LITTLE CHRISTMAS STORIES

 MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS STORY

It was Christmas Eve and Ebenezer Scrooge was hurrying through the streets of London. Scrooge did not like Christmas or helping the poor. He turned his face away from a group of carol singers and didn't give a penny to anyone. And when his nephew Fred dropped by his office to wish him a Merry Christmas, he unceremoniously threw him out.

Later, at the end of the day, his assistant Bob Cratchit got off his stool to go home.

I suppose you'll want to have a party tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow you have to be here bright and early!

____ Thank you, Mr. Scrooge!" exclaimed Cratchit, "And a merry Christmas!

____ Bah! You clapper! ____ mumbled Scrooge.

In the evening Scrooge locked the office and went home. As he reached the door, he looked at the knocker and gasped! It was in the shape of the face of his old partner, Jacob Marley.

The face on the knocker began to move in an unsettling way.

_________ Scrooooooge... ______ whispered.

Frightened, he rushed in. But suddenly, before him appeared the ghost of Marley wrapped in chains.

________ Tonight you will be visited by three spirits___ Marley announced to him.  Listen to them and do as they say. Otherwise, your chains will be heavier than mine. Farewell, Ebenezer.

Scrooge went to bed, but in a little while he was awakened by a little fellow in a top hat.

_____ I am the Ghost of Christmas Past ____ said to Scrooge. You must come with me. But Scrooge laughed.

_____ You are a dwarf," he said, "Go away!

____ Silence! ___ commanded the spirit ____. If men were measured by their kindness, you would be smaller than a grain of sand. We'll travel back to the past, when you didn't yet believe that Christmas was a claptrap.

When the spirit told him to hold on to the tail of his coat, Scrooge remembered Marley's terrible warning, and did as he was bidden.  The windows were thrown wide open, and the two of them flew over the roofs and chimneys.

Soon they came to a halt in front of a lighted house, where merry Christmas songs were playing. Scrooge peeped through a window, and could not believe his eyes.

There's Isabel! he exclaimed, suddenly remembering the girl he once loved.

But who is that dancing so happily with her?

_____ That's you, Scrooge___ whispered the spirit to him. Then you, too, were kind and cheerful.

Then the spirit led the man to another window. Inside, a young Scrooge sat at a desk covered with money. Elizabeth stood behind him with tears in her eyes.

Why is she crying?" asked Scrooge.

Then he remembered that he had taken her cottage from her when he couldn't pay the bills and that he had refused to marry her.

Suddenly Scrooge was in bed again. He thought it had all been a bad dream, but then he remembered Elizabeth again, and how his love of money had caused him to lose his chance of happiness with her. Scrooge buried his head in his pillow and burst into tears.

As he sobbed, he felt the weight of a huge hand on his shoulder. He lifted his head and found a terrible giant enjoying a feast.

I am the Spirit of Christmas Present. There is no time to waste! ___ he bellowed.

The spirit put Scrooge in his pocket, lifted the roof like a doll's house, and went out into the street.

Scrooge peeped out of the huge giant's pocket.

Where are we going? he thought.

The spirit took Scrooge out of his pocket, and with his other hand he pulled out a street lamp to use as a lantern. Soon afterwards they came to a very old cottage.

What a dreadful little house! exclaimed Scrooge; "who can live in such a place? a wretched beggar, perhaps?

Look more closely, and tell me whom you see," warned the spirit.

Scrooge pressed his face against the glass. But it's Bob Cratchit, my clerk! __ he was surprised __ Does he live here?

The spirit frowned.

He lives here because of your "generosity".  Look at the Christmas Eve dinner the family has. It's all they can afford.

The hungry Cratchits sat down to the table, and partook of the smallest goose Scrooge had ever seen in his life. Then he saw a little boy, Tiny Tim, limping into the room, leaning on a crutch. When he heard him thank him for the food, Scrooge felt ashamed.

Tell me, spirit, what's the matter with that little fellow?

I'm afraid, if things don't change, Tiny Tim's chair will soon be empty," replied the spirit.

All was dark, and Scrooge realised that he was alone. Bells rang out in the distance.

Just then, a thickening cloud of smoke enveloped Scrooge until he was in darkness. A little smoke entered his nose and he began to cough.

When the smoke cleared, Scrooge saw that he was in a cemetery! Everywhere, there were snow-covered graves.

Scrooge looked up. He was not alone. A hideous dark figure, his face half hidden by a hood, stood before him.

Are you the Ghost of Christmas Future? Scrooge mumbled. Tell me, what will happen to Tiny Tim?

The spirit looked at Scrooge, raised his arm and pointed to something in the distance.

Scrooge looked over and saw Bob Cratchit and his family gathered by a grave. Bob knelt down in front of the gravestone and laid Tiny Tim's crutch on the grave as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

Oh, no," exclaimed Scrooge. Spirit, I don't want this to happen; tell me it is still possible to do something about it!

Scrooge looked at two gravediggers who had just dug a hole.

He had never seen a burial before, with no family, no friends to say good-bye to him.

Scrooge peered into the grave, and asked the spirit to whom it belonged.

It's yours! The spirit burst out laughing and took off his hood.

No! I'll change! cried Scrooge.  The tomb burst into flames and the spirit pushed him down into it.  ____ Let me out!

