Stories / A Christmas Carol
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• A Christmas Carol
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By Small Town Sim | Created: Dec 11, 2006
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A Christmas Carol
Written by the great Charles Dickens
Simplay by the humble Small Town Sim
December 2006
@TSR
Pages in this Story
- 1 A Christmas Carol
- 2 We begin our story with young Fred asking his Uncle Ebeneezer to please come to the Christmas party. "What?" declares Scrooge, "Christmas?" Come on Uncle, begs Fred. But his uncle meerly walks away back to his Accounting Office.
- 3 I will not be there. Christmas? Merry Christmas... Bah-Humbug, I say! Everyone who goes about with Merry Christmas on their lips should be boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart! Now GO HOME and leave me be! Fred, shaking his head, goes away... but not before shouting Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year too!
- 4 Later that evening before entering his home, Scrooge thinks he sees someone.. or something... at his door.
- 5 What was that... Marley? Ah- Bah-Humbug! Christmas... for fools.
- 6 Scrooge ate his porridge, counted his money and was soon asleep.
- 7 "Who... who are you?" The aparition answers, "Ask me who I was." Ebeneezer, feeling not as afraid... "alright then, who "were" you?" "In life I was your partner. Jacob Marley." Scrooge, pearing closer, realizes its true. "What... what do you want of me Jacob?" "Tonight you will be visited by three spirits." The ghost of Marley explains that Ebeneezer, just as he had, has wasted his life on money and greed and must change his ways or Scrooges punishment will be worse than his own.
- 8 Later, just as Marley said, the first ghost appeared; the beautiful ghost of Christmas past.
- 9 At first Scrooge didn't want to listen to her. But she showed him things of his past. Good and bad.
- 10 In the end, the spirit who was normally filled with compassion, was filled with impatience with Scrooge and his stoney heart. And left him when her job was done.
- 11 Once again, Scrooge was in his bedroom all alone... or was he?
- 12 The ghost of Christmas Present came to him and took him to somewhere that was strange, yet familiar. "Spirit, Spirit, what are we doing here? Where is this place?" "Don't you even know the home of your own worker, Bob Cratchet?"
- 13 Bob? Bob Cratchets home? And that boy.. his son? "Yes. That is Tim. Tiny Tim to his family"
- 14 Scrooge looked around, "This is a horrible place to be raising children. Can't he do any better than this?" The Spirit looked indignant, "On what YOU pay him?!" "Oh," thought Ebeneezer, a twinge of guilt settling within him. A feeling that was new and equally uncomfortable to him.
- 15 The Spirit and Scrooge watched on as the family planned a pitiful Christmas dinner with hardly food or fill to make it merry. All awhile they seemed rather happy- despite this. But the boy, Tiny Tim the Spirit called him, looked ill... not well at all.
- 16 "Spirit," Scrooge asked, "Tell me... the boy.. Tim; will he be alright?" The Spirit of Christmas looked sad for the first time. "If things do not change- I see an empty chair" No! No Spirit, that can't happen!
- 17 "Please tell me it isn't so! Isn't there something that can be done? Somewhere they can go to help him?" Suddenly the Spirit grew angry even larger. "Why?! Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" Scrooge looked down, remembering he had said those same words to someone else. "But surely he will die." The spirit, backing away from Scrooge, bellowed, "'If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
- 18 Suddenly he was no longer at the Cratchet home. He was home... in his own bed again. Alone. Alone at last. Too much, he thought, I can take no more.
- 19 But, on hearing a noise, he got up and lit a candle. And when he turned around-
- 20 He was "not" alone. "Ohhhhhh!" Scrooge cried. "You. You are the Ghost of Christmas yet to come" The spirit did not answer, merely nodded yes. "And you are about to show me things that have not happened, but may?" Again, the apparition did not answer, but nodded only. Scrooge, more frightened than at any time before cried, "Lead on Spirit, lead on."
