The Muppet Christmas Carol Script

Ah. It was a fine meal.
Yes, it was, wasn't it?
Yes, what should we do now?
Let's have lunch.
Oh, good idea.
Quiet down, you villains.
I'm being stolen.
Help me, help me!
Put me down!
Hello.
What about my nose?
Banana peels coming down!
Come along, ladies.
Here's a nice Christmas turkey.
Turkey.
Get your Christmas turkey.
Hey, get back in the box, Martin!
Get your boomerang fish.
Guaranteed fresh.
Throw the fish away
and it comes back to me.
Get 'em while they're fresh.
Christmas apples.
We got Macintosh.
Christmas apples.
Red Delicious.
Tuppence apiece, while they last.
We... They won't last long
the way you're eating them.
I'm creating scarcity.
Drives the prices up.
Rizzo...
Hello. Welcome to
the Muppet Christmas Carol.
I am here to tell the story.
And I am here for the food.
My name is Charles Dickens.
And my name is Rizzo the Rat.
Wait a second,
you're not Charles Dickens.
I am, too.
A blue furry Charles Dickens
who hangs out with a rat?
Absolutely.
Charles Dickens
was a 19th century novelist.
A genius.
You are too kind.
Why should I believe you?
Because I know the story of A Christmas
Carol like the back of my hand.
Prove it.
All right.
There's a little mole on my thumb.
And a scar on my wrist
from when I fell off my bicycle...
No, don't tell us your hand,
tell us the story.
Oh, thank you. Yes.
The Marleys were dead,
to begin with.
The... Pardon me?
That's how the story begins,
"The Marleys were dead,
to begin with."
As dead as a doornail.
It's a good beginning.
It's creepy and kind of... spooky.
Thank you, Rizzo.
You're welcome, Mr. Dickens.
In life, the Marleys had been
business partners
with a shrewd moneylender
named Ebenezer Scrooge.
You will meet him
as he comes around that corner.
Where?
There.
When?
Now.
There he is,
Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge.
Say, is it getting cold around here?
When a cold wind blows,
it chills you
Chills you to the bone
But there's nothing in nature
that freezes your heart
Like years of being alone
It paints you with indifference
Like a lady paints with rouge
And the worst of the worst,
the most hated and cursed
Is the one that we call Scrooge
Unkind as any
And the wrath of many
This is Ebenezer Scrooge
There goes Mr. Humbug
There goes Mr. Grim
If they gave a prize for being mean
The winner would be him
Old Scrooge, he loves his money
'Cause he thinks it gives him power
If he became a flavor
You can bet he would be sour
Even the vegetables don't like him.
There goes Mr. Skinflint
There goes Mr. Greed
The undisputed master
of the underhanded deed
He charges folks a fortune
For his dark and drafty houses
Us poor folk live in misery
It's even worse for mouses
Please, sir, I want some cheese.
He must be so lonely
He must be so sad
He goes to extremes
to convince us he's bad
He's really a victim
Of fear and of pride
Look close and there must be
a sweet man inside
Nah.
Uh-uh.
There goes Mr. Outrage
There goes Mr. Sneer
He has no time for friends or fun
His anger makes that clear
Don't ask him for a favor
'cause his nastiness increases
No crust of bread for those in need
No cheeses for us "meeces"
Scrooge liked the cold.
He was hard and sharp as a flint.
Secret and self-contained.
As solitary as an oyster.
There goes Mr. Heartless
There goes Mr. Cruel
He never gives
He only takes
He lets his hunger rule
If being mean's a way of life
you practice and rehearse
Then all that work is paying off
'Cause Scrooge is getting worse
Every day, in every way
Scrooge is getting worse
[male] Oh, boy.
How the time flies.
Look at this, I've got to move...
Humbug.
Phew! What an unpleasant fellow.
He was a tightfisted hand
at the grindstone, Scroo...
Boy, this really is a dirty city.
Ha. You tellin' me.
Thank you for making me
a part of this.
He was a tightfisted hand
at the grindstone, Scrooge.
A squeezing, wrenching,
grasping, clutching...
covetous old sinner.
Bob Cratchit?
Yes, Mr. Scrooge?
Who is this?
Mr. Applegate, sir.
He's here to speak to you
about his... mortgage.
Mr. Scrooge,
I know you're very angry about this,
and I didn't mean to
fall behind in the payment.
Lord knows,
it being Christmas and all.
Please don't shout at me, sir.
That and, of course, little Gwen.
Her lungs aren't right.
The doctor takes his share, don't he?
You can yell and scream,
and you're right,
but it won't do no good...
because I'm the stone
you can't squeeze blood from.
And that's the truth!
Thank you for not shouting at me.
[Workers] 17... 42...
Let us deal with the eviction notices
for tomorrow, Mr. Cratchit.
Uh...
Tomorrow's Christmas, sir.
Very well, you may gift wrap them.
Let us help you with that,
Mr. Cratchit.
My, there are certainly a lot today.
We'll get it.
I'm okay, okay.
Here you go.
Look out on that end...
Uh...
[workers] Whoa!
Christmas is a very busy time for us,
Mr. Cratchit.
