girl who was freezing outside. But none of them couldn’t do anything their chains didn’t let them and they were so desperate to help her. Then Scrooge turned around and found that the ghost had gone same as the ghost outside who were trying to help the little girl. And still Scrooge didn’t believe what he first saw and heard and he thought that it was all just his stomach. Then he went up to his room put on his pyjamas ,checked the watch ( and it was half past two ) and went to sleep.


Suddenly the clock began to strike what time it was and Scrooge woke up because of that . He started counting the beats and found out that it was midnight. ‘It cant be he exclaimed because when I went to bed it was already half past two. Could it be that I slept through the whole day and deep into the second night or is it just a dream and I am still sleeping ,or is it that something happened to the sun and it is really midday. ?’He went to the window and looked out but there was no one there everyone was asleep. Then he heard strange noises and ducked under his blanket and at that time there was a very bright flash and there was a person who stood in front of him. In amazement Scrooge asked,’are you the ghost of the Christmas past who I was foretold would come ?’ ‘Yes’,answered the ghost. ‘ I have come here to help you, I will show you your past and everything which happened in it.’ Then the ghost told scrooge to take him by the robe and Scrooge couldn’t disobey.Then the ghost began to fly up and Scrooge started screaming ‘I cant fly what are doing’ ? ‘Today you will fly’ answered the ghost.


Then there was another flash and they were in a completely different place, then the ghost asked ‘do you remember this place Scrooge ?’ ‘Yes I remember it , I studied here when I was young , my father always used to leave me here and never let me come home , he hated me because when my mother was giving me birth she died and I stayed alive that’s the reason for his hatred to me.’ Then a girl passed and Scrooge remembered that it was his older sister . And then he also remembered that at that time he was locked up in the old church and was obliged to study. And that his sister came here to take him back home because she made her father do that. That she said that if her father wouldn’t let his own son into the house than she would leave as well.


Then there was another flash but this time they reappeared in another place a few years later and that was when Scrooge was learning how become a professional banker. His employer was a very nice man and he was able to choose if he wanted to make Scrooge happy or miserable while he was working for him and he chose to be nice to him. He was giving him free time, he was feeding him very well and the most important was that he was always nice to him and never done anything bad to him. So on this Christmas eve he took Scrooge and another helper of his own to his own Christmas party and made them have fun and dance.


After this moment the old Scrooge had a tear fall down his cheek and the ghost asked him what was wrong with him and Scrooge answered that today there were some carolers next to his door and he wished that he would have given them some money. Then the ghost said ‘now I am going to show you one last thing from me and that thing is the next Christmas.’ And at that point Scrooge started to beg the ghost not to bring him to the next Christmas because it was the most miserable Christmas of his life. But then there was the final flash and they were in front of the young Scrooge when he was a bit older and his girlfriend who was talking seriously to Scrooge. She was saying that before Scrooge was nice and she was ready to marry him but now that Scrooge changed so much in a bad way she didn’t want to merry him any more because he didn’t care about anything except money and now he was calling his nice employer a damned fool. Then the girl turned away from him and ran. At that moment the old Scrooge turned around and began to tell the young Scrooge to run after her and stop her from going away from her because she was the best thing he could ever have. But the ghost stopped him and said that he couldn’t hear him and that they were the only ones who could see them.


At last there was the last flash and Scrooge reappeared in his own bed and he fell asleep solemnly .
The next night came and it was midnight when another flash appeared in Scrooges bedroom. As the ghost appeared Scrooge asked, ‘are you the ghost of the Christmas present which has to come to me and show me the present Christmas ?’ ‘I am’. Answered the ghost. And as in the previous night the ghost asked Scrooge to grab hold of his long robe . And this time they reappeared in Bob Cratchit's house and there Scrooge saw how his family lived. He saw that they didn’t have any money at all to spent, and he saw that their dinner was very poor and not expensive . The only good thing which Cratchit could afford to buy once a year was a very small turkey. But all of his family was happy except for the tiny Tim.
Then Scrooge and the ghost went to another place and this time it was the house of Scrooges nephew Fred. At that time he had a party at his house and the people were enjoying themselves very much. They were playing games and having fun. Then Fred stood up and said that he wanted to make a toast. Everyone stopped talking and listened to him and what he said really amazed Scrooge, he said, ‘I would like to make a toast for my uncle Scrooge so that he will live a happy and long life and so that he would change in a better way. When the audience heard him they were amazed because no one loved Scrooge except Fred and no one else would say such kind words for him. After this house the ghost brought Scrooge back to his bed and Scrooge fell asleep.


And again Scrooge heard the ringing of the tower bell and again it was midnight , then he saw the third ghost , the ghost of the Christmas future. And the ghost told Scrooge to grab hold of his hand and when Scrooge was putting out his hand the ghost put out his and Scrooge saw that it was the hand of a skeleton. But still Scrooge obeyed and he took the ghosts hand . And this ghost took Scrooge to a place on which he has never been before. It was a grave yard . And the ghost put Scrooge on the ground next to a particularly small and ugly grave. When Scrooge looked at the grave he got very scared because it was his own grave that meant that he was dead.


In the next half an hour four people approached the grave and Scrooge was very surprised to see that anyone should be coming to see his grave. When the people approached he saw that it was Fred with his wife and also Bob Cratchit with his . At that moment he heard Cratchit's wife ask why did he come to see this horrible mans grave . And Cratchit answered , ‘he was my employer and I have to respect him even if I didn’t like him.’


After the grave yard the ghost took Scrooge to Bob Cratchit's house where Scrooge saw that Tiny Tim the happiest child of the family was dead and everyone was weeping around him. Then the ghost took Scrooge back to his house and disappeared.


The next morning Scrooge woke up and realized that the dream was over and that he wasn’t dead yet and that he could still get rid of the big chain which was waiting for him. As soon as he got out of bed he opened the window and wished everyone outside a merry Christmas. Everyone looked at him from the street in amazement and thought that the man was just drunk. But then Scrooge saw a boy on the street and told him to go to the shop across the street and get him the biggest turkey in the shop. The boy looked at him in amazement but obeyed him and got it for him. Then Scrooge bought a lot of good food and went over to Bob Cratchit's house. The Cratchit's were very happy with all of that but still Bobs wife thought that it was one of Scrooges tricks. But then when she heard that he was going to get the best doctors to help Tiny Tim she realized that he was really a nice person.


Eventually Scrooge became like and uncle to Tiny Tim and he did a lot of good for people . He even found the two old ladies who were collecting money for the poor and gave them a large sum of money.


G.S. 11/1998


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