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A Christmas Carol
self | Dickens

Posted on 12/10/2004 2:41:00 PM PST by ruthles

It was Christmas Eve. Ebenezer Scrooge didn’t care that it was the best holiday of the year. Bob Cratchit worked for Scrooge. Cratchit was very afraid of Scoroge. It took a lot of courage for him to ask Scrooge if he could have Christmas Day off. Scrooge was a mean man. “Christmas!” shouted the miserly Scrooge. “Bah, humbug!” But Scrooge gave Cratchit permission to spend Christmas Day with his family. Cratchit rushed out the door. He didn’t want Scrooge to change his mind. Just then, Scrooge’s nephew Fred stopped to visit. He was a very kind and generous man. Fred invited Scrooge over for Christmas dinner. The old man just scowled. “Christmas! Bah, humbug!” was his answer. He told Fred to leave the office. After counting his money, Scrooge left for home. After dinner, he sat in his favorite chair. He fell asleep. He started having a terrible nightmare. Scrooge heard the clanging of chains. He saw a ghost named Jacob Marley. Marley had been Scrooge’s business partner. He was moaning and groaning. “I was selfish,” said the ghost. “I carry these chains of selfishness and greed through eternity. So will you, Scrooge!” “No! Scrooge cried. “This is just a dream. Help me, Jacob. Tell me what I must do! I don’t want to be miserable forever.” Jacob Marley said “Tonight three spirits will visit you. Listen and obey them. You do what they tell you to do.” When the ghost disappeared, Scrooge shook his head. I’m having a terrible dream, he thought. May be I ate too much. He had just fallen asleep when the alarm clock rang. There on the table next to the clock stood a little man. He said, “I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.” He grabbed Scrooge’s hand and said “I am going to take you to a Christmas of long ago.” Scrooge and the spirit flew through the air. They stopped at a house filled with music and laughter and people. There was a holiday party going on. Scrooge yelled “That’s me when I was young!! There’s Fezziwig. He gave me my first job. And there is my first true love, Isabel.” The Spirit reminded Scrooge that he had exchanged the love of Isabel for the love of money. Scrooge was very sad. He said “I don’t want to see any more. Please Spirit, take me home!” Suddenly the alarm clock rang again. Scrooge woke up. He thought “I must be dreaming again.” He rubbed his eyes. “Fee, fi, fo, fum!” yelled a voice. There sat a giant in his bedroom. It was surrounded by a huge feast.

Scrooge said “What’s all of this food?” “It is the food of generosity,” the giant explained. “Too bad you know nothing of generosity. I’m the ghost of Christmas Present. Come with me! Let’s see what is happening tonight.” Scrooge followed the ghost to a tiny house. Scrooge looked through the cracked window. It was Bob Cratchit’s home. “What a poor dinner they’re having” Scrooge said sadly. The he asked, “What’s wrong with the little boy?” “Tiny Tim is very ill,” said the giant. “He needs good food to make him strong and well. You must pay his father more so he can buy his family enough to eat…” The giant’s voiced faded, and then he was gone. Suddenly Scrooge heard another voice behind him. “I am the Ghost of Christmas Future,” it said. Scrooge turned to find himself in a graveyard. “Whose lonely grave is this?” he asked. “It belongs to a very rich man,” the ghost said. “He was a man who was so selfish and unkind that he had no friends.” The ghost waited for Scrooge’s reaction. Then Scrooge read the name on the stone. He couldn’t believe his eyes? It was his very own grave! “Oh, give me another chance!” cried Scrooge. “Tell me it’s not too late to change my ways!!!” Scrooge kept begging, crying and pleading with the spirit until he woke up. He was still alive and healthy in his own bedroom. He jumped out of bed with joy. It wasn’t too late—he hadn’t missed Christmas, after all. There was still time to correct his past mistakes. He dressed quickly and rushed outside. He threw money to the men collecting money for the poor. He promised his nephew he would come for dinner. But first Scrooge hurried over to Cratchit’s house. He brought toys for Tiny Tim and the other children. He also brought a wonderful Christmas dinner for everyone. Cratchit and his wife were very pleased by Scrooge’s change of heart. Scrooge promised his family that from this day forward, they would have an uncle who helped them and loved them. It was a Christmas miracle for Fred, Cratchit and Scrooge!!! Tiny Tim said one thing: ”God bless us, every one!!!”


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KEYWORDS: achristmascarol; christmas
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To: tiamat
Chronic sleep deprivation.

Oh yeah, and I'm suffering from a milder variant of influenza at the moment.

21 posted on 12/14/2004 1:54:27 AM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham (Why did it take me so long to come up with a new tag-line, huh?! What's up with that?)
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abbreviated version

Ebenezer Scrooge, a smart businessman, employed bob cratchit. bob cratchit was irresponsible and lived beyond his means. Cratchit made constant demands for more money from scrooge and instead of pulling himself up by his bootstraps.

three ghosts visited scrooge and using marxist-lenninist propaganda, frightened him into giving a raise to cratchit, thus fueling the inflationary spiral.


22 posted on 12/14/2004 1:55:35 AM PST by KneelBeforeZod (Deus Lo Volt!)
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham

Aw, poor thing!

I'm sorry you're feeling bad.


23 posted on 12/14/2004 2:02:48 AM PST by tiamat (Solis Invicti)
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To: tiamat
Thank you.

It'll end...not soon enough, if you want to know the truth.

24 posted on 12/14/2004 2:04:06 AM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham (Why did it take me so long to come up with a new tag-line, huh?! What's up with that?)
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