- 21 And when Scrooge looked up- he was somewhere he was sure he had already been. "Spirit, there must be a mistake. I've been here already this evening. But something, something is different." Mrs. Cratchets voice cut in as they looked on. "Your father gets home later and later every night."
- 22 Peter, standing before the fire said quietly, "I've known father to walk very fast indeed with Tim upon his shoulders."
- 23 "Yes, he did. But he was so light and your father didn't mind at all; the hour grows late. We must'ant let your father see red eyes now." Martha, her oldest daughter, sat trying to comfort her mother, "We won't Mother... we won't" "I'm home." Mr. Cratchet called from the door.
- 24 "Oh, Bob, it's good to have you home." "It's good to be home my dear."
- 25 "It's so late Bob, I began to worry about you," his wife said quietly as she hugged and held on to your poor husband." "I'm sorry my dear. But, I stopped off at the place. You'd like it. It's quiet and peaceful." At this his wife began to sob.
- 26 "Bob, you look so tired... sit down." Bob, comforting her as well as herself said, "Oh,I'm fine. While I was there I couldn't help but think how much he would like it and I felt his little hand in mine.... as if to say- I'm alright." At this, the whole family wept together.
- 27 Scrooge, confused and fearful said, "Spirit... the chair- Tim- where is he? What has happened?"
- 28 Instead of answering Ebeneezer with words, the Spirit waved his arm in front of the two of them and they where instantly transported to a lonely, poor cemetary. "Spirit... where? I mean, who is here?"
- 29 The Spirit gestured for Scrooge to look closer. "No, I, uh- Spirit.. are the things I have seen on this night things that MAY be or things that WILL be?" But again, the spirit only gestured to move closer.
- 30 "Please, before I look... surely I am not too far gone to be saved? Why spend this time with me... showing me these things if it were too late?" But, again- the Ghost of Christmas yet to come pointed for Scrooge to move closer to the grave.
- 31 There, at the grave- was Scrooge, himself... dead and all alone.
- 32 Scrooge turned to run away from what he had seen. Crying the whole time.
- 33 He ran fast from the grave... not knowing where he was going, but trying to escape the horrible sight of what he had just witnessed.
- 34 But when he looked up... he was again in his own room! "Hooray!" he yelled with joy and happiness pouring from him for the first time in his life, "Hooray! The spirits have done it! Thank you Jacob. Thank you Ghosts of Christmas past, present and even yet to come!"
- 35 Later, that day... Scrooge sent word to his nephew that he wanted to see him. "Yes Uncle Scrooge?" Fred was confused, but glad to see his uncle. "Fred my boy, I have changed my mind... I "will" come to your Christmas party tonight. That is.. if you'll still have me." Fred couldn't believe his ears but was overjoyed at this news! The two made arrangements to meet later at Fred's home.
- 36 "Yes, its true I tell you!" Fred was telling his new wife, Bess. "And I heard that today he made his man Cratchet his Partner and is going to help his family and insure the young boy, Tim, gets the best medical help available!" Bess was also happy, "I am SO glad for your uncle, Fred... and I am so glad for you too!"
- 37 And when Ebeneezer Scrooge showed up, he came with presents and food and smiles. And the Christmas party was the best Christmas party EVER!
- 38 And Scrooge kept Christmas in his heart the whole year through after that and was as good a friend to everyone as anyone could be. And as Tiny Tim Cratchet declared to his family on Christmas Day, "God Bless Us.... Everyone!"
Written by the great Charles Dickens
Simplay by the humble Small Town Sim
December 2006
@TSR
"Scrooge.... Scrooge... EBENEEZER SCROOGE!"
Again, Scrooge knew these where his own words. Had he really sounded so heartless?
"Noooooooo! Noooooo! Please, say this isn't true! I am a changed man! I am! I will keep Christmas in my heart not one day a year but every year! Please, say this doesn't have to happen!"
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year!
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