PART TWO

_In which a miser has a change of heart and has a happy Christmas after all._

While the Cratchits were having their merry Christmas dinner, old Mr. Scrooge had gone home and gone to bed. “All this is foolishness,” he said, “and a waste of time and money. I wish there was no such thing as Christmas,” and with that he went to sleep.

Mr. Scrooge had some disagreeable dreams on Christmas Eve. In one of them he dreamed that a Christmas spirit showed him his clerk’s home. He saw them all gathered around the fire, and heard them drink his health, and Tiny Tim sing a song. Not a word of abuse for Mr. Scrooge who had been so hard on Bob Cratchit.

How Mr. Scrooge spent Christmas Day we do not know, but on Christmas night he had more dreams and again he saw his poor clerk’s home. In his dream he saw the mother was busy, and as she sewed tears dropped on her sewing now and then. The children were sad, and up stairs was the father with his face hidden in his hands as he sat beside a little bed on which lay the figure of Tiny Tim, white and still.

“My little child--my precious child!” sobbed the poor father. Then into the ear of Mr. Scrooge whispered the dream spirit:

“Tiny Tim died because his father was too poor to give him the necessary things to make him well. YOU kept him poor.”

The father kissed the cold little face, then went down stairs, took his hat and went out with a wistful glance at the little crutch in the corner.

Mr. Scrooge saw all of this and many more strange and sad things; but wonderful to relate, he awoke the next morning feeling like a different man--feeling as he had never felt before.

“I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas, and here’s a Happy New Year to all the world!”

Poor Bob Cratchit was late the next morning and expected to be roundly abused. But no such thing. His master shook hands with him and told him he was going to raise his salary, and asked affectionately after Tiny Tim. Bob could scarcely believe his eyes or ears, but it was all true. Mr. Scrooge had had a change of heart and mind. His dreams had shown him that he was wrong, and that Christmas was a good time after all.

Such doings as the Cratchits had on New Year’s day had never been before in their home. Mr. Scrooge had sent such a turkey for dinner! Tiny Tim had his share, too; for Tiny Tim did not die.

Mr. Scrooge became a second father to him from that day; he wanted for nothing, and grew up strong and healthy. Mr. Scrooge loved him, and well he might, for was it not Tiny Tim who had unconsciously touched his hard heart through his Christmas dream, causing him to become a good and happy man?

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

_In which is told the story of the Christ child, the annunciation to the shepherds, and the adoration of the wise men._

In the distant country of Judea lies the little town of Bethlehem. It is five miles south of Jerusalem. There were such queer little homes; such narrow streets; and only one large inn. Down these narrow streets all day crowds of people had passed. People who had once lived in this little town of Bethlehem and had moved away were coming back to pay taxes. It was late in the evening. The little streets were almost deserted. The inn was full, and the tired travelers were making ready for the night.

No one noticed a man and a woman that came very slowly. The man had a heavy beard and wore long white robes, and led a donkey with a woman sitting on it. How tired the woman looked! But there seemed to be a light shining from her eyes, and one marveled at her beauty. The man’s name was Joseph, the woman’s name was Mary. Arriving at the inn Joseph knocked and was told that there was no room. So creeping wearily to a little stable behind the inn, they, too, made ready for the night.

In the early hours of the morning a son was born to Mary and Joseph, a baby whom they called Jesus.

On this very night that Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem, shepherds were watching their sheep on the hills. Drowsy and sleepy were they when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared, and a bright light shone upon them. They were much frightened.

An angel said to them: “Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. In Bethlehem is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.” Then the sky was filled with voices saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.”

When the song ended, the angel disappeared. Then the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to find the Christ Child. It was still dark. The people and animals were sleeping. The inn was closed. The shepherds went to the stable beyond, and there they found the Christ Child wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.

Then a strange procession entered the town. People looking from their windows were curious to know whence came those men. Wise men of the East riding on camels were they, following what seemed to be a brilliant light in the shape of a star. And now the light ceased to move and they stood looking in a crude stable door. The camels kneeled, the wise men got off, and went into the stable to see the little babe.

The wise men bowed low before the baby. Then they went out and returned with costly presents for the little Jesus. There were gold and sweet perfumes. These were gifts that people gave to kings. The wise men had taken a long journey across the hot sands to bring these gifts to the little Jesus, for they knew he was the Messiah.