People preparing feasts, giving parties.
Spending the mortgage money
on frivolities.
One might say that December
is the foreclosure season.
Harvest time for the moneylenders.
Boss, ask him.
Tell him.
Come on. Come on.
Do it now. Do it.
If you please, Mr. Scrooge,
it's gotten colder.
The bookkeeping staff would like to have
an extra shovel of coal for the fire.
We can't do the bookkeeping.
Our pens are like ink-cicles.
Our assets are frozen.
How would the bookkeepers
like to be suddenly unemployed?
Heat wave!
This is my island in the sun!
I, I believe you've convinced them
once again, Mr. Scrooge.
At that moment,
who should arrive at the door
but Scrooge's nephew, Fred.
His only living relative.
Nephew Fred? I don't see him.
Trust me.
Hello? Uncle?
Rizzo?
You're very good at that, Mr. Dickens.
A merry Christmas, Uncle Scrooge.
God save you.
Merry Christmas?
Bah. Humbug!
Quick, it'll be warmer in there.
Christmas a humbug, Uncle?
You don't mean that, surely.
Actually, I think it's colder in here.
Merry Christmas, you say?
What right have you to be merry?
You're poor enough.
And you to be dismal?
You're rich enough.
He's got him.
The old boy's speechless.
If I could work my will,
every idiot who goes about with
"Merry Christmas" on his lips
would be cooked with his own turkey
and buried with a stake of holly
through his heart.
Well, not quite speechless.
Uncle...
Nephew.
You keep Christmas in your own way,
and let me keep it in mine.
Christmas is a loving,
honest and charitable time.
And though it's never put
a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket,
I believe Christmas has done me good
and will do me good,
and I say, God bless it.
And how does one celebrate Christmas
on the unemployment line?
Now, in these times,
it was customary on Christmas Eve
for well-meaning gentlemen
to call upon businesses,
collecting donations
for the poor and homeless.
Mr. Scrooge, I presume?
Who are you?
We're from the Order of Victoria
Charity Foundation.
We'd like to speak to you
about a donation.
Ah! Welcome!
This jolly old gentleman here
is Mr. Scrooge.
He's very generous to charities.
My dear nephew!
At this festive season of the year,
Mr. Scrooge,
many of us feel we must
take care of our poor and homeless.
Are there no prisons?
No poor houses?
Oh, plenty of those, sir.
Oh. Excellent.
For a moment, I was worried.
Some of us are endeavoring to raise
a fund for the poor and homeless.
What might I put you down for?
Nothing.
You wish to remain anonymous?
I wish to be left alone.
I do not make merry myself
for Christmas.
That certainly is true.
I cannot afford
to make idle people merry.
That is certainly not true.
Don't you have other things to do
this afternoon?
Sadly, I do, Uncle.
So I shall make my donation.
And leave you to make yours.
Thank you so very much.
Oh, Uncle, come and have Christmas
dinner with me and Clara tomorrow.
Why ever did you get married?
Why? Because I fell in love.
That's the only thing in the world
sillier than a merry Christmas.
It's no use, I shall keep
my Christmas humor to the last.
A merry Christmas to you.
And a happy New Year.
Merry Christmas, Fred.
Merry Christmas, Bob.
Humbug!
Ahem.
Now, then, sir, about the...
donation.
Well, now.
Let's see.
I know how to treat the poor.
My taxes go to pay for the prisons
and the poorhouses.
The homeless must go there.
But some would rather die.
If they'd rather die,
then they'd better do it,
and decrease the surplus population.
Oh, dear. Oh, dear.
This is the door, you may use it.
All right, Beaker, come along.
I think we've taken enough
of Mr. Scrooge's time.
Oh, dear. Dear, dear.
[Workers] 17... 24... 58.
Good King Wencelas looked out
on the Feast of Stephen
Though the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon
that... night,
Though... the...
What do you want?
Uh... Penny for the song, guvnor?
Wh... Ow!
17... 24...
Excuse me, Mr. Scrooge,
but it appears to be closing time.
Very well. I'll see you
at eight tomorrow morning.
Ask him, ask him.
Um... Tomorrow's Christmas.
8:30, then.
If you please, sir,
half an hour off hardly seems customary
for Christmas Day.
[Worker] No.
[Worker 2] Hardly customary.
How much time off is customary,
Mr. Cratchit?
Um... Why, um, the, er, whole day.
Yeah, that's right.
The whole day.
The entire day?
No.
That's the frog's idea.
If you please,
why open the office tomorrow?
Other businesses will be closed.
You'll have no one to do business with.
It'll waste a lot of expensive coal
for the fire.
That's definitely a point.
That's a point.
It's a poor excuse for picking
a man's pocket every December the 25th.
But as I seem to be
the only person around who knows that...
...take the day off.
Will you stop that?
Thank you, Mr. Scrooge.
Be here all the earlier
the next morning.
[Worker] Okay.
[Worker 2] You bet. First thing.
With their employer gone at last,
Bob Cratchit and the bookkeepers
immediately began
that most pleasant of activities,
the celebration of Christmas.
He's gone!
Gentlemen, let's close up for Christmas.
