"A Christmas Carol", by Charles Dickens - chapter two

The First Ghost

The first ghost appeared at one o'clock in the morning, and opened the curtains round Scrooge's bed. The ghost was an old man with long, white hair. He wore a short, brilliant white dress with a bright belt and (a strange thing at Christmas!) summer flowers along the bottom. His arms and legs were bare, and in his hand he held a bunch of green holly.
‘I’m The Ghost of Christmas Past,' he said.
'Whose past?' asked Scrooge.
'Your past,' answered the ghost.
'What do you want?' asked Scrooge.
'To help you,' answered the ghost. 'Come'.
Scrooge got up from his bed. Together they flew through the wall and London disappeared. Scrooge saw they were looking at the place in the country where he had lived as a boy.
They saw many boys going home across the fields, happily shouting 'Merry Christmas' to each other. Then they saw Scrooge as a boy, reading on his own in an empty classroom.
Seeing himself as he had once been, Scrooge sat down at a desk and started to cry.
'l wish l'd given some money to that poor boy who sang Christmas songs to me yesterday,' said Scrooge.

The ghost smiled. 'Let's see another Christmas,' he said.
This time Scrooge saw the office where he had first worked. He saw Mr Fezziwig, the man he had worked for, and his wife. Young Scrooge was helping them prepare the office for a Christmas party. Soon there were many young people there. They were enjoying the dancing, the music and the food. Even he, Scrooge, was dancing and enjoying himself!
At the end of the party, Mr and Mrs Fezziwig said 'Merry Christmas' to everybody.
'l wish l'd said something to Bob Cratchit yesterday said Scrooge.
The ghost smiled again. 'Another Christmas,' he said.

Scrooge saw a beautiful woman smiling with her children in a warm home.

The door opened and the father came in, his arms full of Christmas presents. Scrooge looked at the woman; she had been his girlfriend when he was a young man! She had left him because he had been more interested in money than in her. Looking at the happy family, Scrooge understood what he had lost.

'No more!' shouted Scrooge sadly. 'Leave me, ghost!'

The first ghost disappeared, leaving Scrooge back in bed where he slept deeply.

A Maior Flor do Mundo

No  dia 7 de Dezembro, pelas 13h45, na Biblioteca Escolar da Escola Básica N.º2 de Carregal do Sal, será apresentada a história "A maior flor do mundo", de José Saramago.