Suddenly, another bell rang. Scrooge opened his eyes and cried out with joy. He was in his room!

It's Christmas! he shouted. After putting on his coat and hat, Scrooge went out into the street.

He wished everyone a Merry Christmas to everyone he came across, and gave two bags of money to the people he passed. They were speechless, wondering what had happened to the old curmudgeon.

Scrooge even stopped his nephew when he saw him approaching his carriage. Fred was so surprised at his uncle's cheerfulness that he nearly fell out of the carriage. After bidding him farewell, Scrooge went on his way in the direction of Bob Cratchit's house.

TOC, TOC! Scrooge knocked at his clerk's door. When Bob opened it and saw who it was, his smile faded.

Why, Mr. Scrooge. Merry Christmas. Won't you come in?

Scrooge rushed in and set a heavy sack on the floor. Then he smiled a huge smile, and told Bob that he was raising his wages, and that he had brought him food and toys for his family.

Cratchit couldn't believe it.

Oh, thank you Mr. Scrooge!

FROZEN AN OLAF ADVENTURE

Surprise!" exclaimed Olaf as he jumped out of a kransekake and sent pieces of the cake flying everywhere.

Olaf, not yet! said Anna.

The surprise party won't start until the Christmas bell rings," added Elsa.

It was the first holiday in Arendelle for years, and the sisters wanted to spend it with the inhabitants of the kingdom.

The castle courtyard was already full of people. Everyone was excited when they saw Kristoff and Sven arriving with the Christmas bell.

Clong! Clong! Clong! Clong!

However, after the bell had rung, everyone started to leave!

Are you leaving already? Anna asked them.

The bell has rung and now we are going to celebrate our family tradition: kneading the doughnut cake___ explained a woman.

Afterwards, Elsa invited the Olsens to the castle, but they both shook their heads.

____ Thank you, but we're going to knit some socks for the grandchildren ___ they said with a smile. We don't want to get involved in your family traditions.

When everyone left, Kristoff saw the disappointed faces of his friends. To cheer them up, he played them a traditional troll song and then taught them another troll tradition: Flemmy, the troll mushroom!

_________ You lick his forehead and make a wish! And he made them laugh!

Olaf followed the sisters into the ballroom. He was eager to know what their family tradition was.

Do we have a tradition, Elsa? Anna asked. Can you remember?

When the doors closed, we were never together again," said Elsa. I'm sorry, because of me we don't have any traditions.

Olaf ran to the stables.

Sven," he shouted, "Anna and Elsa don't have any traditions they've ever seen, and we'll bring them to the castle! Olaf tied Kristoff's sledge to Sven and the two set off at once.

Olaf knocked on the door of the first house they came to.

What is your family tradition? he asked a boy and his mother.

We always make candy canes," they replied as they offered him one. Olaf took off his carrot nose and put on the candy cane instead.

Ohhh, sugar rush! ___ he exclaimed

Olaf and Sven went house to house to learn about different family traditions. They loaded everything that people gave them into Sven's sleigh with the intention of taking it to Anna and Elsa.

At the last stop, Olaf found Oaken's whole family celebrating the holidays in the sauna. Olaf thought it was a great tradition ... and added a portable sauna to the pile of stuff!

But the burning embers of the sauna soon caused trouble. The sledge caught fire and all the traditions started to burn! The sledge fell down a ravine and Sven and Olaf each landed on one side of the cliff.

They had run out of traditions! But Olaf did not lose hope when he saw that one of them had been saved: the fruitcake.

Sven, however, was worried. Wolf howls could be heard in the dark forest.

In the castle, Elsa found Anna in the attic, looking for traditions. She was taking things out of a boot containing her childhood memories.

What's in your boot? Anna asked.

Gloves mostly --- said Elsa.

But when she opened it, there was a little bell. Elsa took a small box and held it out to her sister. When Anna opened it, she could not believe her eyes.

Suddenly, the two sisters heard a commotion in the stables and went over there. Sven was trying to say something to Kristoff.

Olaf is lost! Anna guessed.

And he's being chased by hungry wolves," added Elsa.

Immediately, they decided to gather all the people in the village to go and look for him.

Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Sven went into the forest with the search party. They all went calling for Olaf.

Suddenly, the sisters saw a carrot sticking out of a pile of snow. It was Olaf! Their friend explained that he had lost all the traditions he had gathered for them. Even the fruit cake, which had been taken away by a bird!

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You still do not have a tradition... said Olaf.

Olaf, we do. Look __ said Anna. She opened the mysterious little box and showed him its contents.

The box was full of sketches of Olaf that Anna had drawn when she was a child.

I started drawing you the first time we created you," said Anna.

While we were apart, you were the one who kept us together, Olaf," added Elsa.

Every Christmas, I gave Elsa a present. Elsa nodded. During those years of loneliness, we had you to remind us of our childhood. And how much we still loved each other.

It's you, Olaf. You are our tradition. Surprise!

Out of the dark forest came dozens of lanterns. They were the inhabitants of Arendelle, who were relieved to see that Olaf was well.

Then Elsa had a great idea.

As this was Anna and Elsa's first party in a long time, they wanted it to be special. With the help of the villagers, they organised a big party right there in the forest!

Best of all, Anna and Elsa had revived their Christmas tradition and created a new one for Arendelle.

And all thanks to little Olaf!