Part 5
And we were left outside again.
"Scrooge was left alone and exhausted in his bed chambers", Munk said as he watched through the window. "And thus he remained until the nearby clock began to strike the hour." He looked at the bell tower and it began to strike two. Quaxo who'd been asleep woke up with a start.
"Oh whoa what was that", he asked.
"Two o'clock", Munk explain.
"Oh… Is it too early for breakfast?"
"Yeah…"
"Oh good suppertime", Quaxo said and looked back at the bed chambers. Munk stared at him in confusion and I just rolled my eyes. The bell in Bustopher's room stroke two as well and he peaked out from his bed.
"Scrooge knew that the second of the ghosts was due to appear", Munk said in his story telling voice. "Yet now as the clock finished striking…"
"Nothing", Bustopher mumbled. But he jinxed it! Now the lights came on in the other room and music was heard playing.
"Ho ho ho", a happy tom, a huge tom said with a big smile. "Come in and know me better tom!" In awe Bustopher did as he was told. This ghost was huge and reminded me of someone… the Jellicle leader I think… The room Bustopher entered was full of food! It was everywhere! And that big ghost sat in the corner laughing merrily.
"Come in and now me better tom", he said again. "Uh did I already say that?"
"You did yeah…" Bustopher answered.
"I am the ghost of Christmas present. This is the night before the dawn before the day of Christmas heh. Did I tell you that I am the ghost of Christmas Present?"
"You did… yeah."
"Come in and know me better tom!" He chuckled again.
"You are a little absentminded spirit", Bustopher said.
"No I'm a large absentminded spirit!" the ghost said and laughed, as did Bustopher. "My mind is filled with the here and now and the now is Christmas ho ho ho ho."
"I don't believe I've met anybody like you before."
"Really", the ghost asked. "Over 1800 of my brothers have come before me!"
"1800?" Bustopher asked. "Imagine the grocery bills?" he laughed as did the ghost and shrunk to a size near to Bustopher's own.
"Have you ever noticed that everything seems wonderful at Christmas", he asked merrily. Bustopher though did not look so merry.
"Uhm… In all honesty sprit… No. Perhaps I have never understood about Christmas." The ghost walked up to him and put his arm around him.
"Before this day is done", he said. "You will understand! Oh!" He ran up to the window. The window we were sitting at!
"Oh no!" Quaxo exclaimed and looked behind him and then back through the window. "Oh no!" The window was thrown open and we fell down. The ghost took a deep breath.
"Ah we shall go out into the world!" he said and got inside again laughing. Munk laughed as he got up, brushed his clothes off and put me in his pocket again. An annoyed looking Quaxo walked up to us.
"I suppose you enjoyed that!" he stated.
"'Course", Munk answered. Quaxo made a frustrated sound and then we watched Bustopher and the ghost come out on the street.
"May I welcome to Christmas Morning", the ghost said, laughed and night faded. Everywhere were laughing cats and other animals, playing or just walking down the streets. No humans in sight… they all vanished! We came up to some kittens in a street corner choir that were singing. The Ghost laughed and started to sig: (Just imagine them doing the things they do in the movie)
It's in the singing of a street corner choir
It's going home and getting warm by the fire
It's true, wherever you find love it feels like Christmas
Ghost, Jenny & Jelly: A cup of kindess that we share with another
A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother
Old cats: In all the places you find love it feels like Christmas
Ghost: It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
Ghost, two cats & two birds: It is the season of the sprit
The message if we hear it
Is make it last all year
Mice mother: It's in the giving of a gift to another
A pair of mittens that were made by your mother
Ghost & mice: It's all the ways that we show love that feel like Christmas
Horses: A part of childhood we'll always remember
It is the summer of the soul in December
Police & prisoner: Yes, when you do your best for love it feels like Christmas
Ghost: It is the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
Ghost & Cats: It is the season of the sprit
The message if we hear it
Is make it last all year
Ghost: It's in the singing of a street corner choir
It's going home and getting warm by the fire
It's true, wherever you find love it feels like Christmas
It's true, wherever you find love it feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
It feels like Christmas
I watch all this with a big goofy smile and a bit in Bustopher also started to look happy. At the end he even "danced" with the ghost. When the song ended he turned to the ghost happily.
