Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol
A cura di Francesca Veneziano
Testi di Daniele Canepa, Annalisa Damonte
Correzione bozze: Ilaria Groppi
Supervisione grafica: Alessandro Agostino
Voce narrante: Steve Roti
Illustrazioni e copertina di: Angela Massone, Stefania Montoro
Si ringrazia per la collaborazione l’Istituto di Istruzione Superiore G. Caboto di
Genova-Chiavari e in particolare la professoressa Alessandra Vano
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Prima edizione: maggio 2013
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE - Scrooge
p. 5
CHAPTER TWO - Marley’s Ghost
p. 10
CHAPTER THREE - The First Spirit
p. 14
CHAPTER FOUR - The Second Spirit
p. 23
CHAPTER FIVE - The Last of the Spirits
p. 30
CHAPTER SIX - The End of It
p. 37
A Christmas Carol
CHAPTER ONE
Scrooge
Marley was dead. Everyone knew it. Scrooge knew it, too. Scrooge
and Marley had been business partners for who knows how many
years. The shop sign still read: ‘Scrooge & Marley’ but whether
people called him Scrooge or Marley did not really matter to him. He
didn’t care anyway.
Scrooge did not have any doubts that Marley was dead, otherwise
the story I am going to tell you would not have nothing
extraordinary.
Old Ebenezer Scrooge was very mean. As hard as a stone out of
which no spark of generosity had ever been created. He was as
closed and solitary as an oyster and deep down he was colder than a
freezing winter’s day. Wherever he went he always brought that
coldness which chilled his office even of the warmest of days, or even
on Christmas.
One day, the best day of the year, Christmas Eve, old Scrooge was at
work in his office. It was very cold as the fog was getting thicker and
thicker. The town’s clocks had just struck three, but it was already
pitch dark as if it was night time.
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Nobody would stop him in the street to ask: ‘How’re you, dear
Scrooge?’ or to ask the time. No beggar would ever stretch out his
hand as he walked past. But Scrooge did not care at all. He had other
problems to worry about.
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A Christmas Carol
The door in Scrooge’s office was open so that he could watch the
clerk working in a closet. The closet looked like a pit. A small fire was
burning inside Scrooge’s fireplace, but the clerk’s fire was even
smaller and every time the clerk would go to Scrooge’s office to
collect some coal, the old man threatened to sack him. As a
consequence the poor clerk would wrap up his white scarf around his
neck more tightly.
‘Merry Christmas, Uncle! God bless you!’ said Scrooge’s nephew.
‘That’s stupid,’ Scrooge grumbled.
‘Is Christmas stupid? Uncle, you must be joking!’
‘I am not,’ he replied. ‘How can you be happy? Are you not poor
enough?’
‘And you? Are you not rich enough to be happy?’ asked Fred, his
nephew.
‘That’s stupid.’
‘Come on, uncle. Don’t be in such a bad mood today.’
‘The world is full of crazy people. What is Christmas? A day when
people are one year older. Those imbeciles who walk around
shouting ‘Merry Christmas’ should be cooked together with their
pudding.’
‘But, uncle…’ stuttered Fred.
‘But you are not going to celebrate it at all. There is only one
Christmas Day in the year, when people open up their hearts. This is
why Christmas makes us richer, even if it has never brought me a
single penny. This is why I say ‘Merry Christmas’ and celebrate it.’
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‘Nephew,’ Scrooge said. ‘Celebrate Christmas the way you prefer. I
will celebrate it the way I prefer.’
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A Christmas Carol
From his closet, Bob Cratchit started to applaud. Then, as he realized
he had done something improper, he turned to stoking up the fire
thinking he put it out.
‘Cratchit, if I hear you breathe, you’ll celebrate your Christmas
without a job!’ shouted Scrooge. Then he addressed his nephew.
‘You’re such a great speaker, my dear! Why don’t you go to
Parliament?’
‘Don’t be angry, uncle. Have dinner with us tomorrow.’
‘No way!’ replied Scrooge.
‘Why not?’
‘Why did you get married?’
‘Because I fell in love,’ said his nephew.
‘Huh, in love’ grumbled Scrooge, suggesting that he found it as
ridiculous as saying ‘merry Christmas’. And he shook his head. ‘Good
night.’
‘I’m so sorry you’re so obstinate. I have no grudge against you, but I
don’t want to spoil my Christmas mood, so… Merry Christmas,
uncle!’
‘Good night.’
‘… And happy New Year!’
As he was walking out, the nephew wished the clerk a merry
Christmas. He worked in a cold room, but inside he was much
warmer than Scrooge, so he returned Fred’s wishes.
‘Here’s another crazy man,’ grumbled Scrooge. ‘Fifteen shillings a
week, a wife and children to feed. How can he speak about a ‘merry
Christmas’? It’s unbelievable.’
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‘Good night.’
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A Christmas Carol
As Scrooge’s nephew went out, two very well dressed gentlemen
came in. They bowed in front of Scrooge.
‘Do we have the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Scrooge or to Mr.
Marley?’ one of them asked.
‘Marley died seven years ago. Seven years tonight,’ answered
Scrooge.
‘We’re certain that his generosity is well represented by his business
partner,’ said one of them kindly.
As he heard the word ‘generosity’, Scrooge frowned.
‘As today is a joyous day, Mr. Scrooge we’re more prone to helping
out those who suffer. A lot of people cannot make a living.’
‘Aren’t there any hospices for the poor?’
‘Of course,’ the men answered.
‘And prisons?’
‘Too many.’
