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!
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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.
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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
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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."
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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?"
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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! ¨