There's magic in the air this evening
Magic in the air
The world is at her best, you know
When people love and care
The promise of excitement
is one the night will keep
After all, there's only
one more sleep till Christmas
The world has got a smile
Today, the world has got a glow
There's no such thing as strangers
When a stranger says hello
And everyone is family
We're having so much fun
After all, there's only one
more sleep till Christmas
Okay, ready. Here we go.
That's it. Ha! Ha!
Mm-hm.
Very good, gentlemen.
'Tis the season to be jolly and joyous
With a burst of pleasure,
we feel it arrive
It's a season
when the saints can employ us
To spread the news about peace
and to keep love alive
What's that?
Look, it's the penguins'
Christmas skating party.
Hmm. Ah.
Look at that!
You did good, boss.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Wow!
No way.
Come on, Rizzo.
Boy.
Fun, huh?
Merry Christmas, penguins.
There's something in the wind today
That's good for everyone
Yes, faith is in our hearts today
We're shining like the sun
And everyone can feel it
The feeling's running deep
After all, there's only
one more sleep till Christmas
After all, there's only one more sleep
Till Christmas Day
Merry Christmas!
Scrooge lived in chambers
which had once belonged
to his old business partners,
Jacob and Robert Marley.
Have some bread?
Not while I'm working.
Suit yourself.
The building was a dismal heap of brick
on a dark street.
Once again, you must remember
that the Marleys were dead
and decaying in their graves.
Yeuch!
That one thing
you must remember,
or nothing that follows
will seem wondrous.
Why are you whispering?
It's for dramatic emphasis.
Oh.
Shh.
Jacob Marley?
You okay?
Humbug.
Oh. Gonzo, speak to me.
I mean, Mr. Dickens.
Charlie! Are you hurt?
To say that Scrooge
was not startled would be untrue.
Still, the moment had passed,
and the world was as it should be.
He ain't hurt.
Didn't even break his concentration.
Hmm?
Nothing.
Come on, Rizzo.
We'll follow him in.
In a minute.
I had a bag of jelly beans over here.
Will you just get over here?
All right.
Sheesh.
Oh-oh.
Steady, steady.
Scrooge made his way up the stairs,
caring not a button for the darkness.
Darkness was cheap,
and Scrooge liked it.
But the incident at the door
had made Scrooge wary.
Before he shut himself in for the night,
he searched his rooms.
[Rizzo] Okay, that does it.
[Dickens] Pardon?
How do you know
what Scrooge is doing?
We're down here and he's up there.
I keep telling you, storytellers
are omniscient. I know everything.
Hoity-toity, Mr. Godlike Smarty-Pants.
To conduct a proper search,
Scrooge was forced to light the lamps.
How does he do that?
Agh!
Oh.
It's my best dressing gown.
No harm done.
Look, it's Ebenezer Scrooge.
Looking older and more wicked
than ever.
I knew he wouldn't disappoint us.
Who are you?
In life, we were your partners,
Jacob...
And Robert Marley.
It looks like you.
But I don't believe it.
Why do you doubt your senses?
Because a little thing
can affect them.
A slight disorder of the stomach
can make them cheat.
You may be a bit of undigested beef.
A blob of mustard.
A crumb of cheese.
Yes, there's more of gravy
than of grave about you.
More of gravy than of grave?
What a terrible pun.
Where do you get those jokes?
Leave comedy to the bears, Ebenezer.
Please, Jacob, Robert,
don't criticize me.
You always criticized me.
We were always heckling you.
It's good to be heckling again.
It's good to be doing anything again.
Why do you come to me?
We're Marley and Marley
Avarice and greed
We took advantage of the poor,
just ignored the need-y
We specialized in causing pain,
spreading fear and doubt
And if you could not pay the rent,
we simply threw you out
There was the year
we evicted the entire orphanage.
I remember the little tykes
all standing in the snowbank.
With their little
frostbitten teddy bears.
We're Marley and Marley
Our hearts were painted black
We should have known our evil deeds
Would put us both in shack-les
Captive, bound, we're double-ironed,
exhausted by the weight
As freedom comes from giving love
So prison comes with hate
We're Marley and Marley
We're Marley and Marley
But my friends, you were not unfeeling
towards your fellow men.
True, there was something
about mankind we loved.
I think it was their money.
Doomed, Scrooge
You're doomed for all time
Your future is a horror story
Written by your crime
Your chains are forged
by what you say and do
So have your fun
When life is done
A nightmare waits for you
Why these terrible chains?
The chains.
We forged these chains in life
by our acts of greed.
You wear such a chain yourself.
Humbug. Speak comfort to me, friends.
Comfort!
You will be haunted by three spirits.
Haunted?
I've already had enough of that.
Without these visits, you cannot hope
to avoid the path we tread.
Expect the first ghost tonight,
when the bell tolls one.
Can't I meet them all at once
and get it over with?
When the bell tolls one!
We're Marley and Marley
We're Marley and Marley
We're Marley and Marley
Change!
And with that, the spirits of Scrooge's
partners vanished into the darkness,
leaving him once again
alone in his room.
That's scary stuff. Should we be worried
about the kids in the audience?