"Spirit I had no idea", he said. "I wish to see friends. Kin! Show me family!"
We got to this nice room with a lot of cats, I recognized Bustopher's nephew Misto and beside him was a queen I knew had to be his wife Jemima.
"It's Misto", Bustopher said. "My dear nephew Mistofelees and his wife Jemima! Having Christmas with friends!"
Quaxo, Munk and I ended up by a small table with a bowl of fruit.
"Hey look fruit!" Quaxo said.
"Well then now", Misto said standing up while the rest of them sat. "We've had the plum pudding and sung the carols, what now my lovelies?"
"A game Misto", his wife called.
"Yeah we must have a game at Christmas!" their friend Carbucketty called.
"Do people play games at Christmas", Bustopher asked the ghost.
"Oh I love games", the spirit said and the watched, as did I and Munk… Quaxo was too busy with eating. Munk looked at him.
"Say did you know that fruit was wax", he asked.
"Oh yeah I wondered about the texture", Quaxo answered. "Yuck!"
"Let's play yes and no", Misto's friend Bill Bailey called then.
"Oh a wonderful game", George agreed. The others cheered.
"Ah that's a great game", Misto said. "I'll be it!"
"Yes let Misto be it he always thinks of good things", Jemima said.
"I do have a good one Jemima", Misto answered. "Guess."
"Is it vegetable", Cassandra, George's wife asked.
"No."
"Mineral", Jemima asked.
"Nope."
"Animal then", Cassandra asked.
"What else", Misto said sounding gleeful.
"What else", the others muttered.
"Is it found on a farm", Victor asked.
"Never!"
"In the city", Jemima asked.
"Usually", Misto said walking around the room.
"Does it pull a handsome cab", Bill Bailey asked.
"Ha! Certainly not!"
"How about a dog", Shakespeare asked (character in the latest Swedish version of cats).
"Um… no."
"Bird!" Bustopher guessed but wasn't heard.
"Bird", Jemima asked.
"I said it first", Bustopher said.
"No", Misto said happily.
"Wait then", Jemima said. "Is it an unwanted creature?"
"Often", Misto said looking ready to burst out laughing.
"A mouse", Carbucketty called.
"A kitten!" Silabub, Bill Bailey's wife asked.
"You called", Quaxo said dryly.
"A cockroach!" Carbucketty's wife Isis (also in the Swedish version) called.
"No, are kittens unwanted, no." Misto answered.
"Uhm… leech!" Carbucketty yelled.
"Oh dear it's too wonderful", Misto said.
"Wait wait I know", Jemima said. "An unwanted creature but not a rat, a leech or a cockroach…"
"Then what", Bill bailey asked.
"Then what", Shakespeare echoed.
"What", Bustopher asked.
"It's Bustopher Scrooge!" Jemima said and everyone started laughing as Misto said:
"Yes!" I felt angry, it's not nice doing those things! Bustopher may be a big egoist but you shouldn't treat him like a cockroach! Bustopher looked sad and the ghost put his arm around him.
"Come there's much to see", he said.
"No more", Bustopher said sadly. "I wish to see no more."
But they still ended up outside a house in the lesser parts of the town.
"Here", the ghost said.
"Why have we come to this corner of the town", Bustopher asked.
"It's Christmas here to you know", the ghost answered and sounded annoyed. "Tha… That's Alonzo Cratchit's house!"
Now how the heck did Munk get into a chimney-sweeps clothes?
"Perhaps it was the spirit's own generous nature and sympathy for all poor men that led them straight to the home of Scrooge's faithful clerk", Munk said climbing up a ladder. Quaxo was already up on the roof and sniffing the chimneys.
"Goose", he said eagerly. "They're cooking goose down there!" He stuck his nose down there again.
"Quaxo", Munk said hitting him on the head with the chimney brush. "Get out of the way."
"Hey hey hey! Don't be sweeping the chimney now! You're blocking the smell!" I just rolled my eyes at them and climbed down Munk's coat. I got to the edge of the roof… and looked down. Bustopher had walked up to the door.
"This is Alonzo's house", he asked the ghost.
"How do you know that", the ghost asked.
"You just told me."
"Hm… well I'm usually trustworthy." He chuckled and they walked up to the window and looked inside. I slid down the ladder and watched too. I could hear someone humming from inside.