THE LITTLE PINE TREE WHO WISHED FOR NEW LEAVES

_It is very foolish to wish to be different from the way we were made. The wise course is to improve the gifts we have, and to be content._

A little pine tree grew in the forest. It was not happy because it did not have leaves like the maple, oaks, and other trees that grew near.

“Why must I have only green needles on my branches?” it sighed. “How I wish that I might have leaves of shining gold and be different from all the other trees in the forest.”

Now, the angel of the forest heard the little pine tree, and that night while it slept, its wish came true. The next morning the little pine tree had leaves of shining gold, and was very happy.

“How beautiful I am!” it thought. “What must the other trees think of me now!”

How foolish was the little pine tree! In the night a man came to the woods. He picked every one of the gold leaves and put them in a box.

“What shall I do?” cried the little tree. “I see now that it will not do to have leaves of gold. If I could only have leaves of glass, I should be happy again.”

The angel of the forest, who was listening, again granted the little tree’s wish, and the next morning when it awoke its branches were covered with leaves of clear, shining glass. Again the little tree was happy, but not for long. After a while the sunbeams hid and clouds gathered in the sky. Lower and lower they hung, and by and by the rain came. How the wind did blow! The glass leaves shook in the wind, and struck against the branches and against one another. Soon the leaves were shattered, and little bits of glass covered the ground. Not a leaf was left on the branches!

“Ah, me!” sighed the little tree again. “Perhaps I should not wish to be better than the other trees. If I could only have green leaves like theirs, I should be happy.”

A third time the angel of the forest granted the little tree’s wish. When morning came it was covered with big shiny green leaves. By and by a goat came along and ate every one of the nice juicy leaves for his dinner.

“Dear me!” said the little tree. “Perhaps it is best after all that I have only my green needles! If I could only have them back!”

While it slept that night the angel of the forest touched it and the next morning it awoke to find long green needles covering its branches. “I like the needles better than the gold or the glass, or the green leaves,” said the pine tree. The little pine never complained again. The birds were happy, too, for in the winter it was the little pine tree that kept them safe and warm.

THE DRAGON SLAYER

_In which we see that it is harder to conquer one’s own ambitions than it is to slay a dragon._

The Knights of St. John were both priests and knights. Their badge was a white cross which they wore upon their mantles, over their shining arms. The head knight was called the Grand Master.

In a marsh lived a terrible dragon. Its head was larger than a horse’s head. It had a huge mouth, very sharp teeth and enormous eyes. It ate the sheep and cattle when they came for water. Sometimes shepherd boys were missing and even men were devoured by the dragon.

Many of the knights had gone out against this monster, but its body was covered with such thick scales that swords and arrows could not hurt it, and not one of the men came back alive. At last the Grand Master ordered that no one else should go.

There was one young knight who wanted very much to try to kill the dragon. He had once hunted for the monster, but when he saw it, had come back without striking a blow. Although the dragon had lashed its tail so fiercely that he could not get near it, he had noticed that the scales did not cover the under part of the body.

Now he had a plan. He did not tell it to the Grand Master. He only asked that he might go to his father’s home. There he made a dragon which looked exactly like the real dragon. He made the under part hollow, and filled it with food. He trained two fierce dogs to fly at this part of the dragon to get the food. When the animals were sufficiently trained, he went back to fight the dragon.

He knew he ought not to disobey the Grand Master, and that he had no right to fight the dragon, but he could not resist the temptation to have the people say: “Behold the Dragon Slayer,” and so he took the two dogs and went forth to battle.

There was a terrific struggle, the horse became frightened and the knight had to jump off. The dragon knocked him down with his fierce tail. Then the dogs fastened themselves upon the dragon. The knight got on his feet again, and while the dogs were fighting the dragon, the knight stuck his sword into the dragon’s body. It gave a great groan and fell on its side dead.

The people shouted with joy as they went to tell the Grand Master. When the Grand Master saw the young knight, he looked grave and said: “Thou art brave, but a knight who wears the cross should learn a greater thing. He should not love his own way, but should be humble and obedient. Be gone from my sight!”

The crowd was surprised at this and cried out against the unjust sentence. The knight bowed his head in shame, for he knew that he had not obeyed the Grand Master. Sadly he took off his mantle and walked away. Then the Grand Master called him back and said: “Now, thou art worthy, thou hast overcome a worse enemy than the dragon--thyself!”

THE GOOSE GIRL