A Christmas Carol Script

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

Parts:  Narrator 1    Narrator 2     Narrator 3     Narrator 4     Narrator 5     Fred

            Scrooge       Gentleman      Singers         Bob  Cratchit          Marley         Spirit 1

            Fan           Mr.Fezziwig      Mrs. Fezziwig  girl/Belle     Husband        Spirit 2       Mrs. Cratchit

            Tiny Tim      Niece          Man 1          Man 2          Man 3          Woman

            Peter          boy     children on the street   young Scrooge

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Narrator 1:  A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens, December, 1843

                          Stave 1:  Marley's Ghost

Narrator 2:  Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register

             of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief

             mourner. Scrooge signed it.

Narrator 3:  Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Narrator 4:  Scrooge knew he was dead? Of course he did. Scrooge and he

             were partners for I don't know how many years.

Narrator 5: There is no doubt that Marley  was dead.

Narrator 2:  Scrooge never painted out Old Marley's name. There it stood, years afterwards, above

             the warehouse door: Scrooge and Marley. The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley.

Narrator 3:  Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! a squeezing,

             wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, old sinner!  

             Self- contained, and solitary as an oyster. 

Narrator 5:  Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say,

Narrator 1: `My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?'

Narrator 2:  No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle.

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Narrator 5:  Once upon a time -- of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve -- old Scrooge

             sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold,  biting weather and he could hear the people in the court outside.

Fred:       "A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!".

Scrooge:    "Bah!  , Humbug!"

Fred:       "Christmas a humbug, uncle! You don't mean that, I am sure?"

Scrooge:    "I do,"

  "Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry?

             You're poor enough."

Scrooge:    "Humbug."

Fred:       "Don't be cross, uncle!"

Scrooge:      "when I live in such a world of fools as this?  What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money¨.

Fred:       "Don't be angry, uncle. Come! Dine with us tomorrow."

Scrooge:    "Why did you get married?"

Narrator 3:  said Scrooge, making little sense at all in his question.

Fred:       "Because I fell in love." Why, uncle?

Scrooge:     "Because you fell in love!"

Fred:       "I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you; why cannot we be friends?" Merry Christmas!

Scrooge:    "Good afternoon,"

Fred:       "And A Happy New Year!"­­

Scrooge:    "Good afternoon."

Narrator 1:  His nephew left the room without an angry word.

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Narrator 2: A gentleman enters the office

Gentleman:  Merry Christmas!   "Scrooge and Marley's, I believe

Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge, or Mr. Marley?"

Scrooge:    "Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years,".

Gentleman:  "I have come to ask for your kind assistance for the Poor and Destitute

Scrooge: Are there no prisons? Or hospitals?

Gentleman:  Yes they are. So… for your cooperation, do you wish to be anonymous?

Scrooge:    "I wish to be left alone,"

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Singers:     `God bless you, merry gentleman!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scrooge: You want the day tomorrow, don´t you?

Bob:        "If quite convenient, sir."

Scrooge:    A good excuse for taking a man´s money. But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning.

Narrator 1:  Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern

Narrator 4:  Scrooge fastened the door, and walked across the hall, and up the stairs; slowly,  He checked each room. Nobody under the table, nobody under the sofa.

Nobody under the bed; nobody in the closet.

Narrator 3:  The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound, and then he heard the noise.

Scrooge:    "It's humbug."

Narrator 5:  His colour changed though, when, without a pause, it came on through the heavy door,

             and passed into the room before his eyes.

Scrooge:    "`I know him; Marley's Ghost!   What do you want with me?"

Marley:     "Much!"

Scrooge:    "Who are you?"

Marley:     "Ask me who I was."

Scrooge:    "Who were you then?"

Marley:     "In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley."

Scrooge:    "Tell me why do you trouble me?"

Marley:     Ebenezer Scrooge, except that I cannot rest, I cannot stay,

             I cannot linger anywhere. My spirit never walked beyond our counting-house -- mark

             me! -- in life my spirit never enjoyed other life than your money counting hole!

I offer you a chance and hope, Ebenezer."

Scrooge:     "You were always a good friend to me, and I thank 'ee!"

Marley:     "You will be haunted by Three Spirits."

Scrooge:    "Is that the chance and hope you mentioned, Jacob?"

Marley:     ¨Expect the first tomorrow, when the bell tolls One."

Scrooge:    "Couldn't I take them all at once?¨

Marley:     "Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. The third upon the next night

             when the last stroke of Twelve¨.

Narrator 4:  Scrooge closed the window, and examined the door by which the Ghost had entered.

