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Charles D
A CHRISTM
CAROL A GRA PHIC N OVEL
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BY Harper &
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Christmas Carol and Charity...............................................................................................................................5
Cast of Characters..................................................................................................................................................................6
Chapter 1
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Christmas Eve.......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
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Chapter 2
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The First of the Three Spirits............................................................................................................. 22
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Chapter 3
The Second of the Three Spirits........................................................................................................ 31
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Chapter 4
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The Last of the Spirits...................................................................................................................................... 42
Chapter 5
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The End of it........................................................................................................................................................................... 52
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About the Retelling Author and Illustrator..................................................................................66
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Glossary.................................................................................................................................................................................................67
Common Core Aligned Reading Questions...............................................................................................68
Common Core AlignedWriting Prompts..................................................................................................... 69
A Christmas Carol and Charity
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Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol was published on December 18th, 1843, in
London, England. The novella tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter old man with
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no interest in charity or the so-called “holiday spirit” of Christmas. However, Scrooge
soon learns the value of charity and kindness — a message Charles Dickens felt was
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necessary to share during the bleak and poor state of London in his time. Thankfully,
the story had several big effects on readers, some of which have spread around the
world and continue to this day!
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The phrase “Merry Christmas” first became popular after the publication of the
story. Ever since, the moniker “Scrooge” and the phrase “Bah humbug!” have become
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popular labels for those types of people who express dislike of the holidays (or even
just for making fun of people with a poor attitude about anything in general).
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Less than one year after the publication of A Christmas Carol, several important
people made charitable donations after being inspired by Dickens’s tale. Robert Louis
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Stevenson, a famous writer, made public vows to give to charities. And in America, a
man named Mr. Fairbanks closed his factory on Christmas and sent turkeys to all of his
employees in honor of the spirit of the tale. A soldier named Captain Corbett-Smith
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even told the story to his men between battles in the trenches of World War I.
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Some experts have even linked the Western world’s modern day Christmas
customs of giving and charity to Dickens’s tale. Festive feasts, family gatherings, and
a general attitude of giving and kindness grew in popularity in response to the positive
message of Dickens’s story!
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Cast of Characters
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M ar ley
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J acob
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R
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Fo
zer Scr ooge
Ebene
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ie
it
Bob Cratch
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T iny T im
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Old Jacob Marley was dead as a doornail.
He had died seven years ago to the day!
Scrooge had been his
business partner, his
only friend, and the sole
mourner at his funeral.
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Scrooge had never removed Marley’s name from the door. It would have
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cost too much. Sometimes Scrooge’s new customers called him Marley.
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He didn’t mind…
as long as he got
their money.
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People who passed by did not
say hello to Mr. Scrooge.
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Beggars didn’t beg him.
Children ran
from him.
This suited Scrooge just fine. He edged his way along the crowded
paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance.
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CHAPTER 1
CHRISTMAS EVE
It was a cold and dismal
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afternoon. Old Scrooge
was busy working in his
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countinghouse.
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Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit, sat A cheerful voice broke the
at a small desk copying letters. freezing gloom of the office.
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Merry
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Christmas,
uncle!
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Bah!
Humbug!
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He warmed his hands by a
candle, since Scrooge refused
to pay for firewood.
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What have
Scrooge’s nephew
you got to be
had come for a visit. merry about?
You’re poor.
What have
you got to be
dismal about?
You’re rich!
Christmas, to Scrooge, was a wasted day. People
could be working instead of celebrating.
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What good has
Christmas ever
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done you?
Uncle!
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Christmas is
a kind and charitable
time. The only time
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when men and women
open their shut-up
hearts freely.
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And although it
has never put a
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scrap of gold in my
pocket, it has done
me good!
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One more peep You’re a
out of you, Bob, powerful speaker.
and you’ll spend Why don’t you run
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Christmas looking for Parliament?
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for a new job!
Don’t be
angry, uncle.
Have Christmas
dinner with us
tomorrow.
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I will not Scrooge’s nephew had married.
have dinner
with you!
Why?! Why
did you get
married?
Because I
fell in love.
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But why
not, uncle?
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I am sorry to find
you so resolute, but
I’ll keep my Christmas
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humor to the very
last. So a Merry
Christmas, uncle!
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Good
afternoon!
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Merry A Merry
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Christmas! Christmas to
you too, sir!
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At this festive
NOTHING!
season, Mr. Scrooge,
I support the prisons
we should make some
and workhouses. They
donations to the poor What shall cost enough. Those
and destitute. we put you who are struggling
down for? must go there.
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Many can’t go
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there. Many would
rather die.
If they would
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rather die, then
so be it. It would
decrease the surplus
population!
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Good
afternoon,
gentlemen!
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Through the keyhole, a lone voice sang out. Scrooge opened his door with such
fierceness that the lone caroler ran off.
God rest ye
merry, gentleman!
Let nothing you
dismay!
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The hour of shutting the
countinghouse had arrived. It is only
one day a
year, sir.
You’ll want all
day off tomorrow,
I suppose?
If it’s
convenient,
sir.
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It is NOT A poor excuse for
convenient. And I picking a man’s pocket!
should not have to Fine, take the whole day.
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pay you when you’re But be here early the
not working. next morning!
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Bob Cratchit promised that Scrooge headed home. He lived in chambers that
he would. Together they had once belonged to Marley, his business partner.
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closed the countinghouse. It was a gloomy and dismal place.
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The fog was so thick that
Scrooge could barely see
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two steps in front of him.
When he turned the
key on this particular
evening, he saw…
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