Lilo & Stitch's Christmas Carol
Characters:
Ebenezer Scrooge – Dr. Jacques Von Hamsterviel
Jacob Marley - Experiment 627
Chapter 2: Marley's Ghost
Scrooge went to his house. Or rather it was Marley's house which he inherited from Marley's will. It was a dreary house that only Scrooge would live in. As he fumbled for his keys, his eyes glanced at the knocker on the door. The knocker was a lion's head with a ring in its mouth. And before Scrooge's eyes the knocker turned into the head of Jacob Marley. It was Marley's head all right. It had his face, his spectacles on its forehead, and his bandana wrapped around his mouth. Scrooge investigative pinched the nose on the knocker. The knocker yelped which startled Scrooge and made him run inside and lock the door. When he looked at the door he expected to see the back of Marley's head instead he just saw the blots and nuts that kept the knocker on. "Bah!" muttered Scrooge to himself. He changed into his dressing gown, slippers, and nightcap and sat in front of his tiny fire. He ate his supper, which was a bowl of gruel. Then he heard the sound of chain rattling. He looked up just in time to see the Ghost of Jacob Marley walk through his door. It was Marley's ghost all right. It had Marley's features and clothes. It was transparent so you could look through it and see the room on the other side of it. It was also bound with a curious chain that was made up of keys, padlocks, moneyboxes, and even a piggy bank. "Who are you or were you?" asked Scrooge. "In life, I was your business partner, Jacob Marley," said the Ghost. "Can you sit?" asked Scrooge, unsure if the Ghost would sink right through it. "I can," said the Ghost. "Then do so," said Scrooge. The Ghost sat itself in an empty chair opposite of Scrooge. The Ghost sighed and took of its bandana. Its mouth fell out of its jaws but continued to speak. "You don't believe in me. What proof do you have to prove I'm not real?" "Indigestion often causes hallucinations. You might be a bit of undigested beef or uncooked potato. There's more gravy than there is grave of you," said Scrooge. "In fact, all I have to do is swallow a toothpick and I'll be haunted by goblins for the rest of my life. Humbug, I say, humbug!" Here the Ghost raised his voice and rattled his chain in such a way to convince Scrooge that he wasn't imaginary.
"Why are you chained?" asked Scrooge. "This chain I made in life, link by link, yard by yard." "But you never went to the blacksmith." "This chain was not made with an iron anvil, but with an iron heart. And because of my wicked deeds, I'm cursed to wear this chain I made for all of eternity. Or maybe longer. But your chain far exceeds mine in length and weight, for you have been working hard on it these past seven years." Scrooge looked about him. "What chain? I don't see any chain." Suddenly a large net of chain appeared out of nowhere. It ensnared Scrooge in several places and was made up of many different things from checkbooks to iron safes. Then suddenly it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but Scrooge still felt the pressure of that chain.
"Here me Scrooge," said Marley's Ghost. "My time is soon up. I am here to tell you that there is a way for you to dismantle that chain and escape my fate." "Thank you, Marley. You always were a good friend." "You will be haunted by Three Spirits, each will teach you a different lesson. Without their help, you'll never escape your fate. Expect the first one at 1 0'clock, the next one at the same time the nest night, but the third will arrive at the last stroke of midnight" The Ghost picked up its mouth and put it back into its jaws. It retied the bandana to keep the mouth from falling back out. It walked to the window and flew out. Scrooge looked out the window and saw Marley's ghost as well as other ghosts floating through the night, moaning and shaking their chains. Then they all disappeared into the mist. Scrooge could not make his tongue to say "Humbug!" so he climbed into bed with out taking off his dressing gown and slippers and fell asleep.