A Christmas Carol

Have a try at it.

Coo, governor, that was a slide.

- It was good, wasn't it?

- I should say.

You beat the record, that's what you did.

Did I, now?

Look at Albert.

He fell!

- Don't you like sliding, son?

- Yes, sir. It's great sport.

Come on then. Try and beat my record.

No, thank you, governor.

I'm not very good at running.

Here. Get up on my back.

We'll show them how to slide.

Thank you, sir.

- What's your name, youngster?

- Tim, sir. Thank you, sir.

- Well, come on, Tim. Here we go.

- Thank you.

We'll really do this slide.

We'll make a record together.

Here we go now!

Hold tight.

There we are. Wasn't that lovely?

It was wonderful.

It made my stomach all wobbly-like.

- Yes. We're a team, that's what we are.

- I don't suppose you ever fall down.

- Like Albert.

- Fall down?

Who, me? No.

- Well, sir?

- I am sorry, governor.

I didn't mean to hit you, sir.

Please don't be angry with him, sir.

He's my brother.

In that case,

I've only one reason to be angry.

He broke my record.

- What's your name?

- Cratchit, sir. Peter Cratchit.

He's my brother, Tim Cratchit.

- Not Bob Cratchit's sons?

- Why, yes, sir.

I know your father well.

In truth, I was on my way

to his place of work when we met.

Maybe he'll take the message for us, Pete.

As you'll be seeing him, sir,

you might do me the favor...

of giving him this list of things

my mother wants him to fetch.

- Certainly.

- It's very nice of you to do that, sir.

Not a bit of it, Peter.

I'm more than willing.

Well, that is jolly.

Don't you two lads want to see

your father? And on Christmas Eve, too?

It ain't that we don't want to see

our own father, sir.

It's the man our father works for

we don't want to see. Mr. Scrooge.

I don't think he's very fond

of small boys, sir.

Yes. I understand.

You see, I knew Mr. Scrooge...

when I was a small boy. He's my uncle.

Come on now, Bob.

Aren't you going to wish me

a merry Christmas?

Mr. Fred, I am sorry. When you came in

and stood there like that...

I thought it was your uncle.

A merry Christmas, sir.

A merry Christmas to you, Bob,

and to your family.

I've already paid my respects

to part of your brood.

Peter and Tim, their names were.

They asked me to give you this list

from their mother.

Thank you. They shouldn't have made it

an errand for you.

I was pleased to do it.

It's cold in here.

You think we could have some coal

on the fire?

Oh, yes.

It's against the regulations, isn't it?

Mr. Scrooge doesn't like to waste coal, sir.

I foresaw that and provided for it.

This'll make the place less bleak.

- What might that be?

- It's a wine bottle.

A cheering, warming, goodly wine.

A wine that'll race through your veins...

with little torches. It's port, Bob.

The fifth essence of the Christmas spirit.

But we haven't got a glass.

I'll get one from Mr. Scrooge's office.

- What is this?

- Cough medicine.

Yeah, I thought so.

We will.

- We will have some more coal.

- Good man, Bob.

Come on now, Bob.

Let's drink a loving cup. You sweeten it.

- Another merry Christmas, Mr. Fred.

- Yes.

A merry Christmas to you, Uncle.

God save you.

Humbug!

Christmas, humbug?

Uncle, I'm sure you don't mean that.

Humbug I said, and humbug I mean.

Merry Christmas.

What right have you to be merry?

- You're poor enough.

- What right have you to be dismal?

- You're rich enough.

- Humbug.

Now, Uncle, don't be cross.

What else can I be

when I live in such a world of fools?

Merry Christmas.

What's Christmastime, but a time

for paying bills without money?

A time for finding yourself a year older

and not an hour richer.

If I could work my will, every idiot

that goes about with "merry Christmas"...

on his lips should be boiled

with his own pudding...

and buried with a stake of holly

through his heart.

- Uncle!

- Nephew!

Keep Christmas in your own way,

and let me keep it in mine.

- But you don't keep it.

- Let me leave it alone then.

Much good it has ever done you.

Uncle, there are many things

which have made me happy.

Things which have never

fattened my purse by even that much.

Christmas is one of these.

I've always looked on Christmas

as a good time...

a kind, charitable, forgiving, pleasant time.

It's the only time

when people open their hearts freely.

The only time

when men and women seem to realize...

that all human beings

are really members of the same family.

And that being members

of the same family...

they owe each other

some measure of warmth and solace.

And therefore, Uncle, though it's never put

a scrap of gold or silver in my pockets...

I believe that it has done me good,

and will do me good.

And I say, God bless it!

Let me hear another sound from you...

and you'll keep Christmas

by losing your situation.

You're quite a powerful speaker, sir.

- I wonder you don't go into Parliament.

- Uncle, don't be angry.

Come now. Come and dine

with Bess and me tomorrow.

- Bess?

- Yes. Elizabeth, my fiance.

I'm dining with her people,

I'm sure they'd welcome a visit from you.

- So you're engaged?

- Yes.

May I ask why?

- Because I fell in love.

- Because you fell in love.

You intend to marry?

As soon as I'm earning enough money.

Has she tried her relatives?

- That wasn't the reason for my visit.

- Good afternoon.

Uncle, I ask nothing from you.

I want nothing from you.

There's no reason

why we should be enemies.

Good afternoon.

Uncle, I made this visit

in homage to Christmas, and I'll keep...

my Christmas spirit to the last.

And so, Uncle, a merry Christmas.

- Good afternoon.

- And a happy new year.

Good afternoon!

A merry Christmas to you, Bob.

Thank you, sir. A merry Christmas to you

and to your wife-to-be.

Thank you.

- A merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.

- And the same to you, sirs.

- Thank you.

- Scrooge and Marley's, I believe.

- Yes, sir.

I have the pleasure

of addressing Mr. Marley?

- No, sir.

- Then you're Mr. Scrooge.

- No.

- My name is Scrooge.

- And my name is Twill.

- And mine is Rummidge.

And Mr. Marley?

Mr. Marley's been dead these seven years.

- He died seven years ago this very night.

- On Christmas Eve?

As good a time as any.

We have no doubt that Mr. Marley's

liberality is well represented...

by his surviving partner.

At this festive season of the year,

Mr. Scrooge...

it is more than usually desirable

that some slight provision be made...

for the poor and destitute.

Many thousands are in want, sir,

in need of common necessaries.

Hundreds of thousands are in want

of common comforts, sir.

- Are there no prisons?

- Plenty of prisons.

And the workhouses,

are they still in operation?

They are. Though I wish with all my heart

they were not.

I was afraid from what you said at first

that something had occurred...

to stop them in their useful course.

Under the impression these places

can scarcely furnish Christmas cheer...

for the mind and body of the multitude...

a few of us have endeavored to form

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