Marley was dead seven years to this day, December 20 the day before Hanukkah. Ebenezer Scrooge was sitting in his counting house working with Bob Cratchit. It was freezing and scrooge kept his coals heavily guarded so that Bob Cratchit couldn’t have any. Poor old Bob Cratchit was trying to warm himself with the menorah. Suddenly his nephew came in chanting ”Happy Hanukkah! Happy Hanukkah!”


“BAH BUPKES! “ Scrooge said.


“Happy Hanukkah Uncle Scrooge.” said his nephew.

“ Hanukkah is a bupke!” yelled Scrooge.


“Surely you don’t mean that uncle. It is a time to celebrate our victory and the miracle of

the oil. It’s about spinning the dradle.” said nephew.


“Bah Bupke.” barked Scrooge while he threw dradle clay at his nephew.


His nephew picked up the clay and politely told him thank you.


Later that day some men came by asking Scrooge to give money for the poor. Scrooge rudely responded with,


“Not giving money will decrease the surplus population as needed.”


It was finally time to go so Bob Cratchit hurriedly picked up and left. Soon after Scrooge decided to head home as well. On his way, he was approached by a beggar which he told to get lost. When he finally arrived home he saw Marley’s face in the door.


“It must have been the matzah bread.” he mumbled to himself.


He walked in and put on his nightwear. When he turned around he saw Marley’s ghost again in front of him. He had many chains on him, that swayed and made clanking sounds.


“Scroooooooge!” Marley roared.


“You are a fake.” said Scrooge.


“I assure you I am quite real and I am here to warn you of the fate you will face if you do not change.”


“What do you mean?” asked Scrooge.


“If you do not start being a kinder and better person and learning the values of Hanukkah you will end end up as dead and unhappy as me. You will be visited the night before the first day of Hanukkah at 2:00, 4:00, and 8:00am. I must go now.”

Scrooge overwhelmed by all the chaos got tired and went to bed. Bong bong. Scrooge woke up and saw a ghost at the end of his bed.


“Who are you?” asked Scrooge.


“I am the Ghost of Hanukkah Past.”


“What do you mean ‘Past’?” asked Scrooge.


“I am going to help you remember some of your past Hanukkah experiences.”


The room suddenly faded away and he saw his old schoolyard where he grew up at.


“This is where I grew up at” said Scrooge excitedly


He saw himself lighting his menorah in the middle of the schoolyard. Another bigger boy came by and hit young Ebenezer. The bigger boy said “Hanukkah is foolish when you can have Christmas.” and he kicked over his menorah and ran away.


“I hated that boy” said Scrooge enraged.


“Take my hand” ordered past.


The schoolyard crumbled away into a bright dance-floor.


A more mature and older Ebenezer was dancing with a girl.


“I am Ebenezer.” said young Scrooge.


“I am Jill.” said the girl.


“Are you enjoying Christmas” said Jill


“I am celebrating hanukkah actually.” said young Ebenezer


“Well I am very sorry but my father would never allow us to be together, for he is strictly christian.”

“ Such a sad day” said Past


“Bupke” said Scrooge


He found himself in his home again and looked at his clock. It was 3. He could not sleep so he stayed up drinking tea. Bong bong bong bong. The room lit up and a giant joyous man emerged from the ground.


“You must be Present” said Scrooge


“And proud to be it” said Present


“Touch my robe.”


Scrooge did as he said and the room once again was changing but this time it was in Bob Cratchit’s home.


“Why are we here?” asked Scrooge


“Observe.” responded Present


He saw Bob Cratchit and his family sitting around the table with kosher chicken and matzah bread.


“What a big bird” said Tiny Tim in awe


“That bird is pathetic” said Scrooge


“That is all they can afford. said Present


The whole family scarfed down the food.


“I am full” said Mrs .Cratchit


“What do you think of hanukkah Scrooge?” asked Present

“It is a bupke.” said Scrooge


“What about the miracle of the oil?” asked Present


“It was nothing but luck.” stated Scrooge


“ Would you like to know of Tiny Tim’s future?”asked Present


“Surely he will live.” said Scrooge


“Not even long enough to see his barmitzvah” said Present


“ That is if Cratchit’s paycheck is not raised” offered Present


Scrooge was back in his home, but it was already 8. He saw the last ghost. “I fear you most.” said Scrooge.


As he expected, the room disappeared from around him. He found himself in a morgue. He immediately knew what the ghost was showing him. It was his dead body. He saw two morticians scowling at his body. The first mortician said, “It was about time.”


“I wonder who is coming to his funeral.” said the second mortician.


“Someone who is wasting their time.”


Scrooge started crying and then he found himself in a graveyard. He saw Bob Cratchit and his family around a skimpy rock mound with a stone on top reading “Tiny Tim RIP”. Scrooge was frantically screaming at this point and the ghost’s work was done.


He was in his home again. He was very relieved that the nightmare was over though he knew it was very real. Scrooge was a changed man and decided to visit his nephew. He went to his nephew’s house and he had a great night spinning the dradle and eating kosher food and matzah bread. Bob Cratchit’s paycheck was later raised and Tiny Tim lived a happy and healthy life.