By Charles Dickens Starring Mrs. Kradel & Mrs. Mueller’s Second Grade Characters 1. Narrator-­‐ our ghostly storyteller 2. Ebenezer Scrooge-­‐ a rick and cranky old banker 3. Bob Cratchit-­‐ Scrooge’s hard-­‐working clerk 4. Fred-­‐ Scrooge’s cheerful nephew 5. Gentleman 1 6. Gentleman 2 7. Marley-­‐ the ghost of Scrooge’s dead business partner 8. Ghost #1-­‐ the Ghost of Christmas Past 9. Ghost #2-­‐ the Ghost of Christmas Present 10.
Tiny Tim Cratchit-­‐ Bob’s son. He is sick and walks with a crutch. 11.
Mrs. Cratchit-­‐ Bob’s wife. 10. Fezziwig-­‐ Scrooge’s first employer 11. Passerby #1 12. Passerby #2 13. Passerby #3 14. Boy 15. Ghost #3-­‐ the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (non-­‐speaking) 15. Belle (non-­‐speaking) Scene One Christmas Eve, London, 1843 Narrator: One wouldn’t think Christmas Eve is a time for ghost stories, but our tale begins here, in the office of Ebenezer Scrooge and his long-­‐
dead partner Marley. Let me say it again… Marley is dead. Cratchit: Mr. Scrooge, sir, may I put some more coal on the fire? Scrooge: No! Coal costs money! Doesn’t your coat keep you warm? Cratchit: Not really, sir… Scrooge: Then I suggest you get a new one. And I suppose you want to have the day off tomorrow. Cratchit: Yes, sir. It is Christmas. Scrooge: And you want me to pay you for a day you don’t work? You’d better be here early the next morning. Narrator: Scrooge’s nephew arrives in hopes of spreading cheer. Fred: Merry Christmas, Uncle! Scrooge: Bah Humbug! Fred: Christmas a humbug? You don’t mean that! Scrooge: I do! What reason do you have to be happy? You aren’t rich. Fred: What reason do you have to be so grumpy? You have a lot of money. Gentleman 1: Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge! Gentleman 2: Are you able to make a donation to the homeless? Scrooge: Bah Humbug! Christmas is just a time to waste money on things you don’t need. Fred: Have Christmas dinner with us tomorrow, Uncle. Scrooge: Humbug! Good day, Nephew. Fred: So be it. Merry Christmas, Uncle! Merry Christmas, Mr. Cratchit! Cratchit: Happy New Year, Fred! Scrooge: That’s ridiculous! My clerk, with no money for food and a crippled child, talking about a Happy New Year. Scene Two Late the Same Night Marley: Owwooooh! Narrator: Scrooge sits by the fireplace at home. He hears the door fly open and chains rattling. Scrooge: What’s that noise!? Narrator: Passing through the bedroom door comes a ghost with his head wrapped in bandages. It has chains locked around its body. Scrooge: Ha ha! I’m not afraid of shadows! Marley: You don’t believe in me? Scrooge: No, I don’t! Narrator: The ghost gives a frightening cry and shakes his chain, making a loud noise. Scrooge drops to his knees and covers his face. Scrooge: Mercy, ghost. What do you want with me? Marley: A lot! I am the ghost of your partner, Jacob Marley. I must drag these chains and wander the world forever! Scrooge: Why do you have to wear chains? Marley: Each link is a punishment for something I didn’t do when I was alive. I should have been nicer to people! Scrooge: But Jacob, you were a good businessman who made lots of money! Narrator: The ghost gives another cry and shakes his chains. Marley: I should have been kinder! Ebenezer, think of how long your chain will be. Yours was as long as mine 7 years ago. Scrooge: What can I do about it? Marley: You will be haunted by 3 ghosts. Listen to what they tell you. Owwooooh! Scene Three 1:00 a.m. Narrator: Scrooge wakes up to find the first ghost, a spirit in a long white gown. Ghost #1: I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. I will show you your life as it used to be. Walk with me. Narrator: Suddenly they are standing inside an old warehouse. Ghost #1: Do you remember this place? Scrooge: Yes. I had my first job here with Mr. Fezziwig. Narrator: Next to Mr. Fezziwig, Scrooge sees himself as a cheerful young man. Fezziwig: It’s Christmas Eve! No work tonight. Clear the floor for dancing and celebrating! Narrator: Food is brought in. The music begins. Everyone starts dancing-­‐ including young Scrooge. Scrooge: What a waste of money! Ghost #1: Waste of money? Look how happy everyone is! Who are you dancing with? You look very happy. Scrooge: Ah, Belle. It’s young Belle. Ghost #1: You loved her, but didn’t marry her. Scrooge: I needed to make my fortune. Ghost #1: You mean, you could earn no money by loving her. You chose wealth instead. Scrooge: Ghost, why do you torture me? I don’t