‘I was afraid these charity organisations had been shut down,’
Scrooge commented bitterly.
‘A lot of people think that hospices and prisons do not do enough to
lift the spirits of those who are in need on a day like this. For this
reason we are raising funds for the poor. Which amount shall I write
next to your name?’
‘Do you wish to remain anonymous?’
‘I wish to be left alone.’ Said Scrooge. ‘I never celebrate Christmas
and I surely can’t help slackers do that. I pay for public institutions
and they are very expensive. My business occupies most of my time
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‘Zero!’ answered Scrooge.
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A Christmas Carol
and I have no time to mingle with other people’s business. Goodbye,
gentlemen.’
Having understood that there was no point in staying, the two men
left and Scrooge got down to work. His mood was worse than usual.
The fog had become thicker and the cold gripped the noses of the
people who were walking in the streets. One of those people, a
young, red nose lad stopped in front of Scrooge’s store and started to
sing a Christmas song.
But the old man grabbed a ruler and threatened the singer, who ran
away.
It was finally time to leave the office for the day. Scrooge got off his
chair and his employee, following Scrooge’s signal, blew the candle
out and put on his hat.
‘I guess you’ll want tomorrow off,’ said Scrooge.
‘If you don’t mind, sir, I would love that.’
‘I do mind! It’s not fair,’ claimed Scrooge. ‘ I guess you’d find it unfair
if I didn’t pay you while you were on holiday.’
The employee smiled weakly.
Bob Cratchit promised he would, and the office was shut in the
twinkling of an eye. With his white scarf hanging beneath his jacket
(he could not afford a coat), Scrooge’s employee slipped at least
twenty times on the frozen pavement on his way home.
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‘Yet, I do pay you on a day when you do nothing. It’s a nice way of
emptying out the pockets of a poor man every Christmas,’ grumbled
Scrooge. ‘I’m afraid I’ll have to pay you for the whole day. At least be
punctual when you come back the day after tomorrow.’
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A Christmas Carol
CHAPTER TWO
Marley’s Ghost
Scrooge had just got to his front door. He had had his paltry dinner at
the usual gloomy tavern and was in a very bad mood.
He was about to put the key into the key-hole, when a doorknocker
caught his eye. What had happened? It had changed its shape and
know it looked exactly like Marley’s face.
It wasn’t immersed in the darkness, like everything else, but it was
surrounded by a sinister light. The colour of that face was dark, very
scary; the eyes remained wide open…
While Scrooge was staring, the light faded and the doorknocker he
thought he had seen was gone.
‘What’s happening to me?’ – grumbled Scrooge.
However, as soon as he got into the house he had a look around to
make sure that everything was alright. The living room, the bedroom
and the cupboard were fine; there was no one under the table, under
the sofa, in bed or in the bathroom; nobody was standing in his
dressing-gown, which was mysteriously hanging on the wall. From
the cup and spoon, to his old slippers, to the baskets, to the
washstand and the fire hook; everything appeared normal.
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He had been scared, but he felt better now that the doorknocker had
gone back to its place and it was steadily fixed on the back of the
door with big screws.
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A Christmas Carol
Quite satisfied, Scrooge double-locked the door, which he never used
to do. He put on his dressing gown, slippers and night-cap and sat in
front of the fire and quite by chance, he set his eyes on an old bell,
that hung in the room and that was connected for some forgotten
reason to an empty room on the highest floor of the building.
At first he was surprised to see it move, but when it started to make
a very loud sound, he got scared. At that point, all the bells in the
house started ringing. Suddenly they stopped and Scrooge started to
hear a metal-like noise, just like the chains that ghosts are said to
drag! The noise was getting closer, coming up the stairs, and was
now behind the door. The cellar door opened with a loud sound and
Scrooge saw before his eyes Marley’s ghost. His body was so
transparent that Scrooge could see through his belly the two buttons
on the back of his jacket. He was dragging the long chain hanging
from his waist. It had cash boxes, keys, padlocks, account books and
heavy purses on it. Marley’s eyes were expressionless and he was
wearing a handkerchief around his chin and head.
‘What’s going on?’- said Scrooge finally, with his usual coldness.
‘Who are you?’
‘Who was I, you mean’ It was really Marley’s voice. ‘Don’t you
remember? I was your business partner when I was alive, Jacob
Marley.’
‘Can you… take a seat?’ Asked Scrooge with hesitation.
‘I can’ – answered the ghost, sitting before him.
‘No, I don’t’
‘Why not?’
‘Because maybe I had too much for dinner and what I see now is just
an illusion.’
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‘You don’t believe in me, do you?’ asked the ghost.
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A Christmas Carol
The ghost made a terrible cry as he dragged his chain.
Scrooge fell on his knees hiding his face with his hands.
‘Mercy!’ – cried Scrooge – ‘Ghost, why are you torturing me?’
‘Marley, is that really you? Why are you wearing that chain?’ Scrooge
asked, trembling.
‘I’ve made this chain myself during my life, link by link, because I
forgot that each man has the duty to work for others and for
humanity.’
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‘Creature of the Earth, do you believe in me or not?’
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A Christmas Carol
Scrooge was now shaking more and more.
‘Why are you trembling?’ – asked the ghost. ‘Do you want to know
the weight and the length of your chain? Seven Christmases ago it
was as heavy as this one but since then it has grown longer and it’s
very heavy.’
Scrooge looked at the floor around him as if he expected to see
himself surrounded by a fifty or sixty metre chain. But he didn’t see
anything.
