I've heard about this tale even before. Through a comic book, cartoons and children's bedtime storybook. But this time it was different because i was reading it the old english way of narrating a story. I wonder if I was the original. But I think it is, becuase of the wit and wisdom in it. I saw this book in the old archives of our local school library donated by some european friends of the school long long time ago. Sadly I can't find the date of publication.
Anyway, I love the way it was told. At first, I had a hard time trying to understand the language. But in time, I was able to adjust and keep my imagination running while reading.
It tells about the an adventure with three spirits who visited Mr. Scrooge on one Christmas eve: Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future. Each one of them accompanied Scrooge according to their namesake.
With Christmas past, Scrooge was shown as a poor and lonely but handsome young man. Full of promise and though we don't know much about his father, he is with a gentle, kind and generous boss who played as a role model for him.He even has a sweetheart who is discribed as a fair lady. The reader wonders how come he is so cold, mean and bitter even in the present Christmas eve. He was so happy with his journey with Christmas past. But towards the end of their journey, it starts to answer the question of the reader. It was his own choice. He had an opportunity to love and to be loved but he just let go of it. He even shooed it away. She was a young and beautiful but he let go of her and focused too much on his career and how to get rich with no heart of generousity at all. He didn't even rewarded himself even with a little luxury.
Then came Christmas present. Together they journeyed from one home of an acquaintance to another. Scrooge saw the things that he missed because of his choice long ago. He is even made into a laughingstock in his nephew's home. He is indifferent and unaffected 'till they came into the home of his one and only employee. He is a father to a simple family and one of his sons is ill. With the character of Scrooge boing a stoic, I was glad that he showed some concern to the boy. He asked Christmas present if the boy will live but the spirit only gave him a vague answer.
And last is the spirit of the future. It showed how pitiful it will be. He is a rich man but nobody will give him some respect or any concern at all. The beggars would gladly divide upon his garments and people who knows him just shrugged their shoulder when they learned about his death. But what touched Scrooge the most was when he learned that in the future, the boy will die becuase of how hard life is. Of course it is not only because of Scrooge's doing but it will be a cummulative effect of the selfishness of man. But still Scrooge felt guilty because he is one of them. Scrooge cried and pleaded to the dreadfull spirit to help him undo the ugly things that will happen in the future.
Scrooge wakes up that Christmas day. Very glad and happy but most of all, gratefull that he was given the chance to undo the effects of his bitterness on the future. He didn't waste a second. He asked a boy to buy a huge turkey for his one and only employee and tipped the boy generously. He gave a surprise visit to his nephew not minding how they made fun of him the night before. In time, many people benefitted out of Scrooge's generousity and what made him the happiest most was that, the boy lived a long and fruitful life with Scrooge becoming a second father to him. Untinkable for a character like his but again, it is a choice. It was his choice to get out of his bitterness and savor life and it's sweetness.
Two classical truths comes out from this story:
- materialism cannot give us genuine happiness and
- sometimes, happiness is a matter of our day to day choices.
I will not expound on these two points anymore. I want my readers to think and reflect on it upon themselves.
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