No, it's all right. This is culture.
Jelly bean? I had them
in my pocket all along.
What?
Humbug.
Come on.
But I really hate this.
You wanted to know
what was happening.
Scrooge's bedchamber
is on this side of the house. Jump.
There's only two things
in this life I hate.
Heights, and jumping from them.
Too late now.
Come on, I'll catch you.
God save my little broken body.
Missed.
Wait a second.
I forgot my jelly beans.
Um...
What?
You can fit through those bars?
Yeah.
You are such an idiot.
What, what? Hey, what?
What?
What?
Oh, dear.
Scrooge slipped into the empty silence
of a dreamless sleep.
You know, a guy could break his tail
falling out of this tree.
Want to see what's going on, don't you?
Yes.
There's Scrooge's window.
Oh, yeah.
Expect the first ghost
when the bell tolls one!
Wow! Ouch.
Are you the spirit
whose coming was foretold to me?
I am.
But... you're just a child.
I can remember nearly 1,900 years.
I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.
What business has brought you here?
Your welfare.
Huh.
A night's unbroken rest
might aid my welfare.
Your salvation, then.
Take heed. Come.
I beg you, spirit, I am mortal.
I'm liable to fall.
A touch of my hand, and you shall fly.
What are we doing?
Nothing.
What?
Just hold on.
Watch out, Rizzo.
What? Oh!
Whee!
Hello, London!
Goodbye, lunch!
Spirit?
Yes?
Nothing.
Look, Rizzo.
I don't want to look.
Spirit? What is that light?
It cannot be dawn.
It is the past.
Look, it's beautiful, Rizzo.
Mommy!
Hey, we're going down.
Hang on, Rizzo.
[Dickens] Sorry, madam.
[Rizzo] Pardon me, sir.
Look out, Rizzo.
Rizzo, this is Louise.
Yeah, we've met.
And so they arrived
in Ebenezer Scrooge's childhood.
That was the worst trip of my life.
It's over now.
Yeah, safe at last.
No.
No. No! Oh, no!
Nice kitty, nice kitty.
Ow! I'm from New Jersey.
It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve,
and Scrooge was conscious
of a thousand odors.
Each one connected with a thousand
thoughts, hopes, joys and cares,
long, long forgotten.
It's my old school.
I was a boy here.
That's Henry.
And Edmund, my best friend.
Hello, boys. Hello.
These are but shadows
of your past, Ebenezer.
They can neither see nor hear you.
Come, let us go inside.
Rizzo, stop playing with the cat.
Save me, save me!
And what a flood of memories
came back to him,
as Scrooge beheld his old classroom.
I know it all so well, spirit.
The desks.
The smell of the chalk.
I chose my profession in this room.
And is he, too, familiar?
Scrooge beheld a small boy,
a boy he knew,
oh, very well indeed.
Good heavens.
It's me.
Come Ebenezer,
the last coach is leaving.
Come on,
he never goes home for Christmas.
Who cares about stupid old Christmas?
I was often alone.
More time for reading... and study.
The Christmas holiday was a chance
to get some extra work done.
A time for... solitude.
Rats don't understand these things.
You were never a lonely child?
I had 1,274 brothers and sisters.
Sheesh.
Rats don't understand these things.
Let us see another Christmas
in this place.
They were all very much the same.
Nothing ever changed.
You changed.
The years performed
their terrible dance.
And in a moment, Scrooge had seen
his entire childhood pass.
He saw his old school room
age and decay.
What the... Hey!
Agh!
So, Master Scrooge, graduation day!
That's my old headmaster.
This man taught me my greatest lesson.
Stand up. Build your life
as this school was built.
Push!
My ear, my ear, my ear.
Yes, work hard, work long,
and be constructive.
Ebenezer, life is a golden opportunity.
Today you go forth into the real world.
You must keep your nose
to the grindstone.
Work hard, lad. And one day,
your life will be as solid
as this very building.
Hmm. I've been meaning
to fix that shelf.
Yes, headmaster.
Young man, you have been apprenticed
to a fine company in London.
Today, you become a man of business.
I'm looking forward to it, headmaster.
You will love business.
It is the American way.
Sam?
Mmm?
Oh. It is the British way.
Good.
Yes, headmaster.
Oh, here is your coach, Ebenezer.
Come, Scrooge, there is much to see.
Remember, don't tip the driver.
A moment later, Scrooge found himself
standing on a city street,
looking at a building
he had not seen in years.
Tell me, Ebenezer Scrooge,
do you know this place?
Know it? My first job was here.
This is Fozziwig's
old rubber chicken factory.
Once again, it was Christmas Eve,
night was falling, and the lamplighters
were plying their trade.
Hey, light the lamp, not the rat.
Light the lamp, not the rat!
My apologies.
What are you doing?
Put me out, put me out!
Rizzo!
What?
Oh, oh, Th-th-th-thank you.
You're welcome.
There he is, old Fozziwig himself.
Look my lads, dusk has fallen,
and the lamplighters are at work.
It's Christmas Eve for certain.
What an employer he was.
As hard and as ruthless
as a rose petal.
It's time for the party to begin.