‘Listen to me’ – said the ghost – I’ve got little time and I don’t even
know why you are able to see me today. I’ve been by your side
unnoticed for many days.
Scrooge didn’t like the idea and shivered.
‘You are lucky, because you still have the chance to escape from this
fate. You’ll be visited by three ghosts. The first will come tomorrow
morning at one o’clock. The second will come on the next night at
the same time and the third on the following night, when the church
bell strikes midnight. You’ll never see me again. Mark my words
Scrooge closed the window and went to check the door through
which the ghost had come: it was still double-locked. He tried once
more to say: ‘That’s stupid!’ but the words wouldn’t come out.
He was feeling very tired, he went straight to bed without even
taking his clothes off and fell asleep immediately.
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Walking backwards the ghost reached the window, which had
opened by itself and he disappeared into the darkness. Scrooge
looked out of the window and saw many ghosts floating in the air,
carrying heavy chains. They were desperate because they were trying
to help the living men but couldn’t. Then those strange creatures
vanished in the fog and disappeared.
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A Christmas Carol
CHAPTER THREE
The First Spirit
When Scrooge woke up, it was still very dark. He heard the church
bell ring twelve times! But how was that possible? He had gone to
bed after 2 o’clock, so it couldn’t be twelve now… He jumped out of
bed and went to the window. He could see very little because it was
still very foggy. He decided to go back to bed and began to think. He
could not understand: ‘was it a dream or not?’. He heard the bell and
remembered what the ghost had told him: ‘you’ll receive the first
visit when the bell tolls one o’clock.’
The bell tolled but nothing happened. Suddenly a great light flashed
and the curtains around his bed opened. He found himself face to
face with a ghost. It was a strange figure, like a child but also like an
old man. Its hair was quite long and white but its face looked young.
Its arms and hands were very long and muscular. It wore a white
tunic with summer flowers on it, holding a branch of fresh green
holly in its hands. But the strangest thing about it was that from the
top of its head a fountain of light was coming out, illuminating all
these things. It was holding a hat under its arm which he probably
used to extinguish the light.
‘I am!’
The voice was soft and gentle and seemed to come from far away.
‘Who, and what are you?’ Scrooge asked.
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‘Are you the first ghost?’ asked Scrooge.
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A Christmas Carol
‘What past?’
‘Your past.’
Scrooge asked the ghost what he wanted from him.
‘I want to help you!’ said the ghost. ‘Get up and walk with me!’
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‘I’m the Ghost of Christmas Past’
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A Christmas Carol
He took him to the window. Scrooge was scared to fall but the ghost
told him not to worry and put its hand on his heart. They passed
through the wall and found themselves crossing a field in the middle
of a road in the countryside. There was snow all around.
‘Good Heavens!’ Scrooge cried. ‘This is where I was born! I was a boy
here!’ And he remembered all his old feelings about the place. ‘Your
lip is trembling’, said the ghost. ‘Is that a tear?’
‘No, no…’ answered Scrooge. But a tear fell from his eye.
They walked along the road towards a little town with a bridge, a
church and a river. Some boys were coming out of a school. They
were laughing and singing because it was a holiday.
‘They are all in the past,’ the ghost said. ‘They are only shadows, they
can’t see us.’
Scrooge knew all of them and he suddenly felt happy. He was calling
their names. Why was he so happy to see them? Why did his cold
eyes brighten with joy? Why was his heart beating fast upon seeing
them walk by? Why was he filled with joy upon hearing them say
Merry Christmas to each other ? He didn’t like Christmas! It had
never done him any good!
‘The school is almost empty,’ said the ghost. ‘Only one child is still
there. He has no friends.’
They both went into the school, a big, old and dark place. Inside
there was a long classroom. It looked sad and empty, with only a few
desks and chairs in it. A little boy was sitting at one of the desks. He
was reading a book near a small fire. Scrooge sat down on a chair and
started to cry for the little boy, a vision of himself many years ago.
‘That’s me,’ he said. ‘I was left here one Christmas.’
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Scrooge said he knew it. And there were big tears in his eyes.
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A Christmas Carol
Suddenly a man, dressed in a strange way appeared from outside the
window. He had an axe in his belt.
‘That’s Ali Baba!’ - Scrooge exclaimed. ‘Yes, I remember now. One
night out of the blue he came to visit that poor boy, who had been
left here all alone. He had come just like that.’
His business friends would have been surprised to hear him talk that
way, crying and laughing at the same time.
‘Poor boy…’ he said. ‘I wish….but it’s too late now.’
‘What is the matter?’ asked the ghost.
‘Nothing, nothing… There was a boy outside my office last night. He
was singing a Christmas carol. But I didn’t give him anything and I
told him to go away.’
The ghost smiled. ‘Let’s see another Christmas!’
Then everything changed. The boy had grown, and the room looked
darker, older and dirtier. He saw himself again. All the other boys had
gone home for the holidays and he was there alone again. He wasn’t
reading now, pacing back and forth, with a sad look on his face.
Suddenly the door opened and a little girl much younger than the
boy, ran in. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him saying:
‘My dearest brother! I’ve come to bring you home!’
‘Yes! Home for ever and ever!’ the girl laughed. ‘Father is kinder now
and he wants you to come home. One night I asked him if you could
come back home and he said yes and he sent me in a coach to bring
you. You’ll never come back to this place again! And we’ll be together
for Christmas and it will be the merriest Christmas ever!’
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‘Home, little Fan?’ the boy asked.
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A Christmas Carol
The little girl clapped her hands and stood on her toes to kiss him
again. At that moment a terrible voice in the hall cried, ‘Bring down
Master Scrooge’s luggage’.