"Who's that", Bustopher asked sounding kinda angry.
"Mrs. Cratchit of course", the ghost said. I could just see a beautiful chocolate brown Abyssinian cooking food. She turned from the stove and towards the fireplace.
"Plato", she said. "Do not stop turning that spit, that's the whole secret of a perfectly roasted gose."
"It smells so good mother", Plato answered.
"It does, doesn't it", she asked looking into a mirror. I could still hear Munk and Quaxo work on the roof.
"Oh", Quaxo moaned. "That smells wonderfuaaaaah!" He'd fell down the chimney.
"Oh good grief", Munk groaned and looked down the chimney.
"Hey I'm stuck get me outta here!" Quaxo called and I just laughed.
"I knew you weren't suited for literature", Munk called down to him. I laughed again. Suddenly I hear screaming from Quaxo… from inside the house. He'd fell down the chimney into the fireplace… on top of the goose… I could just see him through the window.
"Oh", he said. "At least I landed on something soft… AND HOT!" He started to scream as he jumped from one foot to another. I kept laughing but then saw Mrs. Cratchit eat from the chestnuts at the stove. A small queen kit walked up to her.
"Mother mother mother", she screamed. "I thought you said we couldn't eat the chestnuts until father and Tiny-Tumble get home."
"I… I-I-I wasn't eating them", her mother tried to explain. "I was merely checking to see if they were not burnt. It's a chef's thing dear. And do not shout Etcetera."
"I'm Electra!"
"I'm Etcetera", another kitten said getting to her mother's other side. The mother looked between them.
"Uh uh uhm of course you are Etcetera", she said to Electra.
"Electra!"
The mother looked between them again. "Whatever."
She turned back to the stove and the girls huffed in annoyance. That's when I heard singing coming down the street. I smiled when I saw Alonzo come walking with a tiny kitten on his shoulders. They were singing together:
Tis the season to be jolly and joyous falala
With a burst of pleasure, we feel it all right falala
It's the season when the saints can employ us falala
To spread the news about peace and to keep love alive!
They walked by Bustopher and the ghost. Alonzo put the kitten down and went to the house.
"Come on son", Alonzo said helping the kitten. Tiny-Tumble was leaning on a crutch. "Let's go see if Christmas dinner is ready yet."
"Oh yeah!" his son answered.
"Yes… Careful." They opened the door and the world spun as Munk scooped me up and put me in his pocket again. He then slid into the house without anyone noticing.
"Merry Christmas everyone", Alonzo said as he closed the door. All children turned to him.
"Daddy" they screamed and ran at him. The girls threw themselves at him so he nearly tumbled to the floor. But he just laughed.
"Merry Christmas girls", he said. "Merry Christmas Plato."
"Merry Christmas!" his oldest son said.
"Children children children", their mother said walking up to them. "Now it's time to set the table. Go ahead!" The girls and Plato ran off and Tumble followed.
"Wait for me", he called.
"Merry Christmas Exotica", Alonzo told the Abyssinian.
"Oh Merry Christmas", she said and they hugged. "Lonzy."
"Oh… Exie."
I grinned and it got wider when we reached Quaxo who was sitting and blowing on his feet.
"Oh", he said. "I fell down the chimney and landed on a flaming hot goose!"
Munk sighed and sat down beside him.
"You have all the fun", he said and Quaxo glared at him. "What?"
Quaxo just groaned.
"Oh Plato the Christmas dinner ha", little Tumble said exited. "The goose! The goose!" He started coughing and his parents ran up to him.
"Oh no no no son son", Exotica said. "Now you've gotten too excited. You go sit in your chair a moment. You rest… rest a moment." She then turned to Alonzo. "How was he in church?"
"Aw as good as gold and better", Alonzo answered sadly. "He said he hoped that other cats saw him at church because it might be pleasant for them to remember upon Christmas day who made lame beggars walk and blind cats see."
"A remarkable child", Bustopher said, I could just barely hear him.
"And with that the Cratchits came to was surely the happiest single moment in all the livelong year", Munk said as the family sat down.
"Such a meager feast", Bustopher said somewhat sadly.
"But very much appreciated", the ghost told him.
"I pay Alonzo such a small amount."