It's the Fozziwig Christmas party.
Rizzo, come on.
Rizzo, just grab hold of the stick.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you, thank you.
Excuse me, everyone.
Can we have some quiet, please?
Whoa!
I suppose I should be grateful for that.
You're welcome.
Everyone, please,
can I have your attention for a moment?
Look, it's the Marley brothers.
My old partners, as they were as lads.
Can I have your attention, please?
Quiet!
Thank you.
That's better.
Welcome to Fozziwig and Mom's
annual Christmas party.
At this time in the proceedings,
it is a tradition
for me to make a little speech.
And it's a tradition for us
to take a little nap.
Uh, pay no attention to them.
My speech,
here is my Christmas speech.
"Thank you all
and merry Christmas."
That was the speech?
That was dumb.
It was obvious.
It was pointless.
It was short.
I'm bored with speeches.
Let's dance, Son!
Here's Mrs. Fozziwig to start the party.
Way to go, Ma!
Hit it, boys!
Hello.
Look, there's a buffet over here.
I'm kind of hungry.
Fa-la la-la la
La-la la la
Forget it. Mother always taught me,
never eat singing food.
A pleasure having you here.
I'm very pleased,
and please enjoy yourself.
Excuse me, Mr. Fozziwig?
Sir, I've been going over the accounts.
Do you know how much the firm
is spending for this party?
Master Scrooge, this is Christmas.
It's a time for generosity.
Stop working, enjoy yourself.
Go meet some people, go ahead.
Hello.
You dancing fool!
I love these annual Christmas parties.
I love them so much,
I think we'll do it twice a year.
Excuse me.
[Fozziwig] Master Scrooge.
Excuse me.
Belle, I'd like to introduce you
to Ebenezer Scrooge,
the finest young financial mind
in the city.
Ebenezer, this is Belle,
a friend of the Fozziwig family.
I'm pleased to meet you.
Well, I'm glad you two finally met.
Do you remember this meeting?
Remember?
Yes.
I remember.
There was, of course, another
Christmas Eve with this young woman,
some years later.
Oh, please,
do not show me that Christmas.
Another year
before our wedding, Ebenezer.
It can't be helped, Belle.
How could we marry now? There's
not even enough for a decent home.
The investments haven't grown
as they should.
So you said last year.
Business continues to be poor.
You're a partner in your own firm now.
Barely clearing expenses.
You said the partnership was the goal.
This is for you.
I love you, Belle.
You did, once.
Oh, Rizzo.
Spirit, show me no more.
Why do you delight in torturing me?
I told you, these are the shadows
of the things that have been.
That they are what they are,
do not blame me.
Leave me.
Scrooge was left alone and exhausted
in his bedchamber.
And thus he remained, until the
nearby clock began to strike the hour.
Oh.
Oh. Oh, what was that?
Two o'clock.
Is it too early for breakfast?
Yes.
Oh, good, supper time.
Scrooge knew
the second of the ghosts was due.
Yet now,
as the clock finished striking...
Nothing.
Come in, and know me better, man.
Come in, and know me better, man.
Did I already say that?
You did.
I am the Ghost of Christmas Present.
This is the night before the dawn
before the day of Christmas.
Did I tell you that I am
the Ghost of Christmas Present?
You did.
Come in, know me better, man.
You're a little absent-minded, spirit.
No, I'm a large
absent-minded spirit. [chuckles]
My mind is filled
with the here and now.
And the now is Christmas. [laughs]
I don't believe I've
ever met anybody like you before, sir.
Really? Over 1,800 of my brothers
have come before me.
1,800? Lmagine the grocery bills.
Have you ever noticed that everything
seems wonderful at Christmas?
Uh, in all honesty, spirit, no.
Perhaps I've never understood
about Christmas.
Before this day is done,
you will understand.
Oh. [laughs]
Oh, no! Oh, no!
We shall go out into the world.
I suppose you enjoyed that?
Of course.
May I welcome you
to Christmas morning?
It's in the singing
of a street corner choir
It's going home
and getting warm by the fire
It's true wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
A cup of kindness
that we share with another
A sweet reunion
with a friend or a brother
In all the places you find love
It feels like Christmas
It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
And it is the season of the spirit
The message if we hear it
Is make it last all year
It's in the giving of a gift
to another
A pair of mittens
that were made by your mother
It's all the ways that we show love
That feel like Christmas
A part of childhood
we'll always remember
It is the summer
of the soul in December
Yes, when you do your best for love
It feels like Christmas
It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the spirit
The message, if we hear it
Is make it last all year
It's in the singing
of a street corner choir
It's going home
and getting warm by the fire
It's true wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
It's true wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas!
It feels like Christmas
Spirit, I had no idea.
I wish to see friends, kin.
Show me family.
It's Fred. My dear nephew Fred
and his wife, Clara.
Having Christmas with friends.
Hey, look. Fruit.
Well, now, we've had the plum pudding
and sung the carols.
What now, my lovelies?
A game, Fred.
Yeah, we must have a game at Christmas.
Do people play games at Christmas?
I love games.
Say, do you know that fruit is wax?
Oh, yeah,
I wondered about the texture. Yeuch!