It was the schoolmaster, an unfriendly and strict man. He led the
children into an old room, with walls full of maps. He offered them
some light wine and a slice of stale cake and dismissed them. The
children ran happily out of the room.
‘Your sister was a very delicate creature but she had a very good
heart,’ said the ghost.
‘She had children, if I’m not mistaken…
‘Yes, one – answered Scrooge – my nephew.’ Scrooge remembered
the conversation with his nephew in his office the afternoon before
and he felt sad.
The school and the classroom disappeared. Suddenly Scrooge and
the ghost were in a busy street: the windows were full of lights,
delicious food and Christmas decorations. The ghost stopped before
the door of an office and asked Scrooge if he recognized it.
‘Of course I know this place! I used to work here when I was young.’
Said Scrooge.
They went in. An old man wearing a wig was sitting behind a desk.
‘That is Mr Fezziwig – he’s still alive! He is my old manager!’
‘Hey! Boys!’ he shouted. ‘Stop your work!’
‘No more work tonight! It’s Christmas Eve, Dick! Christmas,
Ebenezer! Let’s close the office.’
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Scrooge, now a young man, came in with his colleague Dick.
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So they put away all the books and papers, cleaned the floor, made a
big fire and lit the lamps. The warehouse was now a warm and bright
ballroom. A man came in and started to play the violin. Mrs Fezziwig
and her three daughters arrived, followed by their admirers , and
then all the workers, the servant, the baker, the cook and the
milkman. They all began to dance to the music. Then there were
games and more dances, cakes and hot wine, roast beef, beer and
mince pies too. It was a wonderful party. At eleven o’clock the
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A Christmas Carol
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A Christmas Carol
Fezziwigs went to the door to say goodbye to their guests, shaking
their hands and wishing them a Merry Christmas. While Scrooge was
watching all this, he laughed and sang and wanted to dance. He
remembered it all and enjoyed it very much.
When all the people had left Dick and Scrooge went to sleep in the
back-shop.
The ghost was observing him and said:
‘The party was a very small thing. It cost only three or four pounds.
So why did you all love it so much?’
‘A small thing!’ answered Scrooge. ‘No! Fezziwig was our manager, so
he could make us happy or unhappy. His power were his words and
looks. He could make our work easy or hard. He gave us a lot of
happiness – and that was like a fortune in money!’
Then Scrooge looked at the ghost with sad eyes.
‘What is the matter?’ it asked.
‘I was thinking that I would like to say a word or two to my clerk
now…that’s all.’
‘Come, there isn’t much time,’ said the ghost. ‘Quick!’
Again Scrooge saw himself. He was older now, a man of about forty.
His face already showed the first signs of his worries and greed. He
was not alone. He was sitting next to a young girl dressed in black. It
was his fiancée Belle who was crying.
‘What idol?’
‘Money. You are afraid of the world, all your aspirations have died
except one: making money. That’s how you feel more secure. Money
is your passion now.’
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‘Another idol took my place in your heart, Ebenezer,’ she said.
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A Christmas Carol
‘And so what?!’ he said angrily. ‘My feelings for you are still the
same, Belle!’
‘But you have changed. When you asked me to marry you, you were
another man.’
‘I was a boy,’ he said impatiently.
‘And so my love is nothing to you now. You aren’t happy with me and
you don’t want to marry.’
‘I’ve never said that.’
‘Not in words, no – but I know it’s true. I haven’t got any money so
you don’t want me. Well, you’re free to go. I hope you will be happy
in the life you’ve chosen.’ And Belle went away.
‘Ghost!’ Scrooge cried. ‘Show me no more! Take me home! You’re
torturing me!’
‘There’s one more shadow I want to show you.’
They were now in a room where a beautiful young girl was sitting
near a big fire. Next to her sat her mother. It was Belle, now a
beautiful lady. The room was full of children and there was a lot of
noise. But Belle and her daughter didn’t care about it, and the
daughter began to play with the children. Then someone knocked on
the door. It was the father, Bella’s husband. He was carrying loads of
Christmas presents. He gave them to the children and they laughed
and shouted happily. Finally, they went to bed and the house was
quiet. The father sat by the fire next to his daughter, who leaned her
head against his shoulder. Scrooge looked at them and felt sad
thinking that if he’d had a daughter his life would be less sad, and
tears filled his eyes.
‘Belle,’ the husband said to Belle. ‘I saw your old friend this
afternoon.’
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‘No more! No more! I don’t want to see it!’
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A Christmas Carol
‘Who was it?’
‘Guess who’
‘I have no idea…Mr Scrooge?’
‘Yes. I passed his office window and he was there. He had a candle
inside. His business partner is dying and he is alone in the world’
‘Spirit, take me away!’ said Scrooge’
‘These things happened, they are what they are and they cannot be
changed’ the ghost answered.
‘Please take me back! I can’t watch this anymore!’
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At that moment the Spirit disappeared and Scrooge had the
impression of being in his bed again. He felt very tired and fell asleep
immediately.
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A Christmas Carol
CHAPTER FOUR
The Second Spirit
Scrooge woke up, hearing his own snore. It was almost one o’clock
and the second ghost was about to arrive. He sat on the bed and was
prepared to face the ghost. He was ready for anything, so when one
o’clock arrived and nothing happened, he was scared. After a while
he saw a light around his bed and he realized that it was coming from
the next room. He got out of bed and went slowly to the door.
