Page 26 - Exercise 2

Page 26 - Exercise 2

A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular stories about Christmas of all time. It was written by Charles Dickens in 1843 and was an instant success. Since then it has been adapted many times for the theatre, cinema and television.

It was Christmas Eve, and Ebenezer Scrooge was sitting in his cold, miserable office. In the next room, his clerk, Bob Cratchit, was working. Cratchit’s office didn’t have a fire, so it was even colder than his boss’s. ‘Merry Christmas, Uncle!’ cried a happy voice. It was Scrooge’s nephew, Fred. ‘Bah, humbug!’ said Scrooge. He was a mean, cold-hearted old man and he hated Christmas. ‘Are you going to join us for our Christmas dinner tomorrow, Uncle?’ said Fred. ‘We’re eating at one o’clock.’ But Scrooge didn’t think people should celebrate, even on Christmas Day, so he refused.

As Fred was leaving, two gentlemen came to the office.

They were collecting money for the poor. Scrooge was very rich, but he didn’t give them any money. ‘I’m not going to give money to people who don’t work - even at Christmas!’ he told the gentlemen.

When the time came to close the office, Scrooge spoke to his clerk. ‘I suppose you want a day off tomorrow.’ ‘If you don’t mind, sir. It will be Christmas Day.’ ‘Well, I do mind. Why should I pay you for a day’s work in the office, when you won’t be here? But I suppose you must have it.’ With that, Scrooge went home to his cold, dark house.

That night, as Scrooge was eating a bowl of soup, he heard a strange noise. He heard someone pulling some heavy chains across the floor. Suddenly, a ghost walked straight through his door. It was Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s old business partner. ‘Marley!’ cried Scrooge, ‘But you died seven years ago!’

‘Yes,’ said the ghost, ‘and for seven years I have carried these chains that I made in my lifetime. I cannot rest, because I was never good or generous when I was alive.’ ‘But why are you here?’ said Scrooge. ‘What do you want?’ ‘I am here to warn you, Ebenezer. If you don’t change your ways, you, too, will carry chains like these for eternity.

Three spirits will visit you tonight. Remember what I have told you.’ With that, the ghost disappeared through the window.

Scrooge ran to the window and looked out. The air was full of spirits, all carrying chains and crying sadly.

Scrooge closed the window and went to bed. He soon fell asleep, but, just as Marley’s ghost said, three spirits visited Scrooge that night. Each one took him on a journey.

The first spirit was the Ghost of Christmas Past. The spirit took Scrooge back to a time when he was a young man He saw himself at Christmas at a party. He was singing The spirit then showed him his beautiful fiancee, Belle, too.

When he was young, he wanted to get married, but as he got older, Scrooge started to love money more than people. Gradually he lost all his friends. Belle married someone else, and Scrooge became a mean, lonely old man. Scrooge didn’t enjoy seeing all this.

The second visitor was the Ghost of Christmas Present. He took Scrooge to see Bob Cratchit and his family. They were very poor, because Scrooge didn’t pay Bob very much. They only had a very small chicken for Christmas dinner, but they were laughing and smiling - even Tiny Tim, who was very sick and weak. Scrooge felt ashamed. The Cratchits were enjoying Christmas even though they were poor. He had lots of money, but he was mean and unhappy.

The last spirit was the Ghost of Christmas Future. He showed Scrooge Christmas in the future - and it was a terrible future. Tiny Tim was dead, because his parents couldn’t afford medicine for him. The Cratchits were heartbroken and Bob was crying. Someone else was dead, too, but nobody cried for him. In fact, a lot of people were happy.

‘Who has died?’ asked Scrooge. The spirit said nothing, but he took Scrooge to a cemetery. ‘Why have you brought me here?’ he asked. Again, the spirit said nothing. He just pointed to the dead man’s grave. On it was the name - Ebenezer Scrooge.

Scrooge was terrified. ‘Spirit. Listen! I’m going to change my ways. I promise. I’ve seen many things tonight and I’ve leaent my lesson. Please tell me that the future won’t be like this. Please! Please!’ The spirit didn’t reply.

Suddenly, Scrooge was back in his own bed again and it was morning. He jumped up and ran to the window. ‘What day is it?’ he called to a boy in the street. ‘Today?’ The boy was very surprised. ‘Why, it’s Christmas Day’ ‘So I haven’t missed it,’ thought Scrooge. ‘God bless you, Jacob Marley. And God bless Christmas!’ From that moment Scrooge was a different man. First he sent the boy to buy an enormous turkey and take it to the Cratchits. Then he went out into the street and said ‘Merry Christmas’ to everyone that he met. As he was walking along, he saw the gentlemen who had come to his office. ‘If you come to my office tomorrow, I’ll give you some money for the poor - a lot of money’ he told them. The gentlemen were very surprised. His nephew, Fred, and his wife were surprised, too, when Scrooge arrived for Christmas dinner.

After Christmas when Bob Cratchit returned to work, Scrooge said: ‘I’m going to double your wages, Bob. And I’m going to give you some money to help Tiny Tim.’ So Tiny Tim didn’t die, and Scrooge didn’t have any more visits from spirits. He was always cheerful at Christmas and he lived happily for the rest of his life.