The Ghost of Christmas Past3.1 School

The Ghost of Christmas past takes Scrooge back to when he was a boy at boarding school.

Soon they passed through the wall, and stood

upon an open country road, with fields on

either hand. The city had entirely vanished.

The darkness and the mist had vanished

Now it was a clear, cold, winter day, with

snow upon the ground.

A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens

Retold by Kieran McGovern

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`Good Heaven!' said Scrooge, clasping his

hands together, as he looked about him. `I grew

up in this place. I was a boy here.'

A thousand thoughts came flooding back.

Hopes, and joys, and cares long, long, forgotten.

`Do you remember the way?' asked the

Spirit.

`Remember it?' cried Scrooge; `I could walk

it blindfold.'

`Strange to have forgotten it for so many

years.' observed the Ghost. `Let us go on.'

Solitary Child

They walked along the road. Scrooge knew

every gate, post and tree. Soon a little town

appeared in the distance, with its bridge, its

church, and winding river.

Some ponies now were seen coming towards

them with boys upon their backs. All these boys

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were in great spirits. They shouted to each

other, until the fields were full of merry music

Scrooge knew these boys and named every

one. Why was he so happy to see them? Why

did his cold eye glisten? Why did his heart leap

up as they went past?

As they parted for their different homes,

the boys said ‘Merry Christmas! It made

Scrooge melancholy.

What was merry Christmas to Scrooge?

What good had it ever done to him?

`The school is not quite deserted,' said the

Ghost. `A solitary child,

neglected by his friends, is left

there still.'

‘I know,’ said Scrooge. And he

wept.

Dear Brother

They left the high road, and soon approached a

large house of dull red brick.

It had large rooms but their walls were

damp, their windows broken, and their gates

decayed. Chickens ran around the stables. The

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coach-houses and sheds were over-grown with

grass.

Glancing through the open doors, they saw

the chilly bareness of a building where there

was too much getting up by candlelight, and

not too much to eat.

The Ghost and Scrooge went across the

hall, to a door at the back of the house. It

opened before them into a long, bare,

melancholy room filled with rows of desks

At one of these a lonely boy was reading

near a feeble fire. Scrooge wept to see the poor

forgotten boy he used to be. Poor boy!’

Another Christmas

`I wish,' Scrooge muttered, putting his hand in

his pocket, and looking about him, after drying

his eyes with his cuff: `but it's too late now.'

`What is the matter.' asked the Spirit.

`Nothing,' said Scrooge. `Nothing. There was

a boy singing a Christmas carol at my door last

night. I should like to have given him

something: that's all.'

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The Ghost smiled thoughtfully. It waved its

hand saying as it did so, `Let us see another

Christmas.'

Scrooge's former-self grew larger at the

words, and the room became a little darker and

more dirty. The boy was alone again. All the

other boys had gone home for the jolly holidays.

He was not reading now, but walking up

and down despairingly.

Scrooge looked at the Ghost, and with a

mournful shaking of his head, glanced

anxiously towards the door.

Dear Brother

It opened; and a little girl, much younger than

the boy, came darting in. Putting her arms

about his neck, she kissed

him `Dear, dear brother. I

have come to bring you

home.' said the child,

clapping her tiny

hands, and bending

down to laugh. `To bring you home!'

`Home, little Fan.' said the boy.

Fan collects Scrooge from his school

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`Yes.' said the child. `Home forever and ever.

Father is so much kinder than he used to be. I

was not afraid to ask him once more if you

might come home.'

'What did he say?''

'He said yes! And he sent me in a coach to

bring you home!.' said the child, opening her

eyes. 'We'll be together all the Christmas long,

and have the merriest time in all the world.'

`You are quite a woman, little Fan.'

exclaimed the boy.

A delicate creature

She clapped her hands and laughed, and tried

to touch his head; but was too little. Laughing

again, she stood on tiptoe to embrace him.

Then she began to pull him towards the door.

`She was a delicate creature,' said the

Ghost. `But she had a large heart.'

`So she had,' cried Scrooge. `You're right.’

`She died a woman,' said the Ghost,' and

had, as I think, children.'

`One child,' said Scrooge.

`True,' said the Ghost. `Your nephew.'

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Scrooge seemed uneasy. ‘Yes,’ he answered

briefly.

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Glossary/Vocabulary

Anxiously - nervous, uneasy

Blindfold - covers the eyes

Chilly - cold, uncomfortable

Clasp - holding tight

Deserted - empty

Desparingly - without hope

Glisten - shine with water or tears

Grasp - grip, the way you hold something

Jolly - full of fun

Neglected - not looked after or considered

Solitary - alone; without company

Uneasy - anxious, nervous, unhappy

Wept - cry without control

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