As soon as he tried to open the door he heard a voice calling him
‘Scrooge! Come in, Ebenezer!’
The room was his room, but it was different. On the walls there was
some green holly with red berries, mistletoe and ivy. In the fireplace
was a great fire. On the floor there was a lot of food, like a throne:
turkeys, geese, chickens, rabbits, pork and sausages, as well as mince
pies, puddings, apples, oranges, cakes, hot chocolate and other hot
drinks. At the top of this kind of throne sat a cheerful giant – he was
holding up a torch to light up Scrooge.
Scrooge went and stood in front of this giant, he was not so harsh a
man anymore. So Scrooge looked up. He saw that the ghost was
smiling. It had kind, gentle eyes. There was holly round its long dark
hair. Its face was young and happy. It was wearing a dark green
mantle, bordered with white fur.
The eyes of the ghost were kind but he didn’t look into them. He was
frightened.
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‘Come in!’ said the ghost. ‘Come to meet me.’
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A Christmas Carol
‘I am the ghost of Christmas Present,’ said the ghost. ‘Look at me!’
‘You have never seen anybody like me before,’ it said.
‘Never.’ The ghost stood up.
‘I don’t think I have. How many brothers have you got?’
‘More than eighteen hundred.’
‘Ghost,’ Scrooge said, ‘take me where you want. I learnt a good
lesson last night.’
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‘Have you ever met any of my elder brothers?’
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A Christmas Carol
‘Touch my mantle then!’
When Scrooge did this, everything disappeared and he stood in the
city streets on Christmas morning. It was very cold and there was a
lot of snow. The people were cheerful and busy, talking and wishing a
merry Christmas to each other. Others were buying food in the
shops. Some children were playing and throwing snowballs while the
bells were ringing, calling the people to church.
Then a lot of poor people came from the side streets with their
Christmas dinners of goose or chicken. They were taking them to the
baker’s shops to be cooked in the oven. The ghost took Scrooge to
one of these shops and touched some of the dinners with its torch.
‘What are you doing?’ Scrooge asked ‘Are you giving a special flavour
to their food?’
‘Yes. I am making these dinners taste even better so the people will
be happier, especially for the poor, because they need it most.’ it
replied, smiling.
Then the ghost took Scrooge to the outskirts of the city. They went to
the house of Bob Cratchit. The ghost touched the house with its
torch. Mrs Cratchit and her daughter Belinda came in and started to
prepare the table for Christmas dinner. Suddenly the other little
Cratchits ran in and shouted that the goose was ready at the baker’s.
Than the oldest daughter Martha arrived.
Soon after Bob came in with his little son Tiny Tim on his shoulder.
The child had to walk using a small crutch.
‘Where’s our Martha!’ cried Bob Cratchit with a happy voice.
‘Not coming’ said Mrs Cratchit.
‘Not coming on Christmas Day?!’ cried a saddened Bob.
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‘Hide Martha, hide!’ cried the little Cratchits ‘dad and Tim are
coming!’
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A Christmas Carol
Martha couldn’t bear to see her father looking so sad, even if it was
in fun, so she came out and ran into his arms.
‘How did Tiny Tim behave’ asked Mrs Cratchit.
‘Like an angel, as usual…’ answered Bob with a trembling voice.
Bob rolled up his sleeves and started to prepare a hot drink with gin
and lemon. His son Peter went to fetch the goose. When he came
back, all the children in the family shouted happily because they
didn’t often eat goose. Everything was ready. They all sat around the
table and thanked God for all the nice things they had. When Mrs
Cratchit carved the goose, everybody cried ‘ Hurray!’ again, and Tiny
Tim hit the table with his knife. The portions were very small, but
they didn’t seem to notice.
After dinner Bob proposed a toast.
‘A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears!’ he said.
‘A Merry Christmas!’ the family shouted.
‘And God bless everyone!’ answered Tiny Tim in his weak voice,
sitting next to his father. Bob loved his son very much and he held
Tiny Tim’s thin little hand.
‘Ghost tell me, Will Tiny Tim live?’ Scrooge asked.
‘If the future does not change, he will die, I see an empty chair’ said
the ghost.
‘If the future does not change, he will not see another Christmas. But
why do you seem to care now? You said there were too many people
in the world and that you had to mind your own business instead of
caring about other people’s problems.’
Scrooge didn’t answer and didn’t look into the ghost’s eyes. He felt
very bad realizing that the ghost was using his own words.
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‘No, no!’ said Scrooge. ‘Say he will live!’
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A Christmas Carol
‘Those were terrible words, Ebenezer Scrooge. Do you think you can
decide who will live or die? Do you think you’re better that this child,
or millions like him? Maybe, in God’s eyes you are worse! You shall
never talk like that anymore.’
Then Scrooge heard his name.
‘Let’s drink to Mr Scrooge!’ Bob Cratchit said holding up his glass.
‘Drink to that mean old man!’ said Mrs Cratchit. ‘What are you
saying?’
‘My dear it’s Christmas Day.’
‘I know that, and that’s the only reason why I’ll drink to him! He’s
mean, cold and nasty. You know how bad he is.’
‘My dear, please’ insisted Bob ‘it’s Christmas Day!’
‘Well, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Mr Scrooge!’ They all
drank to Scrooge, even the children but his name was like a dark
shadow in the room and for a few minutes they didn’t speak.
‘He said that Christmas was stupid!’ the nephew laughed. ‘And he
believed it too!’
‘What a shame!’ said his wife.
