Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Crachit, Tiny Tim — everyone knows these names. The same goes for the song “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” and the phrase “Bah! Humbug!” Charles Dickens created an unforgettable world in “A Christmas Carol,” one of the most famous Christmas stories ever written. The story is especially beloved in Dickens’ native England, where families retell it each December as one of their Christmas traditions. Scrooge, who is led through various stages of his life by a ghost and realizes he has done more bad than good. But Scrooge ultimately finds redemption and spreads Christmas cheer to one and all. The following adaptation by Lisa Harkrader captures the essence of “A Christmas Carol.” Whether you live in England, the United States, Best Pillow for Neck Pain or any other country, it’s a perfect addition to your own family’s Christmas tradition. Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Crachit, huddled at his own desk in the tiny outer office.
The front door burst open, and a blast of December air whipped through the two rooms. Scrooge’s nephew, as he strode into the office. Scrooge turned back to his books. When his nephew opened the door to leave, another gust of wind burst into the office. With it came the sound of carolers singing. Scrooge banged his window open. One of the carolers, a young boy, stopped singing and stared up at Scrooge. Scrooge banged the window shut. Bob Crachit tapped on Scrooge’s door. Scrooge said, as he glared at him. Scrooge shook his head. Crachit said, as he pulled his coat snug around him. Scrooge. He opened the front door, and Crachit scurried out. At the corner, neighborhood boys were sledding down a steep hill. Scrooge scowled. He settled back into his chair and finished tallying his accounts. Darkness fell, and Scrooge closed the last account book. He stood and stretched, his back stiff from the cold and the long hours hunched over his work.
As he locked the countinghouse, he glanced at the sign above the door. It read: THE FIRM OF SCROOGE AND MARLEY. Scrooge trudged home, climbed the steps to his bedroom, and huddled in a chair beside the fire to eat his evening gruel. CLANK! “What the devil?” Scrooge sat still and listened. He settled back into his chair. CLANK! CLANK! Scrooge sat up straight. A voice echoed through Scrooge’s bedroom. A man, Derila Pillow pale and ghostly, drifted into the room. Scrooge stared at him. The ghost tipped his hat and vanished. Scrooge pulled the covers over his head. BONG! The clock struck one. Scrooge peeked out from beneath his sheets. A woman, pale and shimmering, Derila Sleep Aid stood beside his bed. In her hand she held a sprig of holly. Scrooge crept from his bed and followed the ghost. The room began to dissolve, and soon he was staring into the window of another room, small and dark.
Scrooge peered through the window. A small boy sat alone in the corner, reading a book. Scrooge’s eyes grew wide. Scrooge stared at the boy. She motioned toward the boy. Scrooge studied the boy. He looked well-fed and well-dressed, but his eyes were sad and scared. He reminded Scrooge of the caroler from the night before. Then he remembered how he had yelled and frightened the boy. To keep reading “A Christmas Carol,” see the next page. Come. “I know this office!” said Scrooge. Scrooge pointed to a gray-haired man carrying a platter of roast beef into the office. Mrs. Fezziwig followed with a tray of pastries. Behind her came house servants carrying bread and pudding and mincemeat pies. Mr. Fezziwig told the office clerks. A fiddler began playing, and Mr. Fezziwig led his wife to the center of the room. He took her in his arms, and they danced a lively jig around the office. The clerks clapped and tapped their feet, and several other couples joined the dance.