Let's play "Yes and No."
Oh, wonderful game.
Yah! That's a great game. I'll be it.
Yes, let Fred be it.
He always thinks of good things.
I do have a good one, Clara. Guess.
Is it vegetable?
[Fred] No.
[Clara] Mineral?
No.
Animal, then?
What else?
What else, indeed.
Is it found on a farm?
Never.
In the city?
Usually.
Does it pull a hansom cab?
Certainly not.
How about a dog?
No.
A cat?
A cat?
I said it first.
No.
Wait, is this an unwanted creature?
Often.
A mouse?
No.
A rat?
You called?
A cockroach.
No.
A leech?
It's too wonderful.
Wait, I know.
An unwanted creature,
but not a rat, a leech,
or a cockroach?
Then what?
What?
It's Ebenezer Scrooge.
Yes.
Wonderful.
That's a killer.
Come, there is much to see.
No more. I wish to see no more.
Here.
Why have we come
to this odd corner of the town?
It's Christmas here, too, you know.
That's Bob Cratchit's house.
Perhaps it was the spirit's
own generous nature,
and his sympathy for all poor men,
that led them straight to the home
of Scrooge's faithful clerk.
Goose. They're cooking goose down there.
Rizzo, get out of the way.
Hey, don't be sweeping
the chimney now.
You're blocking the smell. [sniffs]
This is Bob Cratchit's house?
How do you know that?
You just told me.
Hmm. Well, I'm usually trustworthy.
Who's that?
Mrs. Cratchit, of course.
Ahh!
Peter, do not stop turning that spit.
That is the whole secret
of a properly roasted goose.
It smells so good, Mother.
It does, doesn't it?
Oh. That smells wonderful.
Oh, good grief.
Hey, I'm stuck, get me out of here.
I knew you weren't suited
for literature.
Oh, at least I landed
on something soft.
And hot! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!
Hot, hot, hot!
Mother, Mother, Mother!
You said we couldn't eat the chestnuts
until Father and Tiny Tim get home.
I wasn't eating them,
I was merely checking them
to see if they were not burnt.
It's a chef's thing, dear.
And do not shout, Betina.
I'm Belinda.
I'm Betina.
Of course you are, Betina.
Belinda.
Whatever.
Huh?
'Tis the season
to be jolly and joyous, fa la la
With a burst of pleasure
we feel it arrive, fa la la
It's a season when the saints
can employ us, fa la la
To spread the news about
peace and to keep love alive
Come on, son.
Let's go see if Christmas dinner
is ready yet.
Oh, yeah.
Yes.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Daddy!
Merry Christmas, girls.
Merry Christmas, Peter.
Merry Christmas.
Children, children,
it's time to set the table.
Go ahead.
Wait for me.
Merry Christmas, Emily.
Merry Christmas...
Crachy.
Emmy.
I fell down the chimney
and landed on a flaming hot goose.
You have all the fun.
What?
Peter, the Christmas dinner.
The goose, the goose.
Oh, no, now, son,
you've gotten too excited.
You go sit in your chair a moment.
Rest a moment.
How was he at church?
As good as gold and better.
He said he hoped the people
saw him in church
because it might be pleasant for them
to remember upon Christmas Day
who made lame beggars walk
and blind men see.
A remarkable child.
With that,
the Cratchits came to what was surely
the happiest single moment
in all the livelong year.
Such a meager feast.
But very much appreciated.
I pay Bob such a small amount.
Mr. Scrooge.
Bob.
Bob Cratchit?
It only seems right that
I should lift a glass to my employer.
I give you Mr. Scrooge,
the founder of the feast.
The founder of the feast, indeed. Huh!
If I had him here, I would give him
a piece of my mind to feast upon.
And I bet he would choke on it.
Choke!
My dear, the children.
Christmas Day.
Well, I suppose that
on the blessed day of Christmas,
one must drink to the health
of Mr. Scrooge,
even though he is odious,
stingy, wicked,
and unfeeling, and badly dressed...
To the founder of the feast,
Mr. Scrooge.
To Mr. Scrooge, he'll be very merry
and happy this day, I have no doubt.
No doubt.
Mm. Cheers.
God bless us, every one.
Life is full of sweet surprises
Every day's a gift
The sun comes up
And I can feel it
Lift my spirit
Fills me up with laughter
Fills me up with song
I look into the eyes of love
And know that I belong
Bless us all
Who gather here
The loving family I hold dear
No place on Earth
Compares with home
And every path will bring me
back from where I roam
Bless us all
That as we live
We always comfort and forgive
We have so much
That we can share
With those in need
we see around us everywhere
Let us always love each other
Lead us to the light
Let us hear the voice of reason
Singing in the night
Let us run from anger
And catch us when we fall
Teach us in our dreams
And please, yes, please,
Bless us, one and all
Bless us all
With playful years
With noisy games and joyful tears
We reach for you
And we stand tall
And in our prayers and dreams
We ask you, bless us all
We reach for you
And we stand tall
And in our prayers and dreams,
we ask you
Bless us all
Let's all take our seats now.
Let's have dinner.
Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live.
That is the future.
My realm is the present.