"Mister Scrooge", Alonzo said and Bustopher jolted.
"Alonzo!" he said. "Alonzo Cratchit!" He walked through the wall and the ghost followed. It turned out Alonzo hadn't called out to him. He had just suggested a toast.
"It only seems right that I should lift the glass to my employer", Alonzo went on. "I give you Mister Scrooge, the founder of the feast!"
"The founder of the feast indeed", his wife said angrily and the girls huffed. "If I had him here I would give him a piece of my mind to feast upon and I bet he would choke on it."
"Choke", the girls chorused.
"My dear the… the children… Christmas Day", Alonzo said.
"Oh uh", his wife answered. "Well I suppose that on the blessed day of Christmas one must drink to the health of Mister Scrooge even though he is odious-"
"Uh hm", the girls said nodding.
"Stingy."
"Uh hm."
"Wicked."
"Uh hm."
"And unfeeling."
"Uh hm."
"And badly dressed."
"Huuuh", the girls said in terror.
"An-"
"To the founder of the feast", Tiny-Tumble said cutting her off. "Mister Scrooge."
"To Mister Scrooge", his mother said with a sigh. "He'll be very happy and merry this day I have no doubt."
"No doubt", her daughters echoed and they drank.
"Cheers", Alonzo said and drank, as did Exotica.
"God bless us", Tumble said. "Every one."
Tiny Tumble: Life is full of sweet surprises
Everyday's a gift
The sun comes up and I can feel it lift my spirit
Fills me up with laughter, fills me up with song
I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong
Bless us all, who gather here
Tumble & Exie: The loving family I hold dear
Tumble& Zo: No place on earth, compares with home
And every path will bring me back from where I roam
All: Bless us all, that as we live
We always comfort and forgive
We have so much, that we can share
Tiny Tumble: With those in need we see around us everywhere
Tiny Tumble & Exie: Let us always love each other
Tumble: Lead us to the light
Tumble, Zo & Exie: Let us hear the voice of reason, singing in the night
Zo: Let us run from anger
Exie: and catch us when we fall
Tumble: Teach us in our dreams and please, yes please
All:Bless us one and all
Tumble: Bless us all with playful years
With noisy games and joyful tears
All: We reach for you and we stand tall
Zo: And in our prayers and dreams
We ask you bless us all
Tumble: We reach for you and we stand tall
And in our prayers and dreams we ask you
Bless us all...
Tiny Tumble started to cough and his family got worried.
"L-let's all take our seats now", Exotica said. "Let's have dinner."
"Tell me spirit", Bustopher said with tears in his eyes. "Tell me if Tiny Tumble will live." I stare at the ghost… his fur is getting greyer!
"That is the future", he says tiredly. "My realm is the present. However", he groans. "I see a wakened seat by the chimney corner and a crutch without an owner. If these shadows remain unaltered I believe the child will die. But then if he's going to die he better do it! And decrease the overpopulation!"
"Oh spirit", Bustopher says sadly, recognizing his own harsh words.
"As the Cratchit family vanished into the darkness, Scrooge kept his eyes upon Tiny Tumble until the last", Munk said and everything turned black again.
"Come", the ghost said to Bustopher. "My time grow short."
When it became light again we were on a graveyard and the ghost looked old and dying.
"Spirit do you grow old", Bustopher asked shocked.
"I do", the ghost said chuckling.
"Are spirit's lives so short", Bustopher asked helping the old ghost to a bench.
"My time upon this globe is very brief", the ghost said and sat down. "I believe it will end on the stroke of twelve."
Munk, Quaxo and I were in the church tower and Quaxo pulled on the bell chord.
"One", he counted.
"Now", Bustopher asked and looked at the ghost in sadness. He knelt. "But spirit I have learned so much from you."
"Nothing Scrooge could do or say could stop… the relentless march of those terrible bells", munk said watching what was going on.
"Oh spirit", Bustopher begged. "Do not leave me."
"I think I must in fact", the ghost answered.
"You have meant so much to me. You have changed me."
"And now I leave you with the ghost of Christmas Yet To Come."
"You mean… the future?"
"Mmm."
"Must I?"
"Go forth and know him better tom." The ghost laughed one last time and faded away as his laughter rung out in the night.
TBC I still don't own anything!