                            

_________________________________________________________________________________

 Stave 2: The First of the Three Spirits

Narrator 2:  It was a strange figure. Its hair  hung about its neck and down its back, was

             white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it.

Scrooge:    "Who, and what are you?"

Spirit 1:   "I am the Ghost of Christmas Past."

Spirit 1:    "Rise. and walk with me."

_________________________________________________________________________________

Scrooge:    "Good Heaven !   I was bred in this place. I was a boy here."

Spirit 1:   "The school is not quite deserted.  A solitary child, neglected by his friends¨.

Scrooge: That´s me

_________________________________________________________________________________

Narrator 1: Then the Spirit took him to another place in an old building, an office with many men working.

Fezziwig:   "Yo ho, my boys. No more work to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer "Clear away, my lads, and let's have lots of room here. Ebenezer."

Narrator 2:   In came a fiddler. In came Mrs Fezziwig.  In came all the young men and women employed in the business; the house-help and neighbors. There were dances, and there was cake, and there was a great piece of Cold

Roast, and there were mince-pies, and plenty of beer, and more dances.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Narrator 3: Then the spirit showed him a girl sitting by him.

Girl:  You know who your only love is. I release you, leave me alone. You do not love me.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Husband:    "Belle, I saw an old friend of yours this afternoon."

Girl:       "Who was it."

Husband:    "Guess."

Girl:       "How can I. Tut, I don´t know."

Husband:    "Mr Scrooge it was. I passed his office window and he had

             a candle inside. His partner is dead,  I hear; and there he sat alone. Quite alone in the world"

_________________________________________________________________________________

Scrooge:    "Leave me. Take me back. Haunt me no longer."

Narrator 3: 

Scrooge was suddenly aware of being in his own bedroom, conscious of being exhausted, dizzy and very sleepy.

                            

 Stave 3:  The Second of the Three Spirits

Narrator 4:  Awaking in the middle of the night, Scrooge ignored it was one o´clock

Observing a bright light shining from under his door, he got up

softly. The moment Scrooge's hand was on the lock, a strange voice called him by his name.

          

Spirit 2:   "I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Look upon me."

Narrator 5:  Scrooge did as he was told, and they were instantly transported to

             the city streets on Christmas morning.

Narrator 1:  There was Mrs Cratchit, Cratchit's wife, and Master Peter Cratchit, who  plunged a

             fork into the saucepan of potatoes. And now two smaller Cratchits, boy and girl, these young Cratchits

             danced around the table.

Mrs. Cratchit: "Where is your father?" "And your brother, Tiny Tim?"

Scrooge:    "Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live."

_________________________________________________________________________________

Narrator 1: Then the spirit took him to Fred´s house and showed him with his daughter celebrating Christmas.

Narrator 2:  As quickly as before,  Scrooge found himself once more in his chambers, alone.

                                

  Stave 4: The Last of the Spirits

Narrator 3:  The Phantom slowly, silently approached. When it came, Scrooge bent down

             upon his knee.

Scrooge:    "I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come."

Narrator 4:  The Spirit answered not, but pointed onward with its hand.

Scrooge:    "You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will

             happen in the time before us, is that so, Spirit?"

           

_________________________________________________________________________________

Man 1:      "I don't know much about it, either way. I only know he's dead."

Man 2:      "When did he die?"

Man 1:      "Last night, I believe."

Man 3:      "Why, what was the matter with him?"

Man 1:      ¨I don´t know¨

Man 2:      "What has he done with his money."

Scrooge:    "No, Spirit. Oh no, no."  Spirit,  hear me. I am not the man I was.  I will change!  Take me home!¨

                                        Stave 5:  The End of It

Scrooge:    "I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future."

Boy:        "Eh?"

Scrooge:    "What's to-day, my fine fellow?"

Boy:        "Why, Christmas Day."

Children:  Good morning, sir. A merry Christmas to you. 

