Scrooge woke up in the middle of the night. The church bell struck twelve. He was confused—it had been past two o’clock when he went to bed. He remembered Marley’s words about three spirits visiting him, and he began to feel nervous.
After a while, a strange light shone in his room. Then the curtains of his bed opened, and a figure stood there.
It was a strange-looking child, but also like an old man. Its hair was white, but its face was young and fresh. A bright light shone from the top of its head. It wore a long white robe and held a branch of holly.
“Are you the spirit Marley told me about?” asked Scrooge.
“Yes,” said the spirit. “I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. I am here for your welfare.”
Scrooge was afraid, but the spirit told him to take its hand. Suddenly, they passed through the wall and were standing outside, on a country road. It was early morning.
“This is where I grew up!” Scrooge said with surprise. He saw fields, hedges, and a small village in the distance. He felt happy and sad at the same time.
They walked into the village and came to a small school. Inside, a lonely boy sat reading by the fire. Scrooge knew at once—it was himself as a child. He remembered how, during Christmas, other children went home to their families, but he stayed alone at school. Tears came to his eyes.
The spirit showed him another Christmas. This time, a young girl—his sister, Fan—ran into the room. She was happy and told him their father had become kinder and had sent for him to come home. Scrooge remembered how much he had loved her.
Then they saw another memory—Scrooge as a young man working for a kind boss named Mr. Fezziwig. It was Christmas Eve, and Fezziwig was giving a party with music, dancing, and food. Everyone was laughing and having fun. Scrooge smiled as he remembered the joy of that evening.
The spirit then showed him a sad scene—Scrooge as a young man talking to a woman named Belle. She told him she could no longer marry him because he loved money more than her. Scrooge watched as Belle left him forever.
“Please, Spirit, take me home,” Scrooge said in pain. “I can’t see any more.”
The spirit’s light shone brighter and brighter. Scrooge tried to cover it with the spirit’s own cap. Suddenly, he was back in his bedroom. Exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.
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