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It was dark now, and the snow was falling. Scrooge and the ghost
moved on. They visited many places and houses where families and
friends were enjoying Christmas together. Wherever they went
people were celebrating and the ghost was happy to see that. It
laughed, and everywhere it passed, people laughed too. Then
Scrooge heard a loud, happy laugh. It sounded familiar to him, It was
his nephew’s . Scrooge realized that they were in his nephew’s
house. He was laughing and the other people in the room were
laughing with him too.
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A Christmas Carol
‘Well, he’s a peculiar man. He’s got a lot of money but he never
spends it on himself or for others, he lives like a poor man but isn’t
happy.’
‘Nobody likes him. I don’t like him!’ said his wife.
‘I can’t be angry with him. I feel badly for him because he doesn’t
enjoy his life. His bad temper is already his punishment. He never
laughs. Now he is in his cold, dusty office all alone. I invited him but
he didn’t want to eat with us today. I’m going to ask him every year
anyway.’
Then they played some music and sang. After that, they played the
game of twenty questions, in which someone thinks of something
and the others have to guess. His nephew’s turn arrived and
everybody started asking him questions.
‘Is it an animal?’
‘Yes.’
‘A wild animal?’
‘Yes’
‘Was it killed in the market?’
‘No’
‘Is it a horse?’
After a large number of questions Fred’s wife shouted: ‘I’ve got it! It’s
your uncle Scro-o--o-o-oge!’
She was right.
‘Anyway, I would like to drink to the old man and wish him a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year!’ said Fred.
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‘No’
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A Christmas Carol
Scrooge and the ghost started to travel again. They visited many
other houses and each of them whether rich or poor was celebrating
Christmas with joy. Scrooge noticed that the ghost was getting older
because his hair was grey now.
‘Is a ghosts’ life so short?’ Scrooge asked.
‘Very short. My life on earth ends tonight at midnight. It’s eleven
forty-five. I haven’t got much time left. Look – look down here!’
The ghost opened its coat and Scrooge saw a boy and a girl on the
ground. They were very thin and they were wearing tattered clothes.
They were shivering and looked very hungry. Their eyes were sad.
They looked older than children their age and they were ugly, like
monsters. Scrooge was shocked.
‘Are they yours?’ he asked.
‘No. They belong to Mankind, they belong to humanity. This boy is
Ignorance and this girl is Need. Don’t trust them, especially the first
one.
‘Haven’t they got a house?’
‘Aren’t there a lot of prisons?’ the ghost replied. ‘And aren’t there
any hospices?’
Scrooge realized that those were his own words.
‘The third Spirit will come at twelve midnight.’ Suddenly he saw
another shadow. It was wearing a black robe with a hood and it was
going towards him, solemnly and as light as fog.
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The bell struck twelve. He looked around for the ghost but it had
disappeared. Then he remembered Jacob Marley’s prediction:
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A Christmas Carol
CHAPTER FIVE
The Last of the Spirits
The ghost approached him slowly and quietly. Its body was hidden by
its black robe and Scrooge could only see its hand pointing down.
When it went closer, Scrooge bent his knee because this third ghost
seemed to be shrouded in terror and mystery.
‘Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet to come?’ he asked.
The ghost didn’t answer, but its long, white hand came out from the
black clothes and pointed down.
‘Are you going to show me the future?’ Scrooge asked.
The ghost didn’t answer, his legs were trembling a lot and so he
couldn’t follow the ghost when it moved away. It stopped and waited
for him. He couldn’t see its eyes but he felt that they were looking at
him.
This ghost was the most frightening of the three.
The ghost didn’t move. Scrooge followed the shadow of its robe. He
felt as if he was lifted by that shadow. He found himself in the centre
of London, at a place called the Exchange. There were many
businessmen. Scrooge knew them all. Their pockets were full of
money. They were walking around and talking to each other. The
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‘Ghost of the Future!’ he cried. ‘I’m very frightened of you! But I
know that you want to do me good so I’ll go with you. I hope my
future will be different from the past. Take me wherever you want.
I’m ready!’
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A Christmas Carol
ghost was pointing its finger at them and Scrooge went closer,
attempting to listen to their conversation.
‘No, I don’t know much,’ said one of them. ‘I only know he’s dead.’
‘When did he die?’ another man asked.
‘Last night, I think.’
‘What has he done with his money?’ asked a man with a very red
face.
‘I don’t know,’ replied the other man. ‘He hasn’t left it to me. That’s
all I know.’
Everybody laughed.
‘The funeral will be very cheap because only a few people will go,’
the same man continued.
‘I’ll go only if there’s a big lunch,’ said the one with the red face.
Another laugh. And then the men went away. Scrooge looked at the
ghost.
‘Who are they talking about?’ he asked.
The ghost didn’t answer. It went into the street and showed Scrooge
two men that had just met. He knew them and he thought they liked
him. They were very rich and important businessmen. They greeted
each other and the then one of them said:
‘Have you heard? He’s finally dead.’
‘Very cold. But it’s Christmas, after all. Will you go ice-skating?’
‘No, no. I’ve got other things to do. Good morning.’
There wasn’t another word, that was the end of their conversation.
Scrooge was surprised. He couldn’t understand why the ghost was
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‘Yes, so I’ve heard,’ answered his companion. ‘Cold, isn’t it?’
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A Christmas Carol
making him listen to such conversations, they weren’t so interesting.
But he knew that everything had to have some meaning. Who were
they talking about? He had no idea. Maybe Marley? But no, he had
died seven years ago and this ghost was showing him the future. He
decided to wait and see. He tried to see his own reflection
somewhere but he couldn’t see himself anywhere. Wasn’t he there in
the future? He wasn’t too worried because he had decided to change
his life and was hoping that that his absence was the sign that he had
really changed.
