NOTES: In #7 he does not fall asleep in the book. The author wrote, immediately preceeding the supposed due date: It's not due according to two, So this idea I must imbue, Into my brain, To stay sane, So I don't come to school in a tutu. BEGIN ----- STAVE I ----- There was once a very mean, old man So cheap he would put no money in anyone's donation can His name was Ebenezer His Christmases grew ever cheaper On Christmas cheer there was basically a ban There was once a dreary eve of the twenty-five With Mister Ebenezer, frustrated but alive His employee wanted the next day free Bob Cratchet, his name, did all but fill Scrooge with holiday glee Scrooge asked Bob to come in at five - Then there came two donation collecters who preached: "Blessed are those who give to the poor their reach!" It was a portly pair in charge (By the way, portly means large!) Scrooge sent them off with an empty can and a speech Soon after that, but still the same day Fred, his own nephew, was seen coming in to say: "Uncle, uncle, would you eat with us tomorrow?" "No, kid, for it is another's soul I would have to borrow" Scrooge had ways like that of keeping happiness at bay - Now wait, a break in our story there must be For once in Scrooge's business there was not one and not three Jacob Marley was once his partner in the accounting house It's too bad that seven years ago today this flame was doused So now Scrooge is alone--whatever that means to thee Going home, Scrooge looked at his door knocker He noticed his dead partner's face on his house's locker Jacob Marley was to the day dead exactly 7 years But that night the dead would be causing some fears Scrooge just went to his room and sat in his rocker - Asleep Scrooge fell, only to be woken Thrown from dreamland by Marley and his chain of tokens Marley's ghost wore a chain with weight for every misdeed It had cashboxes, keys, and padlocks--many indeed Marley had lots of habits he now wishes he'd broken Marley said Scrooge would be unhappy for a time that is long If in the life he is still living, he did not right all his wrongs If Marley could go back, he would fix his mistakes Scrooge did not yet understand, and did not undertake Marley said: "Three more ghosts will haunt you before the night is gone!" ----- STAVE II ----- In the night Scrooge encountered a ghost About the size of a child, 4 feet tall at most This was the ghost of things that have been The Ghost of Christmas Past, as we know him He will go places a-many from here to the coast First the Ghost took Scrooge to a very small town Scrooge grew up here, oh there was never a frown He visited his school and saw his friends He watched and enjoyed, but then remembered the ends After reliving his past, he felt really down And then Scrooge and the Ghost went to a boyhood home Home to none other than Mr. Heart Of Stone Ebenezer's emotions welled up in his heart As he himself enjoyed Christmas, playing his part Something since his childhood has chilled him to the bone After seeing his family and seeing his friends He saw his old mentor, his old business he tends Fezziwig was his name, accounting his life Scrooge he did train, forever cursing with strife Scrooge became miserly at this point of his life's bends Then all of a sudden, Scrooge was engaged to be wed! How happy, how merry, what a rush through the head! Her name was Belle, she was pretty as could be But she dumped Mr. Scrooge on account of his greed Mr. Scrooge, about then, might as well have been dead 13 After seeing all that, Scrooge grew very angry Watching his past, He begged the Ghost to take him back The ghost decided to cut some slack ??? Make a note that this does not happen ----- STAVE III ----- Now, being prepared for almost anything, he was not by any means prepared for nothing scrooge found the second ghost giant ghost of christmas present has lots of food clad in green they see bob cratchet and his family enjoying what little they can afford see tiny tim scrooge is worried about tiny tim ghost tells scrooge tiny tim will die goes to fred's party he had fun even though nobody could see him ----- STAVE IV ----- The third and last ghost was clad in black His presence, to Scrooge, in the head was a smack The Ghost of Christmas Future, scary to see Fortold the future: how things turn out to be If only this ghost had spoke, but it was speech he did lack Ebenezer visited people discussing his death From brokers to borrowers to those on last breath Everyone he saw was happy to find That old Scrooge was no longer among our kind The Ghost nextly takes Scrooge to somewhere sad The Cratchets house, oh no! Too bad! Tiny Tim had died hours before The family as a whole was saddened and wore The silence of the Ghost almost made him seem glad Scrooge, disturbed greatly to find Tiny Tim dead Almost screamed, "Can I wake him up from his bed?" But Scrooge knew he would get no answer From this Ghost of Christmas disaster And so the Ebenezer heart was of lead "Ebenezer Scrooge" (With only a deluge Of nothingness after his name) scrooge sees his own grave "Ebenezer Scrooge" with only a deluge Scrooge begged for mercy, asked just for a chance ghost exploded (not really) ----- STAVE V ----- (this was all in one night, and none was real the spirits themselves only appeared to deal in fears and tragedy but in reality in reality everybody was fine) Oh, that was just a dream! i can go and make things right! Bob Cratchet