Scrooge: ¨Merry Christmas! ¨

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Anne Frank  ( 1929- 1945)

Anne Frank's world famous diary charts two years of her life from 1942 to 1944, when her family were hiding in Amsterdam from German Nazis. The diary begins just before the family retreated into their 'Secret Annexe.' Anne Frank recorded mostly her hopes, frustrations, clashes with her parents, and observation of her companions. Its first version, which appeared in 1947, was edited by Anne's father, who removed certain family references and some of her highly intimate confessions. "I haven't written for a few days, because I wanted first of all to think about my diary. It's an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary; not only because I have never done so before, but because it seems to me that neither I – nor for that matter anyone else – will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Still, what does that matter? I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart." (from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, 1952) Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany. The Frank's family business included banking, management of the springs at Bad Soden and the manufacture of cough drops. Anne's mother, the former Edith Holländer, was the daughter of a manufacturer. She had married Otto Frank in 1925. Their first daughter, Margot Betti, born in 1926, was followed by Anneliese Marie, called Anne, in 1929. After the Nazis won in national elections in 1932, Adolf Hitler was appointed next year chancellor of Germany. Otto Frank had earlier toyed with the idea of emigrating, and in 1933 the family fled from Frankfurt to the Netherlands, where Otto Frank continued his career as a businessman. His  spice-trading company sold goods to the Wehrmach, too. In 1938 Anne Frank's two uncles escaped to the United States.  Following the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands, anti-Jewish decrees brought into force in rapid succession. Anne's sister received a notice to report to the Nazis. The family went hiding with four other friends in a sealed-off office flat in Amsterdam. In 1944 Gestapo was informed of the flat – from 10 000 Jews, who went into hiding, some 5 000 were betrayed. SS Officer Karl Joseph Silberbauer – found in the 1960s by Simon Wiesenthal – arrested the Frank and the Van Pels families. The Franks were transported to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where Anne's mother died of starvation. Anne and her sister were transferred from the Dutch concentration camp, Westerbork, to Bergen-Belsen where they both died of typhus. "Whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!" (from The Diary of a Young Girl, 1952) Otto Frank's secretary Miep Gies, who had searched the hiding place after the family was arrested and found the diary, gave it to Frank in October 1945. After reading Anne's writings Frank realized to his shock that he had never really known his daughter. This was the turning point in his life. For the rest of his life Frank devoted himself to the diary and his daughter's legacy. In 1947, at his own expense, Frank published  the  work as Het Achterhuis  in an edition of 1500 copies. The first translation into English from 1952 came out under the title The Diary of a Young Girl. This book was adapted into a motion picture in 1959, directed by George Stevens. Since its publication, the diary has been translated into some 60 languages. When Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank was originally published in 1950 by Lambert Schneider Verlag in Germany, some booksellers were reluctant at first to show the book in their shop windows, fearing that it might provoke a hostile reaction. The diary became a part of the reading of school children and Anne Frank clubs and discussion groups formed among German youths in various cities in the 1950s. The Diary. Anne Frank received a diary in 1942 for her 13th birthday, and wrote in an early entry: "I hope that you will be a great support and comfort to me." When she began to fill up its pages, she was still attending the Jewish Secondary School. On her birthday, 14, June, she opens presents: "The first to greet me was you, possibly the nicest of all," she says of her new friend. After moving in the hiding place in a spice warehouse, Frank depictes the nightmare reality of eight persons crowded into tiny living quarters, in fear of being discovered, but also her dreams, hopes and feelings of a young girl on the verge of womanhood. "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are still truly good at heart..." But there were moments of doubt, impatience, rage: "I simply can't built up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death." The poignancy of the diary is increased by her use of epistolary form. The letters are addressed, in the absence of her friends, to the imaginary 'Kitty.' Along with Primo Levi's If This Is A Man (1947), Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl is considered one of the major works of Holocaust literature. Anne started to write at school, and planned to become a writer. When she heard from radio broadcast from London about the importance of war diaries and letters, and possible publication, she changed the style of her entries. On May 20, 1944 she decided to revise her earlier texts, and in two and half months she produced 324 handwritten pages, which she entitled Het Achterhuis. The family was betrayed before Anne finished her work. The final entry is 1 August 1944; on 4 August they were arrested. After the war Otto Frank combined her daughter's writings, earlier and later, into version C, which became known as the Diary of Anne Frank. First it did not sell well, but when the diary gained a wide fame in the United States, where it was dramatized and filmed. The lively and moving book sold most copies in the world in the 1960s and 1970s. Also Anne Frank Huis – the hiding-place – was opened in Amsterdam on the Prinsengracht 263. The house was given by its owner to the Anne Frank foundation. The authenticity of the diary was examined in the 1980s, when neo-Nazis claimed that it was forged. All the versions of Anne Frank's texts were published in 1986. However, before the publication of the first edition Otto Frank had put aside five diary pages, giving them later to his close friend, Cor Suijk. In these pages Anne depicted her parents marriage, defended her mother, and hoped that nobody would see her writings. In 1995 selections of diary suppressed by Otto Frank were made public. Battle over the American stage adaptation of Anne Frank's diary. In The Stolen Legacy of Anne Frank (1997) Ralph Melnick documented how Anne Frank's diary was staged in New York. Originally the correspondent Mayer Levin adapted it into a play, but then a "less Jewish" version,  written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, was produced by Lillian Hellman. She helped with the last of eight drafts. Anne's thought, "Perhaps through Jewish suffering the world will learn good" were revised in the play to "Jews were not the only ones who suffered from the Nazis." Garson Kanin, the director, was responsible for the change. Anne's final words on the stage are, "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." The production was a major success and earned a Pulitzer. Levin spent the rest of his life, three decades, fighting for the right to produce his version. Otto Frank never saw the play – he did not want to. Who betrayed the Frank family? According a police record, the person who tipped the family off received 7½ guilders per Jew, a total of 60 guilders. (Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family by Miep Gies and Alison Leslie Gold, 1987, p. 250) In the late 1940s Otto Frank's warehouse man Willem Van Maaren was put under investigation. Due to the lack of evidence the process was stopped, but opened again in the 1960s. No evidence was found. In the 1980s a new name came up: Lena Van Bladeren, who worked in the office as a cleaning woman. Carol Ann Lee has claimed that Otto Frank's business friend, Tonny Ahlers, who helped him to continued his spice trade from the hiding place, betrayed the family. Tonny Ahlers was a member of the Nazi party.