Suddenly they were in a dark room. A pale ray of moonlight was
entering through the window, casting a glow on a man dying in his
bed. The man wasn’t moving and Scrooge couldn’t see who he was
because his face was in the shade.
Scrooge heard some footsteps. A woman came in very quietly. He
knew her! She was Mrs Dilber, the woman who was cleaning his
house.
She started to look into the drawers, but suddenly stopped when she
heard someone coming.
The door opened, it was the undertaker. They looked at each other,
surprised at first but then Joe1 laughed.
‘Mrs Dilber, what are you doing here?’ He said. He continued: ‘Don’t
look at me like that! One has to think about one’s own interests.
That’s exactly what he did when he was alive. Don’t worry we will
find an agreement.’
Just then the housekeeper came in. She had a large bag full of sheets,
towels, clothes and shoes.
1
Joe was Scrooge’s domestic
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‘I hope so’ replied the woman.
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A Christmas Carol
‘Now look in my bag, Old Joe,’ she said, ‘and tell me how much you’ll
give me.’
Old Joe counted up the money for each thing in the box and the bag
and wrote some numbers on the wall.
‘That’s how much I’ll give you,’ he said. ‘And no more. I always give
too much and so I’m poor.’
Then he opened a dirty bag and put the money on the floor. ‘When
he was alive, he frightened people and they hated him. So now we
get money from his death. Ha, ha, ha!’
Scrooge was trembling. ‘Ghost! Now I understand. This could happen
to me. That’s where my life is leading me. Dead, alone in a bed, no
one crying for me and saying I was a good man.
‘Ghost, what a horrible place! I’ll never forget this scene. Can we go
now?’
The ghost put its robe before Scrooge’s eyes. When he moved it back
they were in a well-lighted room. A woman was sitting by a fire and
was waiting for someone. Someone knocked on the door at last and
the woman went to open it. It was her husband. After the man had
had dinner she asked him.
‘Did you talk to him?’
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘Well, it would be a miracle…If he opened his heart and decided to
help us? Said the woman.
‘That’s impossible: he’s dead, we’ll have to pay his nephew. He
certainly won’t be as cruel as him.’
The woman felt relieved to hear that he was dead and that they had
some more time to pay their debt off.
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‘There’s no hope, then…’ she said
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A Christmas Carol
‘Ghost, please, let’s go away! Show me some compassion toward a
dying man.’ Scrooge said.
The ghost took him to Bob Cratchit’s house. The mother and children
were sitting round the fire. They were quiet, very quiet. The little
Cratchits, usually lively and noisy sat like statues in a corner. Peter
was reading while his mother and sisters were sewing.
Then the mother put her work on the table and put a hand on her
face. ‘Your father should be here soon,’ she said.
‘He would always walk very fast with Tiny Tim on his shoulder, he
was very light and your father loved him so much. He walks more
slowly now.. Ah, there he is!’
Bob came in. The little Cratchits gave him some hot tea leaning with
their faces close to him saying, ‘Don’t be sad, Father!’
‘I met Mr Scrooge’s nephew in the street,’ he told the family. ‘He
asked me why I was so sad. When I told him, he said he was very
sorry and wanted to help us. I think he’s going to find a job for Peter.’
‘He’s a very good man,’ said Mrs Cratchit.
‘Yes. Children, promise me that when you all leave home in a few
years, you won’t forget Tiny Tim, will you?’
‘Never, Father!’ they all cried.
‘Thank you. I feel happier now,’ Bob said.
Then he went to a room upstairs. It looked as bright and happy as
Christmas. He sat on a chair next to the bed. Tiny Tim was on it. He
was dead. Bob kissed his little face and then went downstairs.
Scrooge said to the ghost, ‘Ghost, tell me who that dead man was,
please! We haven’t got much time left and I want to know!’
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Bob tried to be cheerful; but suddenly he exclaimed: ‘My little boy!’
He started to cry.
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A Christmas Carol
The ghost didn’t say anything. Instead it took him near his office.
‘Wait!’ said Scrooge. ‘My office is here. Let me go and see what I’ll be
in the future.’
The ghost continued walking. Scrooge ran to the window of his office
and looked in. He saw an office, but he realized it wasn’t his.
Everything was different, including the man at the desk. He followed
the ghost again. It stopped at the gate of the cemetery. Maybe he
wanted to show him the man’s tomb.
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‘Are you now going to tell me who that man was?’ asked Scrooge.
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A Christmas Carol
The ghost led him to a tomb. He went near it, trembling.
‘Answer me one question before I look at the name’ – he said. ‘Will
these things really happen or can anything be done to stop them?’
The ghost didn’t answer.
‘Are you trying to tell me that if a man changes his own life and
becomes a better person, his future will change too? Is this what you
mean?’
The ghost remained silent. Scrooge got closer to the grave, still
trembling, and read the name on the tomb: EBENEZER SCROOGE.
He fell on his knees. ‘The dead man in the bed was me! Oh, ghost!
Oh, no, no! Look, I’m different now. I promise I won’t be the same
man I was before. Tell me there is still hope – please! Tell me that if I
change my life, what you have shown me will change as well!’
The ghost’s hand trembled.
‘I promise I will celebrate Christmas with all my soul!’ Scrooge
continued. ‘And I’ll always try to feel the Christmas spirit – each and
every day of the year! I will live in the past, the present and the
future. I won’t forget the lessons I have learnt. Oh, tell me that I can
erase my name from this stone!’