However, I see a vacant seat
by the chimney corner.
And a crutch without an owner.
If these shadows remain unaltered,
I believe the child will die.
But then, if he's going to die,
he'd better do it,
and decrease the surplus population.
Oh, spirit.
As the Cratchit family
vanished into the darkness,
Scrooge kept his eyes upon Tiny Tim,
until the last.
Come. My time grows short.
Spirit, do you grow old?
I do. [chuckles]
Are spirits' lives so short?
My time upon this globe is very brief.
I believe it will end
upon the stroke of 12.
[Rizzo] One.
Now? But spirit,
I have learned so much from you.
Nothing Scrooge could do or say
could stop
the relentless march
of those terrible bells.
Five!
Oh, spirit, do not leave me.
I think I must, in fact.
You have meant so much to me.
You have changed me.
And now I leave you with
the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.
You mean, the future?
Mm.
Must I?
Go forth, and know him better, man.
Am I in the presence of the
Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?
Spirit, I fear you more
than any specter I have yet met.
This is too scary.
I don't think I want to see any more.
When you're right, you're right.
You're on your own, folks.
We'll meet you at the finale.
Yeah.
I am prepared to follow and to learn,
with a thankful heart.
Will you not speak to me?
Oh, yes, the night is waning fast.
Lead on, spirit.
No, I don't know much about it,
either way.
I only know he's dead.
When?
Last night, I believe.
Wonder what he died of.
I thought he'd never go.
I don't know or care why he's gone.
I'd just like to know
what he's done with his money.
Wouldn't we all?
He didn't give it to me.
It's likely to be a cheap funeral.
I don't know a single soul
who would go to it.
I wouldn't mind going.
Eh?
If lunch is provided.
Speaking of lunch...
Oh, yes.
I know some of those gentlemen, spirit.
Of what poor wretch do they speak?
So, back from the house of sadness,
I see.
Sad that he didn't die years ago,
the old skinflint.
Hear, hear.
Let me see.
What have you got for old Joe?
What have you got for me
to remember him by?
Joe, get off.
Well, I got these collar buttons
from his dresser.
Mother of pearl.
No, I got his bed curtains.
Very fine damask. [laughs]
Very cheap damask.
But worth a few coins.
I've got his blankets.
His blankets?
Why, Mrs. Dilber, they're still warm.
I don't pay extra for the warmth,
you know.
You should.
It's the only warmth he ever had.
I understand, spirit.
The case of this unhappy man
might be my own.
My life turns that way now.
Merciful heavens.
Let me see some tenderness
connected with this world,
or I'll be haunted
by that terrible conversation forever.
It's Bob Cratchit's house.
Oh, yes, spirit.
A place of joy and laughter.
Thank you for bringing me here.
It's so quiet.
Why is it so quiet, spirit?
Mother, you're crying again.
It's just the lamplight,
that hurts my eyes.
Not Tiny Tim?
There, now.
My eyes get weak in the dim light.
I would not want to show
weak eyes to your father,
when he gets home,
for anything in the world.
He should be back now.
I think he's walked a little slower
these past two evenings.
Hello, my dears.
Daddy.
Hello, girls.
Hello, Peter.
Children, please go set the table.
Thank you.
How was the churchyard?
It will be lovely, Emily.
It would have done you good
to see how green the place is.
I picked a spot for Tim
where he can see...
It's, it's a spot on the hill.
You can see the ducks on the river.
Tiny Tim...
Tiny Tim always loved
watching the ducks on the river.
Spirit, must there be a Christmas
that brings this awful scene?
How can we endure it?
It's all right, children.
Life is made up
of meetings and partings.
That is the way of it.
I am sure we shall never forget
Tiny Tim.
Or this first parting
that there was among us.
Must we return to this place?
There is something else
that I must know?
Is that not true?
Spirit, I know what I must ask.
I fear to, but I must.
Who was the wretched man
whose death brought
so much glee and happiness to others?
Answer me one more question.
Are these the shadows
of things that will be?
Or are they the shadows
of things that may be, only?
These events can be changed.
A life can be made right.
Ebenezer Scrooge.
Oh, please, spirit, no.
Hear me, I'm not the man I was.
Why would you show me this
if I was past all hope?
I will honor Christmas,
and try to keep it all the year.
I will live my life in the past,
the present, and the future.
I will not shut out the lessons
the spirits have taught me.
Tell me that I may sponge out
the writing on this stone.
Spirit, please speak to me.
I'm home.
Yes, the bedposts were his own.
The bed was his own.
The room was his own.
Hi, guys, we're back.
We promised we would be.
But the thing that made Scrooge
happiest of all
was that his life lay before him.
And it could be changed.
I will live my life in the past,
the present, and the future.
Oh, Jacob and Robert Marley.
Heaven in the Christmas time
be praised for this day.
I say it on my knees,
Jacob and Robert.
On my knees.
Oh, they're not torn down.
They're here.
And I'm here. It's a miracle.
I don't know what to do.
I'm as light as a feather.
I'm as happy as an angel,
I'm as merry as a schoolboy.
Do you think it's safe
for us to be up here?
Scrooge is saved,
what can happen now?