 

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World War II The Atomic Bomb

 








                                  World War II - The Atomic Bomb

(Taken from: http://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/ww2_atomic_bomb.php)




At the start of World War II in 1939 the atomic bomb had not yet been invented.

However, scientists discovered about that time that a powerful explosion might be

possible by splitting an atom. This type of bomb could destroy large cities in a single

blast and would change warfare forever.







Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein came up with many of the theories that helped scientists in making the

atomic bomb. When he realized that such a bomb could be made, he was frightened

about what might happen if Hitler and Germany learned how to make the bomb first.

He wrote a letter to US President Franklin Roosevelt telling him about the atom bomb.

As a result, Roosevelt set up the Manhattan Project.


Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project was the name for the research and development program for

the atomic bomb. It started small, but as the bomb became more real, the United

States added scientists and funding to be sure they were the first to have the bomb.

Ironically, many of the scientists involved in making the bomb had defected from

Germany. By the end of the project, funding had reached $2 billion and there were

around 200,000 people working on the project.







The First Atomic Bomb

On July 16, 1945 the first atomic bomb was exploded in the New Mexico desert. The

explosion was massive and the equivalent to 18,000 tons of TNT. Scientists figured

that the temperature at the center of the explosion was three times hotter than at the

center of the sun.




Although the scientists were happy they had successfully made the bomb, they also

were sad and fearful. This bomb would change the world and could cause mass

destruction and death. When President Harry Truman heard of the bomb's success he

wrote "We have discovered the most terrible bomb in the history of the world".


Deciding to Drop the Bomb

By the time the first atomic bomb had been made, Germany had already surrendered

and World War II in Europe was over. Japan was defeated as well, but would not

surrender. The US was contemplating an invasion of Japan. Army leaders figured that

anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million US and Allied soldiers would die in an invasion.

President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb instead.












Hiroshima

On August 6, 1945 an atomic bomb named Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima,

Japan. The explosion was huge, the city was destroyed, and tens of thousands of

people were killed. The bomb was dropped by a plane named the Enola Gay which was

piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbetts. The bomb itself was over 10 feet long and weighed

around 10,000 pounds. A small parachute was on the bomb in order to slow its drop

and allow the plane time to fly away from the blast zone.




Nagasaki

Despite witnessing the terrible destruction of the bomb on Hiroshima, Emperor

Hirohito and Japan still refused to surrender. Three days later, on August 9, 1945,

another atomic bomb, nicknamed Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Again

the devastation was horrible.




Surrender

Six days after the bombing of Nagasaki, Emperor Hirohito and Japan surrendered to

US forces. The Emperor announced this on the radio. It was the first time most

Japanese had heard his voice.
















Interesting Facts




• The lead scientist on the Manhattan Project was J. Robert Oppenheimer. He is

often called the "father of the atomic bomb".

• The first bomb dropped on Hiroshima was made from uranium. The bomb

dropped on Nagasaki was made from plutonium, which was even more powerful

than uranium.

• It is thought that at least 135,000 people died from the Hiroshima explosion and

another 70,000 in Nagasaki. Many of these people were civilians including

women and children.

• Hiroshima was chosen because it was a large port city with an army base. It also

had not been damaged much by earlier bombings. This would show just how

powerful the new weapon was.

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