want to see anymore! Narrator: The ghost disappears. Scrooge finds himself back in his bedroom. Scene Four 2:00 a.m. Ghost #2: Owwooooh! I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Narrator: The second ghost was a giant, grand and joyous as the season. Its eyes were kind, but they scared Scrooge. Scrooge: Spirit, take me where you will. Let me learn from it. Ghost #2: Look at me! You and I will go see things as they are now. Narrator: The ghost and Scrooge appear in the doorway of a small house. Scrooge: Where are we? Ghost #2: The house of your clerk, Bob Cratchit. Come inside, it’s time for Christmas dinner. Narrator: Tiny Tim hobbles to the table, using an old wooden crutch. Tiny Tim: Mother, the goose looks so good! Cratchit: It’s splendid, my dear! Scrooge: So excited over a small goose! You’d think it was a big turkey. Ghost #2: That’s all they can afford! They are a poor family. Scrooge: Yes, but a happy one. Cratchit: Let’s toast to Mr. Scrooge, the provider of our meal! Mrs. Cratchit: Provider of our feast, indeed! I wish he was here now. I’d give him a piece of my mind! Cratchit: My dear, let’s not be mean. Mrs. Cratchit: I’ll toast his health, but only because it’s Christmas. Long life to him! Everyone: Merry Christmas! Tiny Tim: And God bless us, every one! Scrooge: Tell me, Ghost. Will Tiny Tim live? Ghost #2: I see an empty seat and a crutch with no owner. Scrooge: Oh, no! Say he will be okay! Ghost #2: If there is no change to his surroundings, the child will die. Owwooooh! Narrator: Scrooge looks sad as the ghost vanishes. Suddenly, another ghost appears. Scene Five 3:00 a.m. Narrator: The third ghost is wearing a black robe. Nothing is seen except an outstretched hand. Scrooge: Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come? Narrator: The ghost doesn’t answer. It points a long, bony finger into the night. Scrooge: Ghost of the Future, I fear you more than the others. Narrator: The ghost takes Scrooge to a cemetery covered in weeds. A coffin is being lowered into the ground. Scrooge: Whose funeral is this? Why is no one here? Did no one care for this man? Passerby #1: When did he die? Passerby #2: Last week. Passerby #3: What was the matter with him? Passerby #2: An empty heart. Passerby #1: His money did him no good. Passerby #3: Not one person to mourn him! Passerby #1: But think of all the money he saved with such a cheap funeral! Passerby #2: Ha ha ha! Narrator: The ghost points at the gravestone. Scrooge: Before I look, tell me, can this future be changed? Narrator: The ghost gives no reply. Scrooge trembles. He looks at the grave and reads the words EBENEZER SCROOGE. Scrooge: No, Spirit! Can I erase the name on this grave? I am not the person I was before. From now on I will be a kind and generous man. I will honor Christmas in my heart! Scene Six Christmas Morning Narrator: When Scrooge wakes up, he is so happy to be alive that he laughs out loud. He opens his window and calls to a boy. 3 or 4 Good Humored Gentleman: Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge! Scrooge: What’s today, my fine boy? Boy: Today? Why, it’s Christmas Day! Scrooge: Good! I haven’t missed it! Do you know the big turkey in the butcher’s window? Boy: The one that is as big as I am? Scrooge: That’s the one. I’ll pay you to go buy it and bring it here. Boy: Yes, sir! Merry Christmas, sir! Scrooge: I’ll have it delivered to Bob Cratchit. They won’t know who sent it. Then I’ll join my nephew for Christmas dinner. Oh joy, I haven’t missed Christmas! Narrator: Scrooge spent the rest of the day spreading Christmas cheer and joyfully sharing his wealth. Scene Seven The Next Day Narrator: Scrooge arrives early at the office. Cratchit enters, shivering from the cold. Scrooge: Cratchit, you’re 18 minutes late! Cratchit: I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. Scrooge: I’ll tell you what, my friend. I’m not going to stand for this any longer. Narrator: Poor Bob Cratchit. He was sure he was going to get fired. Scrooge: And therefore… I’m doubling your salary! Narrator: Cratchit was stunned! Scrooge: Merry Christmas, Bob! And your salary is just the start. I’ll help your family in any way that I can. Whatever Tim needs, he’ll have it. Narrator: Scrooge was better than his word. He became a good man and a good friend to the whole city. If any man knew how to celebrate Christmas, it was Ebenezer Scrooge. May that be said of us all! Tiny Tim: And God bless us, every one! The End