Yeah.
You there, boy.
What, me?
Uh, that is, "What, me, sir?"
What's today?
Pardon?
What's today, my fine fellow?
Today? Today is Christmas Day.
It's Christmas Day?
I haven't missed it.
The spirits did it all in one night.
They can do anything they like.
Of course they can.
Of course they can.
Of course they can.
Know the poultry shop nearby?
Yes, sir, I do.
An intelligent lad.
A remarkable lad.
Do you know whether the prize turkey
has been sold in the window?
The one twice as big as me?
It's still there.
It's a pleasure talking with you, lad.
Go and buy it.
Be serious.
I am serious. Buy it for me
and I'll give you a shilling.
No, I'll give you five shillings.
Wow!
And so the boy was off like a shot.
So even...
Um... Sorry.
I'll bring it to Bob Cratchit's house.
What a surprise it'll be.
It's twice the size of Tiny Tim.
And a few moments later,
dressed in his finest,
Scrooge appeared
on the streets of the city
to wish Merry Christmas
to all the world.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Gee, thanks.
Everyone was out and about
this fine morning.
And soon he encountered
two familiar faces.
Mr. Scrooge.
Pardon me, gentlemen,
but about the charity donation
you asked me for yesterday?
Put me down for...
That much?
Not a penny less.
A great many back payments
are included in it, I assure you.
My goodness,
I don't know what to say.
I just wish there was something
we could give you.
A gift?
A gift for me?
Thank you.
Thank you.
50 times! And a Merry Christmas.
Here's your turkey, Mr. Scrooge.
Follow me, lad.
With a thankful heart,
with an endless joy
With a growing family
Every girl and boy
Will be nephew and niece to me
Nephew and niece to me
Will bring love, hope,
and peace to me
Love, hope, and peace to me
Yes, and every night will end
And every day will start
With a grateful prayer
and a thankful heart
With an open smile
and with open doors
I will bid you welcome
What is mine is yours
With a glass raised
to toast your health
With a glass raised
to toast your health
And a promise to share the wealth
A promise to share the wealth
I will sail a friendly course
Follow a friendly chart
On a sea of love
and a thankful heart
Life is like a journey
Who knows when it ends?
Yes, and if you need to know
The measure of a man
You simply count his friends
Stop and look around you
The glory that you see
Is born again each day
Don't let it slip away
How precious life can be
With a thankful heart
that is wide awake
I do make this promise,
every breath I take
Will be used now to sing your praise
Used now to sing your praise
And to beg you to share my days
Beg you to share my days
With a loving guarantee
That even if we part
I will hold you close
in a thankful heart
I will hold you close
in a thankful heart
Bob Cratchit?
So, here you are.
M-M-M-Mr. Scrooge.
You, sir, were not at work this morning
as we had discussed.
But, Mr. Scrooge, sir,
we did discuss it.
It's Christmas Day.
You gave me the day off.
I?
I, Ebenezer Scrooge?
Would I do a thing like that?
No.
I mean, yes, but you did.
Bob Cratchit, I've had my fill of this.
And I have had my fill of you,
Mr. Scrooge.
And therefore, Bob Cratchit...
And therefore,
you can leave this house at once.
And therefore,
I'm about to raise your salary.
And I am about to raise you
right off the pavement...
Pardon?
Pardon?
Yes, Bob.
Raise your salary.
And pay your mortgage
on this house.
Please, sir, come inside.
Yes, yes.
Bob Cratchit, would you and your family
care to join us
for a little turkey dinner
on this fine Christmas Day?
Merry Christmas.
And Scrooge
was better than his word.
He did it all, and infinitely more.
And, er, Tiny Tim?
And Tiny Tim,
who did not die...
Isn't that swell?
To Tiny Tim,
Scrooge became a second father.
He became as good a friend,
as good a master,
and as good a man
as the good old city ever had.
It was always said of him that
he knew how to keep Christmas well,
if any man alive
possessed the knowledge.
May that truly be said of us
and all of us.
And so, as Tiny Tim observed...
God bless us.
God bless us.
Every one.
The love we found
The love we found
We carry with us
So we're never quite alone
The love we found
The love we found
The sweetest dream
That we have ever known
Hey, say goodbye!
The love we found
Goodbye, goodbye.
So we're never quite alone
Nice story, Mr. Dickens.
Thanks. If you like this,
you should read the book.
It's in the singing
of a street corner choir
It's going home
and getting warm by the fire
It's true wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
A cup of kindness
that we share with another
A sweet reunion
with a friend or a brother
In all the places you find love
It feels like Christmas
It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
And it is the season
of the spirit
The message if we hear it
Is make it last all year
Oh, Yes! Make it last all year.
It's in the giving of a gift
to another
A pair of mittens
that were made by your mother
It's all the ways that we show love
That feel like Christmas
A part of childhood
we'll always remember
It is the summer of the soul
in December
Yes, when you do your best
for love
It feels like Christmas
And remember,
it is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is the season of the spirit
The message, if we hear it
Is make it last all year
It's in the singing
of a street corner choir
It's going home
and getting warm by the fire
It's true wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
It's true wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas