Written and Narrated by William E. Spear
Produced by The Three Fifty-seven
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Hello and welcome back to the Agricultural and Literary Institute of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The home for this year’s holiday readings.
And a reminder that THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE by Lucy Wheelock is coming up next.
Now the conclusion of . . . A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
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“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration . . .”
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Hello. This is William Spear of The Three Fifty-seven news desk and we interrupt our regular programming for this special bulletin.
Unconfirmed reports indicate protesters are planning to disrupt the annual reading of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Neither the number of protesters, nor their motives, have been determined.
Charles Dickens created the cast of iconic characters in 1843. Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig, Tiny Tim and others are as vibrant and alive today as when the story was published.
We now return you to A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
(Narrator fades up)
And forever after, it was always said of Scrooge, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!
The End.
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“Hey, the show’s not over yet, Tim! I’ve got something to say!” It was the Ghost of Christmas Present. Loud and bold and clad in green like a giant Peter Pan, Present was a force.
It filled the room with energy and electricity. The lights flickered as if they were about to explode from too much power.
Bob Cratchit rolled his eyes and mumbled: “Here we go again.”
Mrs. Fezziwig leaned over and whispered to Mr. Fezziwig: “Every year it’s the same thing.”
Even Fan, Scrooge’s sister, usually brimming with glee and possessing cheerful words for every circumstance, growled: “Give it a break.”
Christmas Present roared at the detractors: “Look upon me! You have never seen the likes of me before!”
The others mumbled wearily. One called out: “We see the likes of you every Christmas.” A few laughed. Another chimed in: “And, candidly, we’d like to see a little less.” More laughed.
Light flashed and there appeared next to Present the Ghost of Christmas Past.
It was a child in size but an old person in appearance. Its hair hung about its neck and down its back and was white from age.
“Anyone who speaks against the Present,” it said. “Also speaks against me.”
Tiny Tim, sweet and angelic Tiny Tim, sneered: “Hey, who invited the pint-sized Gandalf?”
Christmas Past chaneled its inner Tolkien: “I do not travel through Time and History to Bandy Words with a Witless Child.”
Tim wisely returned to the crowd.
The Spirits had a longstanding frustration with Dickens that began when he started public readings of the story in the Eightteen Fifties.
Past and Present had lobbied Dickens to write the real “Ghost Story of Christmas.” To use his Ghostly little book to tell their stories and bring humor to the readers rather than dismiss them as props for Scrooge.
Christmas Future, a tall, solemn Phantom and absent of words, floated nearby like a mist in a horror film.
“Bah, humbug,” said Scrooge. “Who wants to hear about you three?”
But Dickens died and their story was never written. Efforts to tell their perspectives were blocked with claims of copyright infringement from the Dickens’ estate.
“We have no available means to tell all the details,” said Christmas Present.
Christmas Past added,”The world only knows a fraction of our stories.”
The Future nodded its head.
“Leave,” came a response. “Yes,” said another. Quickly, the room began chanting, “Go. Go! GO!”
The Spirits looked at each other, and, seeing no support for presenting their stories, disappeared in a flash of light from Christmas Past.
(Theme for the ANNUAL HOLIDAY READINGS comes up and crossfades to theme for BREAKING NEWS which comes up and goes under)
This Special News report is called SPIRITED and has aired over The Three Fifty-seven network. We will continue to bring updates on the Three Spirits in the coming weeks and months.
Theme music is by Julius H. and Music Unlimited.
We now take you to THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE by Lucy Wheelock. It takes place on a frosty winter’s night when two children share their fireplace with a child who has no shoes and is dressed in thin, ragged garments. The story is already in progress.
(Narrator fades up)
His soft voice said: “I was cold and you took Me in. I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was tired, and you gave Me your bed. I am the Christ Child, wandering through the world to bring peace and happiness to all good children. As you have given to Me, so may this tree every year give rich fruit to you.”
So saying, He broke a branch from the fir tree that grew near the door, and He planted it in the ground and disappeared. But the branch grew into a great tree, and every year it bore wonderful golden fruit for the kind children.
The End.
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