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Scrooge tried to reach for the ghost with his hands, but it suddenly
disappeared, leaving in front of his eyes only a bed-curtain.
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A Christmas Carol
CHAPTER SIX
The End of It
The next morning, he was still in his bed and in his room and, best of
all, he still had the chance to become a better man. He jumped out of
bed.
‘I will live with the spirits of the past, present and future in me!’ he
said on his knees, crying. ‘Thank you, Jacob Marley! God bless
Christmas!’
Then he got dressed.
‘My clothes are here: this means I am here too. But the future is not
here yet and I can change!’ he said, laughing and crying at the same
time. ‘What can I do first? Oh, I feel so light! I feel free like an angel!
A Merry Christmas to everybody! A Happy New Year to the whole
world!’
He danced in the sitting-room and looked around.
And he couldn’t stop laughing. Then he heard the sound of the
church bells – ding, dong, ding, dong! What a glorious sound it was to
his ears! He opened the window and stuck out his head. The sky was
crystal clear, it was a bright, sunny day, and the air was cold and
invigorating.
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‘There’s the door I saw Jacob Marley enter. There’s the place where
the Ghost of Christmas Present was sitting. There’s the window
where I saw the ghosts in the air. Everything is alright, everything is
true, it all happened!’
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A Christmas Carol
‘What’s today? Scrooge asked a boy in the street.
‘Pardon?’ The boy looked very surprised.
‘What day is today, my boy?’
‘It’s Christmas Day.’
‘Christmas Day!’ Scrooge said to himself in delight. ‘everything
happened in one night. Hey, boy! Do you know the butcher’s shop in
the street nearby?’
‘Sure I know it!’
‘You’re a smart lad! Do you know if they still have that big turkey in
the window?’
‘The one as big as me?’
‘What a nice boy!’ said Scrooge. ‘Yes, that one.’
‘Yes, they still have it.’
‘Really? Oh, great! Will you please go and buy it for me? Tell them to
bring it here. If you come back in five minutes, I’ll give you half-acrown.’
The boy ran as fast as he could to the shop.
In the meantime, he wrote Bob’s address on a piece of paper. When
the butcher’s man arrived with the big turkey, Scrooge told him to
call a taxi. He gave him the money for the turkey and the cab, and as
promised, he gave the boy half a crown. He kept laughing and
laughing. Then he put on his coat and walked along the street,
looking at the people and smiling at them.
‘Good morning!’ said the people. ‘A Merry Christmas to you!’
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‘I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit,’ Scrooge said. ‘Ha, ha! He will never know
who sent it!’
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A Christmas Carol
And Scrooge answered in the same way.
‘Ah, those are the two men who were asking for money in my office
yesterday,’ he said. ‘How do you do, my dear sirs! A Merry Christmas
to you!’
‘Mr Scrooge?’ asked one of them.
‘Yes. That’s my name and you probably don’t like me. Please, forgive
me for what I did yesterday. Listen, I have to tell you something…’
Scrooge whispered in the man’s ear.
‘Are you serious, Mr Scrooge?’ The man was almost shocked.
‘Of course I am! Do you think you can do me that favour?’
‘My dear Scrooge, that’s incredibly generous of you! I don’t know
how to thank you.’
‘Don’t say anything and come to my office tomorrow. I’ll give it to
you then. All right?’
Then Scrooge continued walking. He looked inside the people’s
houses, at their warm kitchens, he patted the children on their
heads, he played with their dogs, he was feeling fulfilled just by
looking at everything going on around him.
In the afternoon he went to his nephew’s house. The entire family
was in the dining room.
‘Fred!’ said Scrooge at the door.
‘It’s your Uncle Scrooge. I have come to have dinner with you. May I
come in, Fred?’
‘Come in? Of course, uncle! You’re very welcome here.’
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‘My God! Who is it?’ shouted Fred.
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A Christmas Carol
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Everybody was happy to see Scrooge and he was happy to see them.
They had a wonderful dinner, they played funny games and they
enjoyed themselves so much!
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A Christmas Carol
The next day, Scrooge was in his office early in the morning waiting
for Bob Cratchit. He knew that Bob was always late. Nine o’clock and
no Bob. A quarter past nine. Still no Bob. At nine-twenty Bob entered
the office and rushed into his room and started to work fast.
‘Hello!’ Scrooge said in his aggressive tone of voice. ‘You’re late!’
‘I’m very sorry, sir!’ Bob answered.
‘Sorry? Come here, Cratchit.’
‘It’s only once a year, sir,’ said poor Bob. ‘It won’t happen again.’
‘Well, my friend, I hope not,’ Scrooge said with a big smile on his
face. ‘Because I’m going to give you a bigger salary!’
Bob was shaking. He couldn’t believe his ears.
‘A Merry Christmas, Bob!’ said Scrooge. ‘This will be your happiest
Christmas! Yes, I’m going to give you a lot more money and save your
family from poverty. Come on, let’s make this room cosy: make a big
fire and have a drink with me, Bob Cratchit!’
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Scrooge gave Bob more money, helped his family and did much
more. Tiny Tim did NOT die and Scrooge was like a father to him. He
became a good friend, a good manager and a good man. Some
people laughed at him, of course, but he knew that people always
laugh at what is new and different. He often laughed now, and this
was the most important thing to him. The ghosts appeared no more,
and he celebrated every Christmas with all his soul. And, in the words
of Tiny Tim, Scrooge said, ‘God bless everyone!’
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